Emeritus Appreciation for the Professor of Pharmacy at ITB: The Contribution of Pharmacists in the Era of Information Technology

By M. Naufal Hafizh

Editor M. Naufal Hafizh

BANDUNG, itb.ac.id. The School of Pharmacy (SP), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), held an Appreciation for the Full Professor, Prof. Dr. apt. Tutus Gusdinar Kartawinata, M.S., as one of the professors in the Pharmacokinetics Research Group. The event took place on Friday (26/4/2024) in a hybrid format at the Auditorium Gallery 1 CC Timur ITB and via Zoom.

The Dean of the School of Pharmacy at ITB, Prof. apt. I Ketut Adnyana, M.Si., Ph.D., stated that Prof. Tutus has contributed greatly, approximately for 45 years. He also served as the first dean of SF ITB.

Since starting his career on February 1, 1978, Prof. Tutus has achieved numerous accomplishments, both in research and in organizational roles. He has taught various courses such as biochemistry, clinical chemistry, molecular biodynamics, and enzymology methods. His research has covered diverse topics including studies on anti-bacterial, anti-cholesterol, and anti-diabetes activities, as well as the modulation of active polymer chemical structures from walnut seeds, and protein hydrolysis from walnut seeds.

At the event, Prof. Tutus also delivered his final lecture titled 'Repositioning the Competence of Pharmacists in the Era of Information Technology.' Repositioning here signifies reforming the apothecary profession to prepare pharmacists for the future.

In general, there are several areas of health management, one of which is the preventive area, which includes vaccination and nutrition. Then, if someone has already contracted a disease, there should be efforts in curative and rehabilitative care, which aims to restore the functions of the body that has been affected. This aspect is widely developed in the medical field. Lastly, there's the restorative effort when one has recovered, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

In the 2030s, Indonesia's population is likely to consist mostly of young people (60%), followed by the middle generation (30%), and the elderly generation (10%). The young generation will be the driving force of the economy, requiring energizing nutrition. Subsequently, the middle generation will be involved in governance and leadership roles in companies/businesses, necessitating restorative nutrition. Lastly, the elderly generation will uphold the cultural heritage and noble values of the nation, requiring vitamin and mineral supplements.

“I hope we can realize the concept of ETIK pharmacists, which stands for Entitas Penyebar Informasi Kesehatan (Entities for Health Information Dissemination) for the community," said Prof. Tutus.

The patient will be the center of care with a workflow where the doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes medication to the patient. Following this, there will be a dispensing process by pharmacists, which involves providing the medication along with instructions on how to take it.

Healthcare facilities as well as places for pharmacists to practice their profession are pharmacies. The Health Law mandates pharmacists to dispense medication along with relevant information at pharmacies because medications are considered specialized commodities.

The activities carried out by pharmacists are crucial, hence the need for pharmacist practice education through the implementation of ethics, Health Law, and compendium, effective communication practice, specialty analysis, drug information description, and practice in providing healthcare services at community pharmacy facilities.

"It is necessary in order to understand how the actual practice of communicating with patients occurs," said Prof. Tutus.

In the era of advanced Indonesia, there will be many specializations and integrated professional practices, requiring every healthcare professional to have scientific interaction skills. The concept of molecular biodynamics can serve as a fundamental understanding as it studies the dynamic biological processes occurring within cells.

Prof. Tutus also concluded by noting that drug information and health-related information can be disseminated through various digital applications to receive information from doctors and pharmacists. Additionally, he hopes that the community pharmacy profession can be realized to ensure closeness with patients and doctors through the use of digital information technology.

Reporter: Yohana Aprilianna (Urban and Regional Planning, 2021)

Translator : Firzana Aisya
Editor : Anggi Nurdiani (Management, 2024)