01 Editor-in-Chief ’s Foreword
02
04
President’s Foreword
PharmNo s Induction Day
03 Introducing the Faces Behind PharmNo s
05 Pizza & Chill Night
09 Community Pharmacy Summer Placement
06
10
Blood Donation Drive
Insights of a UK Exchange Student
07 MyPSA NoGAPS 2019
11 Fun Science Facts
08 CCM Industrial Visit
12 Fun & Games
Dear reader,
It is my great pleasure to present to you our very much anticipated PharmNo s newsle
The theme for this year revolves around Finding The Calm In The Chaos. When things lose our peace of mind easily. Thus we hope that through this beautiful theme, it serve life. Despite the chaos, a calm mind will always get u
In this newsle er, we have included various events a our very own PharmNo s induction day to the indu experiences through our write-ups. There is also an semester in our Malaysia campus which you may lo
Of course, our newsle er would not have been a goo designs that you see in our newsle er is the result o towards many others who poured in an eort into t
Lastly, to you, who are currently reading this, thank hope you enjoy this newsle er as much as we did in
Happy reading and stay s Warm regards, Amy Lai Pei Chun Editor-In-Chief PharmNo s Publications
e er!
s get tough and uncertain, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic now, we tend to es as a reminder for us to always find calm within ourselves in order to power through us through the difficult situations.
and activities that not only took place in our university but also held externally. From ustrial visit held, we hope that each of you is able to indulge in these amazing n exciting article wri en by a UK exchange student of his experiences spending a ook forward to!
od one without the contributions and teamwork involved om all parties. The pleasing of the excellent work of our talented graphic designer, Whemay. I am also thankful the creation of this newsle er.
k you! For you are the reason we find joy in creating these annual newsle ers. We truly n creating it! And remember, it’s all about finding the calm in the chaos.
safe!
Officer 20/21
Hello all!
Welcome to the annual PharmNo s newsle er. As your President, I wou and returning students, and express my gratitude to those who made th
The Coronavirus pandemic eloquently demonstrated the importance of researchers. The extraordinary circumstances we are currently in presen should aim to take full advantage of.
This year, PharmNo s will need to reimagine itself, as we learn to work w by Covid-19. Despite these restrictions, we will continue to represent the regular Public Health Campaigns, and plan to gradually reintroduce th
This newsle er will showcase PharmNo s’ achievements of the past aca participate in future events, so stay tuned.
Warm regards, Naieem Razak President
uld like to extend a warm welcome to all esh his publication possible.
well trained medical professionals and nt new and fascinating opportunities, which we
with and around the restrictions made necessary Pharmaceutical community through our he Blood Donation Drives.
ademic year, and will hopefully encourage you to
he beginning of a chapter always needs an introduction, hence why PharmNo s is determined to organise our annual induction day at the start of the year! This event is solely dedicated to welcoming our new iends om the School of Pharmacy -- both MPharm and Pharmaceutical Health Sciences students. We wanted to break barriers between students and create bonds that could last a lifetime. The theme of the event was Pharmacy (who would have thought?), which could be seen in the ‘prescription bags’ made for every person as they entered the room. One by one, the students were greeted by the enthusiastic PharmNo s commi ee, who were eager to make new iends. Once everyone has se led, the commi ee gave brief introductions, as well as playing the PharmNo s
promotional video. To break the ice, all 80 students in the room took part in quite possibly the loudest, hectic and exciting trio of ice-breaking games which included the Handshake Game, Land Ahoy and Human Rock Paper Scissors. These games forced everyone to work together, and what was once quiet and shy students, they instantly became fun and rowdy as they got to know
each other. Once it was time to move on to the next few competitive games, the students were asked to look inside their ‘prescription bags’. Inside, they found an FP10 prescription, a puzzle piece and a bo le of prescribed ‘chill pills’ (which were actually just M&M’s!). Students had to work together to complete multiple jigsaw puzzles with just one piece given to each person - this led them to be grouped according to their final puzzle picture. Once grouped, multiple competitive games were played such as the Blanket Game and Truth/Dare/Shot. This was one of the very few moments where you could see people willingly take a shot of vinegar or tomato juice to avoid truth or dare! Aſter the competitiveness amongst the students began to dissipate, they were briefed about BPSA along with a teaser of the upcoming annual Responding to Symptoms competition. senior buddies, with no names provided. They then had to communicate with everyone until they bumped into their respective buddies respective buddies and built more bonds between them. As the clock tower struck noon and blasted the whole campus with its distinctive bell sounds, all the students were directed to the cafeteria for lunch provided by PharmNo s.
However, the competitive games did not end there! Aſter a fulfilling lunch courtesy of PharmNo s and our beloved Chinese stall, students went back to their respective assigned groups. Unlike the other games played before which were confined in one room, students now have to work together amongst their group to complete challenges at stations sca ered all around campus. Each station had different games that require teamwork, and once those challenges have been met, they would receive ‘clues’. Some challenges include shooting with water guns, the drawing version of Chinese Whisperers and even dodgeball. Their goal was to collect all the clues to make a mysterious concoction, and whichever group completed it first will be the winner!
Once everyone had completed the challenges throughout campus, they returned back to the original room where they faced the final challenge in which they had to make the purple, shiny concoction exactly how the PharmNo s commi ee had. Firstly, they would look at their clues that hinted at the list of people that could possibly give them parts of the ‘secret recipe’. When they’ve collected all the parts of the recipe, they would then rearrange the parts to make the recipe cohesive and practical. From then on, they would have to follow the instructions of the recipe, which involves mixing parts of acidic and basic liquids, as well as adding gli er! The first group to get the concoction right became the glorious winner where each member received a prize. A prize ceremony was given to the winning team, along with
the first and second runner ups. It was truly a satisfying and uitful finish to their day spent running around the campus in the scorching heat. However, those who did not win did not lose either! Everyone gained new iends and a sense of belonging; in a way, we all won. Sadly and inevitably, the exciting and hectic day came to an end. By this time, everyone had used up their energy and was looking forward to heading back and ge ing some rest. Brief goodbyes and thanks were given to the organisers and new iends everyone has made. The students entered the room by themselves, all nervous and shy, but they leſt the room as iends, with laughter and smiles everywhere. We hope that our new iends enjoyed their induction day with us, and we wish them all the best on their journey with UNM!
Words: Sarah Yasmin Sharuddin
ollowing the weeks aſter the Clubs and Societies Fair, where we had our new iends join the PharmNo s family, we organised another get-together to tighten the budding bond between us. Of course, with board games and pizza, it can never go wrong! It was a sweet and simple event, where students finally had the chance to wind down a bit amidst preparing for the upcoming exams. The event started out with a small briefing about the upcoming Public Health Campaign, which many people were eager to take part in. Aſterwards, each student received a piece of paper containing a grid filled with random characteristics such as “is wearing a purple shirt” and “can speak more than 3 languages”. What could this possibly mean? Well soon enough, they found out that they were all about to play Human Bingo! It’s essentially bingo, except they would have to go around the room and communicate with others to tick off the boxes. To amplify their motivation, they were also rewarded with chocolates for every row and column they’ve ticked. This game surely was a catalyst for finding out random facts about your iends. Once the chocolates started to run out and the majority of the boxes were filled, it was finally time for pizza! Everyone was very hungry at this point, and the chocolates did them no justice. A few tables were joined together to
make a bigger one. This was necessary, as we had a whopping number of over 20 boxes of pizza to be served! Ranging om beef pepperoni to veggie fiesta, we had various flavours to cater to everyone that joined. Needless to say, everyone was happy as they munched on their pizza while eyeing for the next slice. While they were eating, we also introduced another table with a plethora of board games available, all thanks to the Gaming Society! We had Monopoly, Explosive Ki ens, Cards Against Humanity and even more! One by one, they started crowding around the games, forming different groups amongst themselves according to what games they wanted to play. Soon enough, the room was blasting with music, laughter and shouting. On one corner of the room, someone figured out who the murderer was while playing Clue, while on the other side, someone won the heart of the card
czar with their (dark) humour during Cards Against Humanity. It’s amazing how a simple board game can garner so much energy om players. Once time reached 9 pm, it was time to go back. Everyone helped with collecting the rubbish, packing the board games and moving the tables back. While tidying up, we faced a crisis; two people with identical bags accidentally swapped their belongings, and one of them has leſt the room! Leaving back one person who couldn’t leave empty-handed as he just lost all of his belongings. Together, everyone as a team worked to try and find out the person who accidentally took the bag. In the end, we managed to find out who it was! It was amazing to see everyone work together in a moment of a mini-crisis.
Words: Sarah Yasmin Sharuddin
here is a continuous need for regular blood supply as blood can only be stored only for a limited period before use. Regular blood donation is needed to ensure that blood will always be available whenever and wherever it is needed. With this in mind, PharmNo s of the University of No ingham Malaysia Campus organized a two-day long Blood Donation Drive. It was held on the 4th and 5th of December 2019, om 10 am to 4 pm. Due to the overwhelming responses om both students and staff, we used up all the blood bags prepared by the National Blood Centre, and we are proud to announce that there was a total of 142 successful donors in this event! Without the help and support om the PharmNo s’ members and volunteers, the event wouldn’t have achieved such a great success. Apart om that, weeks of continuous planning and work done by the organizing commi ee had also contributed to the success of the event! We, the organising commi ee, needed to ensure that there were enough donors to a end the blood donation event. As such, we looked through all the academic calendars to organize the dates and times for the event so that they would suit as many donors as possible. Apart om that, we also had to find a suitable location and ways to effectively promote the events. We realized that Blood Donation could be turned into a fun event as well. Thus, we decided to incorporate some interesting elements into this event. This year we set up a photo booth that allowed blood donors to take pictures aſter they had donated blood. We had volunteers stationed at the photo booth to help them take pictures which were then uploaded to Instagram. In order to relay thank-you messages to blood donors and raising awareness about Blood Donation, we decided to tag them using our official PharmNo s account, hence allowing them to repost their stories.
Students were filling up the registrat
From this Blood Donation Drive, we found out that regular donors tend to be the best recruiters of new donors and that personal communication is one of the most eective ways of spreading the word. The Organising Chairperson and I, the Vice Organizing Chairperson, were glad to organize an event that will encourage people to donate blood and save lives. Aer this event, more people understood the importance of donating blood and realized that blood is the most precious gi that anyone can give to another person. In conclusion, we always loved the idea of organising such meaningful events, because it is a proactive approach towards making sure that something positive happens, instead of waiting for someone else to do it for us. Therefore, I strongly encourage more people to participate in the upcoming Blood Donation Drive.
tion form at Station 1.
Words: Ng Yong Yu Blood donors taking photos at the photobooth.
Students are donating blood at Station 5.
oGAPS. The national gathering of pharmacy students. It may sound like it’s just another event to talk about the current healthcare issues and all the usual stuff. But li le did I know, it became one of the highlights of my summer. During those 5 days, we had the opportunity to meet incredible individuals om pharmacy schools all over Malaysia. It was interesting to learn about how other pharmacy students are planning to utilize their skills to venture into different aspects of the industry. NoGAPS provided a platform for all the pharmacy students to bond through various activities, om an adrenaline-filled game night to the highlight of the event Pharmazing race, which was a real-life game
Monopoly. We have pushed ourselves physically to complete tasks and stations. Mentally, we were challenged to think out of the box to prepare for presentations under a time pressure. All these have contributed to the bonding among our team. Besides all the fun & games, they also focused on personal development. Throughout the event, various workshops and a symposium that aligned with the theme (Grow, Evolve, Inspire) of NoGAPS 2019 were held.
The workshops were designed to instill values in us, om leadership to entrepreneurship. To name a few, through a personal branding workshop, I have learnt more about myself when we had to reflect on our strengths & branding workshop, I have learnt more about myself when we had to reflect on our strengths & weaknesses. The workshop ended by advising us on how to accurately communicate our values, goals, beliefs and purpose to our target audience. To tie in the idea of entrepreneurship during the workshop by the founder of Advanx Health, each team was provided a capital of RM5, and we were given 45 minutes to make the most profit out of it.
From welcoming party to team building & games night to Pharmazing Race to Public Health Campaign challenge and finally to workshops & symposium. In order to sum it all up, a Gala Night themed ‘The Show: Atrapasueños’ was held on the final night. It was a Gala Night that was so unique as it indirectly had no theme. ‘Atrapasueños’ meant ‘dream catcher’ in Spanish, so on that night, we could be anything we wanted to be. The Gala Night carried a very special message behind, to chase our dreams and own it! Huge credits to the organizing commi ees of NoGAPS, they did a really great job on this. We have grown, evolved and were inspired throughout these 5 days!
Words: Ashley Lee Wai Yan
Group photo of the participants taken in ont of the main building.
2020, we organized an industrial visit to the prestigious manufacturing plant of CCM Duopharma, a pharmaceutical company in Bandar Baru Bangi.
ver wondered how it’s like to deal with tmachines in the pharmaceutical industry? Ever wondered why some of your medicines taste so bi er? Well, PharmNo s is here to answer your doubts! On the 7th of February
The industrial visit was a success because all activities on that day went smoothly as planned. All 30 participants were present, and we managed to reach CCM on time. Upon reaching, the person in charge of the trip, Mr Low, gave us a heartwarming welcome and offered us re eshments such as curry puffs and our popular Malaysian drink, Teh Tarik before starting the tour.
Briefing given by Mr Low (standing) about the history of CCM.
Aſter having breakfast, Mr Low, who is also a professional pharmacist gave us a detailed briefing on their company structure, vision and aims in producing pharmaceutical medicines. Our participants were also briefed on the safety rules and regulations to tensure all of us adhered to them. During the session, our participants were able to clear their doubts as they raised questions that were then patiently answered by Mr Low. Soon aſter the introduction, Mr Low brought us to tour around the manufacturing area. We had fun
while wearing the jumpsuits as we could hardly recognise our iends through the covered eyes.
The room was strongly sanitised and pressure controlled to meet the requirements of storing raw materials. Mr Low introduced some new machines which facilitate their raw material distribution so the use of manpower on scooping manually is no longer required. This shows the transition to new technology in the synthesis process of our daily products which we would not have
thought of be introduced to equipment, m materials, pac products and tour, Mr Low of how the eq to enhance ou of Mr Low, ou experiences a sights which w Aſter the tour served scrum We were part
Before leaving taking a grou the perfect pl
Participants que
efore. Then, we were o new pharmaceutical machines, storage of raw ckaging of newly synthesized d many more. During the gave us a clear explanation quipment is operated daily ur knowledge. With the help ur participants gained new and learned a lot of new inwe would not get om books. r, our participants were Another briefing given by Mr Low before entering the production site. mptious lunch by CCM. ticularly pleased with the delicious tomyam prawns they served us.
g, we presented Mr Low with giſts om the university as a token of appreciation, as well as up photo with him. The picture was taken in ont of the main gate where the logo was – it was lace for a picture.
eueing up for the jumpsuits and masks.
In conclusion, the CCM Industrial Trip was successful and undoubtedly a memorable event for all the participants. The tour was well-structured in a way to meet the objectives of introducing the pharmaceutical insights to the participants. The organizing commi ees were pleased to see the positive impact the educational trip had brought about among the students.
Group photo before entering the production site.
With that, we would like to give thanks to all parties that were involved in supporting this project as it was indeed a uitful industrial visit.
Words: Chan Tee Sing & Lee Qi Huan Appreciation and photo session with Mr Low.
ver the summer, I had the opportunity to take part in a community pharmacy placement for two weeks. The placement was an eye-opener, as I got first-hand experience of how a community pharmacy in a busy part of town runs in Malaysia. There were many differences between the UK and Malaysian pharmacies that I would not have appreciated as much if it weren’t for this opportunity.
Patients came every day and the busiest time would be lunch hour.
My day as their ‘intern’ started out at 10 am when the pharmacy opened. Upon opening, we had to check and keep count of the controlled drugs such as pseudoephedrine. Medications are classed differently in Malaysia, I spent my time with Multicare Pharmacy in Sunway where P medications are considered Damansara, which is a chain pharmacy with Poison C while POM medications multiple branches throughout Malaysia. Since I are considered Poison B. I was in was only a Year 1 student at the time, the work I was charge of making sure that the competent to do was limited, however, I still gained Poison C medication records were tremendous knowledge. This pharmacy was rather up to date, under the supervision of small in size, but it provided sufficient medications.
of the pharmacist. As the day progressed, I had ample time to learn about medications not yet taught in the course during Year 1, such as asthma medications and micronutrient supplements. My pharmacist urged that I go around the pharmacy and take notes of the supplements and the asthma medications, which he believed would help me later on. He was definitely right! The module right aſter my summer break was Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease and Asthma, Allergies & Immune system. My placement experience helped me understand what was be er during those two modules.
Every 2-3 days, variations of stock would arrive at the pharmacy, ranging om medications to even snacks. I also gained some retail knowledge when it comes to sorting out all non-medication goods as well, such as counting every unit ordered to make sure there are no discrepancies against the order invoice. One particular day, our pharmacist ordered a large stock of different Poison C medications, and I was responsible for making sure that every medication and correct quantities were accounted for in the order invoice. It was particularly tiring as there were so many (possibly around 3 full large boxes with many tiny boxes of medications inside!), but I began to appreciate the workload when it comes to running a pharmacy. There’s also a certain procedure when it comes to sorting these medications. The pharmacy used the “first in, first out method” where the medications with the earliest expiry date are placed at the very ont on the shelves. In the long run, it would reduce the expired medications not sold. There are various types of patients that
you will meet when working in a pharmacy. The regular patients tend to be the elderly since they use medications oſten. They also love to have a chat with people working in the pharmacy. Fortunately, our pharmacy doesn’t get too busy up to the point where we could not talk to these patients. I also had the opportunity to carry out blood pressure tests on patients, which helped me later on in the Cardiovascular module. Another thing I experienced was medication recall. We had a few medications being recalled, and I was responsible for taking those medications off the shelves. My pharmacist gave me the manufacturing numbers of those medications, then I had to make sure that all products with those numbers were taken off the shelves. I didn’t expect medication recall to happen oſten, hence I was mildly surprised. Some things are be er understood when you experience them, rather than just learning in theory. This is especially true when your ethics and professional judgement come into play. It’s very easy for one to say “if this situation occurs, I will do this”, but when it comes to actually using your professional judgement, it can be difficult, and you might not necessarily do what you said you would. I’ve had various encounters where my professional judgement was challenged in
the pharmacy. For example, drug addicts tend to come to our pharmacy for cough medicines, and you start to wonder if they actually need it for their cough, or whether it’s for recreational use. You’d also have to take into account Duty of Care - wouldn’t denying the patient of cough medication harm them if they actually need it? Fortunately, I did not have to deal with that dilemma at the time (the pharmacist did), but it did give me an insight into the kind of professional judgement I would face in the future. Overall, my experience was fulfilling, even though it only lasted for two weeks. I had the opportunity to learn so much within a short period of time. I suggest that the pharmacy students spend some time of their summer doing internships in community, hospital or even industrial pharmacy. It might sound tiresome and a portion of your summer holidays will involve work, but I assure you, these kinds of placements will give you hands-on knowledge that a lecture can never provide.
Words: Sarah Yasmin Sharuddin
Words: Daniel Ry
yan MacDonald
i, I’m Daniel, and I’ve just completed my 2nd year as a UK MPharm mobility student at UNMC. Although my time was cut short, this past year has been one of the best of my life! From the amazing iends I’ve made, to the one-of-a-kind cultural immersion, to the numerous travel experiences I had, my year in Malaysia is a memory I’ll never forget! Also, with living costs so cheap, my bank balance is VERY thankful ;)
PHARMACY It seemed only fi ing to begin with the core reason we’re all at university, the degree. In UNM, I found the standard of teaching to be exceptional. You really don’t feel like just a number, but a person, and this is largely due to the small class sizes. I found there to be more continuity with lecturers in UNM over UNUK, as we’d see familiar faces return to teach multiple Drugs, Medicines and Patients (DMP) modules, which meant we could build close relationships. One major difference to class at UK campus was that we had all of our lectures in the small classroom each day, rather than multiple vast lecture theatres. Another difference in UNM is a endance monitoring before each class. We’d do this using an app, Insta , and need to get 80% a endance for each module. Professional practice classes always felt very immersive, as every session always involved prescription counselling & feedback, Scripware, law & ethics scenario based learning and we even practised Skype and online consultations! Also, we had community, hospital and insight placements, which were such eye-opening global pharmacy experiences. For more details about my experience at placements in Malaysia, please read my previous blog post with the link below. h p://blogs.no ingham.edu.my/pharmacy/2019/12/09/placementdaniel-ryan-macdonald/
FRIENDS As important as academics are, university is about more than a degree. It’s the people you meet that substantially shape your experience. From the very start, I found my classmates to be so welcoming. They organised an orientation day within week 1, pizza and games nights. As we become closer throughout the year we’d go to shopping malls aſter class to watch films in the cinema, eat yummy food and drink lots and lots of bubble tea haha. There are also so many other opportunities to meet iends such as clubs, societies and accommodation.
SOCIETIES With over 70 societies, there is something for everyone: om volunteering, to educational, to creative, to activities, the Students Association (the Malaysian equivalent of the Students Union) caters to everyone’s interests. For mobility students, the Diving Club was particularly popular as they offered scuba diving trips to various Malaysian islands. The Nature Club was equally as popular. They organised beach clean ups and trips to tropical forests. I personally took this year to try something new so I joined the No s.FM radio team in the Digital Arts Guild society. I ended up co-hosting a Healthcare & Sustainability segment, as well as working as the secretary. I also joined Swimming Club and with the aid of an instructor, swam 1000m every Wednesday and Friday morning at 7:30am, before our 9am lectures! To add, I could not write about societies and forget PharmNo s.
They offered so many opportunities to get to know our coursemates outside of the classroom and also develop our professional knowledge by organising events such as blood donation, industry visits and consultation practice. The highlight of my time in PharmNo s however was the Public Health Campaign “Hey! You Ma er”, targeting mental health awareness. Sadly, the events were cancelled due to COVID-19 but working as the Events Manager for the campaign was nonetheless an incredibly rewarding and stimulating experience.
TRANSPORT Since UNM is essentially situated in the middle of a jungle, public transport was of the u ermost importance to get around. Luckily UNM provides a number of ee shu le buses. It was the 10-minute bus journey to Tesco that I used most oſten. Malaysia also has extremely affordable trains, offering connections to shopping centres and Kuala Lumpur city centre. Another lifesaver was Grab taxis, which works similarly to Uber, except for a action of the cost! What I didn’t know before arriving at UNM was the journey om campus to KL centre was approximately 50 minutes.
WEATHER Definitely one of the factors that drew me to studying in Malaysia was the promising hot temperatures, something which the UK very much lacks. Most days would consist of tropical temperatures of 30°C and I almost instantly adapted to becoming reliant on the aircon in every room I’d enter. We did have rainy spells, mostly in the evenings, and these coincided with Malaysia’s inconsistent monsoon season, between October and January. Some of my favourite memories would be the handful of times where I’d hear the sky grumble and see bolts of lightning in the distance om my bedroom balcony as the sky would flash purple. The dreamy sunrises and sunsets, particularly om above Broga Hill, were similarly, unforge able sights.
TRAVEL Being located in Southeast Asia, Malaysia offers both natural beauties locally, and the BEST travel connections to nearby countries. My advice would be to utilise your weekends wisely, because in my experience, I always regre ed the things I didn’t do more than the things I did. Since you will have to hand in your passport during your first 6 weeks, this is the perfect opportunity to explore Malaysia (with a photocopy of your passport on you). From the iconic Petronas Towers of Kuala Lumpur, to the vibrant stairway into Batu Caves, to the idyllic Malaysian islands, there’s certainly plenty of choice! Here are some of my top picks for travel destinations once you’ve been reunited with your passport… • Malaysia: Penang, Langkawi, Melaka, Cameron Highlands, Borneo • Nearby: Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos • Slightly further: Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Japan, Australia
I hope you enjoyed reading! Even just recounting some of these memories has brought such a smile to my face. Whether you’re reading as a prospective student, or someone who’s been to UNM yourself, I hope this gives you a brief insight into life as a UNM student!