UMS Pharmacy Students Embarked on International Internship at IKOP Pharma, Malaysia

As part of the implementation of Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM), 23 students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) were granted the opportunity to participate in an internship at IKOP Pharma, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in Pahang, Malaysia. This accomplishment significantly enhances UMS reputation as an excellent and globally oriented institution.

IKOP Pharma is a pharmaceutical industry owned by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

This initiative results from the collaboration established between UMS and IIUM Malaysia. It commenced with a visit by the Dean, Vice Dean for Cooperation, the Head of the Pharmacist Professional Study Program, and the Head of Master of Pharmacy. Through this agreement, the Faculty of Pharmacy at UMS was granted the opportunity to facilitate its students’ participation in internships at IKOP Pharma Malaysia.

“We initiated the implementation of international industrial internships to provide students with valuable international experience,” stated Erindyah Retno Wikantyasning, Ph.D., the Dean of UMS Pharmacy, on Thursday (8/2/2024).

The first phase occurred from January 29 to February 9, 2024. The students were accompanied by apt. Wahyu Utami, Ph.D., and apt. Setyo Nurwaini, M.Sc.

The program spanned ten days and covered a diverse range of topics, including an introduction to the pharmaceutical industry and its regulations, good manufacturing practices with a focus on safety aspects, quality assurance, documentation, risk management, product quality analysis, audit processes, product recalls, registration and licensing procedures, as well as information management and quality control. Throughout the internship, students resided in the IIUM dormitory, which was facilitated by the campus.

Dr. apt. Arifah Sri Wahyuni, M.Sc., emphasized that this activity was integral to the MBKM program, and she extended the opportunity to participating students.

Arifah added, “This allows them to gain more experience, and we also convert this activity into academic credits.”

The Head of the Pharmacist Professional Study Program,  Anita Sukmawati, Ph.D., mentioned that in the future, internship activities are intended to be included for UMS Pharmacist Professional  program students as an alternative to Pharmacist Professional Work Practice (PKPA) activities within the pharmaceutical industry.

“In the future, we plan to extend this internship program as an alternative to PKPA for our pharmacist students,” Anita stated.

Furthermore, the UMS Master of Pharmacy Program is actively exploring opportunities to send students abroad for enriching international experiences.

“Yes, in the near future, we plan to send Master students to participate in internships, particularly for science students. We aim to provide valuable experiences to our Master’s students,” expressed apt. Zakky Cholisoh, Ph.D., the Head of the UMS Master of Pharmacy Program.

Apart from internships in the pharmaceutical industry, there are plans to soon actualize internships in hospitals affiliated with the IIUM campus. The IIUM campus has a teaching hospital that can be a valuable venue for pharmacy students’ internships.

Apt. Peni Indrayudha, Ph.D., the Vice Dean for Student Affairs and Collaboration at the Faculty of Pharmacy UMS, emphasized that the faculty fosters international collaborations and ensures that students receive the best opportunities to develop excellent competencies.

He concluded, “This activity also indirectly hones and adds to students' life skills.”

Writer: Yusuf

Editor: Gede

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid

Source: https://news.ums.ac.id