Virtual Inspired Pharmacy Program 2021 (VIPP 2021) is an annual program organized by the third-year students of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Puncak Alam. VIPP 2021 is a rebranding of the Public Health Pharmacy Carnival (PHPC) program which was organized every year and is one of the ongoing assessments for the subject PHC530: Community Pharmacy Attachment. The main reason behind the rebranding is because the program was conducted entirely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The activities listed on VIPP 2021 program are Webinar: The Must-Knows of Sex Education, Forum: Know Your COVID-19 Vaccine (Malaysia Edition), and Flipbook & Video: Health Issue Related to School Children. The webinar and forum are conducted on 23rd June 2021 and 26th June 2021, respectively. Meanwhile, the flipbook and video are disseminated on 5th – 9th July 2021 to the school children and also public.
The first activity was Webinar: The Must-Knows of Sex Education which touched on current health issues, particularly the disclosure of the importance of sexual education from an early stage. This webinar was joined by four speakers from different backgrounds. The first speaker was Professor Madya Dr Suzanna Daud from Faculty of Medicine, UiTM Sungai Buloh in which she shared details related to sexually transmitted diseases, methods to prevent pregnancy, unplanned pregnancy and sexual activity. Next, there was a speaker from Law Education Centre, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Puan Yusramizza Md Isa@Yusuff. From a legal point of view, students and public can follow the latest cases involving the lack of disclosure of sexual education, rights or acts that protect victims of sexual harassment or sexual abuse and can learn the relevant laws. Meanwhile, from community point of view, Puan Rosmawati Zainal from Raudhatus Sakinah and Encik Syed Azmi Alhabshi which is a pharmacist and founder of PUAK Payong, shared their experiences about the effectiveness of sexual education to the community as well as the effect of the lack of sexual education on students to take note of.
The next activity was Forum: Know Your COVID-19 Vaccine (Malaysia Edition) which discussed on the issue of vaccination in Malaysia. The forum was joined by three speakers from different backgrounds which include Encik Fahmi Hassan Ahli (Pharmacist), Dr Megat Mohamad Amirul Amzar Megat Hashim (Medical Doctor, University Malaya Medical Centre), and Dr Siti Azma Jusoh @ Yusof (Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Pharmacy, UiTM Puncak Alam). The speakers discussed the details of the COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia comprehensively which include general information, types of vaccines, advantages of getting vaccinated, myths about vaccine and also about herd immunity. On top of that, the speakers discussed extensively about the current issues related to the COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia, especially issues regarding the content, effectiveness, side effects, as well as the groups that are eligible to receive the vaccine. This topic was explored in more depth based on arguments and scientific facts to give more information to students and public. Besides that, the speakers also explained the details of the implementation of the COVID-19 immunization program in Malaysia.
For Flipbook and Video: Health Issue Related to School Children, it was distributed to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Puncak Alam 3, Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan Kajang, and Sekolah Sri Putri, Putrajaya. The flipbooks and videos were also uploaded on the website and YouTube of the Faculty of Pharmacy, UiTM Puncak Alam to make it widely accessible by the public. It is hoped that the topics discussed and shared can provide new knowledge and awareness to students, school students and the general public so that they can be applied in their daily lives as well as in the workplace.
In a nutshell, the programme ended well and benefited students, school students and public who were very keen in getting their knowledge glass filled up. It was a significant programme to both the participants and the committee members who worked behind the scenes as it gained both parties experiences and knowledges on same accord. Not to mention the immaculate guidance from our advisor for this programme, Puan Ezlina Usir who helped in monitoring our progress and processes throughout the programme.
