Representatives of the VU Faculty of Medicine (from left): Fausta Klimaitė, Žygimantas Stasaitis, Goda Grybaitė, Justinas Mačiulis, lect. Silvija Žiogaitė, Augustas Uzorka, Assoc. Prof. Dr Indrė Trečiokienė, Austina Tamušėnaitė / Photo from a personal archive.
On 8–12 of June, students and lecturers of the Pharmacy study programme at Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine travelled to Italy and participated in the first ongoing project of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), designed to improve clinical pharmacy skills in community pharmacies.
The project involved students and lecturers from four European universities: the University of Pavia (Italy), University of Paris-Saclay (France), University of Dublin (Ireland), and Vilnius University (Lithuania). In total, twenty-six students were included in the programme, among them six from Lithuania.
Participation in the project was initiated by Silvija Žiogaitė, a lecturer from the Pharmacy and Pharmacology Centre at Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, who had been a participant in the BIP project last year. This year, she joined the programme as a lecturer. Having returned from Dublin with superb impressions and appreciating the value of this international learning experience, she sought to enable the students on the Vilnius University Pharmacy study programme to get involved too: “Excellent clinical pharmacy skills are among the key components of a professional pharmacy service. So, I am very happy that the cooperation established between the universities of Dublin, Paris-Saclay, Pavia, and Vilnius created an opportunity for the fourth-year students of pharmacy to develop these skills particularly within the Erasmus+ BIP project activities. Moreover, it worth noting that the programme is aimed at not only the development of clinical skills but also the social skills that are essential in a pharmacist’s work, such as the ability to understand intercultural differences, social equality, and justice; this promotes empathy and mutual respect. I believe in the impact of this project and hope that the students at Vilnius University will have further opportunities to take part in it in the future.”
Lecturers-project participants (from left): Dr Dorine Bonte, Assoc. Prof. Dr Marialaura Amadio, Assoc. Prof. Dr Fabio Boylan, Prof. Giovanni Ricevuti, Lect. Silvija Žiogaitė, Assoc. Prof. Dr Indrė Trečiokienė, Dr Eric Morel, and Assist. Dr Juliette O'Connell / Photo from a personal archive.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Indrė Trečiokienė from the Pharmacy and Pharmacology Centre at Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, and Associate Professor of Partnership, David John Woods, joined the BIP project to strengthen the team of Vilnius University lecturers. Throughout the project, they did not spare valuable advice, shared their knowledge and their extensive professional and academic experience with other project participants.
During the visit, students deepened their knowledge of clinical pharmacy and the practical skills necessary to perform a review of medicines prescribed by the doctors, provide preventive health care services and strengthened their understanding of patient-oriented health care. Working in mixed international teams enabled them to acquire important experience of international cooperation and intercultural communication. They also attended local hospitals and community centres where they had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with different health care models and pharmacy services provision.
A moment from the social programme / Photo from a personal archive.
The students described the programme as an intense albeit very valuable experience. They were glad to have had the opportunity to participate in an international learning environment and noted that they learned a lot, enhanced their practical skills and gained diverse academic, professional and cultural experience. It is expected that this international initiative will be continued and that next year, it will be possible to implement the Erasmus+ BIP project in Lithuania.