15.12.2006
The university scooped two awards in this year's HEACF Volunteering Awards. 'Dispensing with the Mystery' won the Outstanding Project Award and Natasha Clarke was a winner in the Individual Student Award category.
Dispensing with the Mystery is a partnership project between, the university's School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences; the Seniors Project, a voluntary organisation working with older people in Brighton, managed by Chichester Diocesan Housing Association (Part of Hyde Housing) and Active Student.
'Dispensing with the Mystery' with Lee Broughton (right), Head of Corporate Communications for Europe, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
The programme helped older people to better understand their prescribed medication and to help pharmacy students to appreciate the context in which prescribed medication is understood and used. Ageing often brings complicated medication regimes involving several drugs that need to be taken using different schedules throughout the day, often with complex instructions.
The students visited the older people in their homes monthly, to get to know them and to increase the students' understanding of older people's needs, including their social situation and their general health issues. The students provided information and support for current medication regimes and help older people understand the effects of the medication on their health.
"Today, pharmacy is moving away from the white lab coat image - improving patient health is our goal, and this can be partly achieved through educated patients," said Mike Ellis-Martin, the academic project partner and Senior Lecturer. "Building communication skills is vital to the role of the pharmacist and this experience gives students the opportunity to develop these skills. The skill set includes attentive listening, explaining difficult concepts so all can understand and reading body language. It is only through real-life experiences, such as those provided by this community scheme, that a pharmacy student can hone these skills."
Natasha Clarke (left) with Karen Gorham, Manager, Community Affairs, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Natasha, who graduated in the summer with a degree in environmental sciences, volunteered at the Moulsecoomb Forest Garden and Wildlife (MFGWP) project, an organic allotments project in Moulsecoomb. Natasha was involved in a wide range of activities with the group including, a practical hands-on gardening role, a mentoring and supporting role to young people at risk of exclusion from school, as an active member of the Management Committee, as well as actively fundraising for the project and recruiting more volunteers through her Environmental Action Group.
"I loved working on the project," said Natasha. "I got to meet new people and it opened up so many new directions for me in terms of my career and also helped me to get my current job."
Natasha is now working as a Learning Support Assistant at Highbury College in Portsmouth.
Contact: Marketing and Communications, University of Brighton, 01273 643022
