Pharmacist has an important role in maintaining one’s health through pharmaceutical services.
This was said by UGM professor, Prof.Dr. Suwaldi Martodihardjo, M.Sc., Apt., in a seminar titled the Role of Pharmacist in Health Services: Challenge in Disruptive Innovation Era on Wednesday (9/5) in Auditorium of UGM Graduate School.
Suwaldi said pharmacists had a role in maintaining the health and improving the quality of life of the patient. One of those is to give counselling on the right use of medication. This is required in order to change the attitude of patient. For example, a certain diet affects the health or a drug may deplete nutrition and cause disorder.
“For example, long term use of statins will decrease coenzyme Q10,” he said. Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant produced in the body that acts as energy required for cell growth.
The eseminar also presented nanotechnology expert from Faculty of Pharmacy UGM, Prof.Dr. Lukman Hakim, M.Sc., Apt. Lukman discussed the importance of the development of nanoparticle drug supplies. It is not just to increase drug dissolution and availability, but it can protect the drug from metabolism before reaching systemic circulation (first-pass metabolism).
Nanoparticle drug also reduces the process of elimination of drug level in the blood and extend mean residence time (MRT) of the drug as well as preventing opsonisation in the serum and direct the drug to target network.
“Nanoparticle drug supply development in Indonesia became a challenge in the disurption era so the drug can be competitive like foreign products,” he said.
The seminar was done by Faculty of Pharmacy UGM to coincide with the retirement of the two professors. Also attending the event was Dr. Widyati, Mclin Pharm Apt., pharmacist from RSAL dr. Ramelan, Surabaya that explained the role of pharmacist to prevent antibiotics resistance. Uncontrolled use of antibiotics will cause antibiotics resistance, which may endanger someone’s life. Widya said that pharmacist could be the partner for patient and society for choosing antibiotics.