The Department of Pharmacy, within the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Malta, recently hosted a one-week intensive clinical pharmacy course for five pharmacists following a postgraduate course in clinical pharmacy at the University of Bari, Italy.

The department has a long-standing history of collaboration with the University of Bari’s pharmacy faculty. This collaboration includes student exchanges and staff mobility.

The clinical pharmacy course was led by Lilian M. Azzopardi, head of the Department of Pharmacy and Professor in pharmacy practice, together with academics, research staff and students from the Department of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

Pharmacists Alison Anastasi, Maresca Attard Pizzuto, Marise Gauci, Louise Grech, Anthony Serracino-Inglott and Francesca Wirth from the Department were course tutors.

During the course, the Italian pharmacists had the opportunity to participate in supervised clinical pharmacy activities including ward rounds and outpatient clinic visits.

The course was held at the Cardiology and Medicine and Rheumatology Departments at Mater Dei Hospital and Karin Grech Rehabilitation Hospital. At the end of the course, the Italian students prepared and discussed patient case presentations identified during ward rounds during a seminar where course tutors and pharmacy practice tutor practitioners participated in the discussion.