Active Pharmacy is a unique opportunity to learn more about medicines and to help people in a real way in their everyday lives.
Students from the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at Brighton can volunteer to visit people in community groups to give advice and to learn what medicines mean to people. It is estimated that at least half of patients don't take their medicines correctly. Active Pharmacy volunteers can help their community partners understand a little more about their medicines, which might help them get more benefit.
Some older people who have taken part said:
"She gave me information about the medicines and things I didn't know. She answered my questions – you know, those ones you have in your mind but you get to the doctors and you think I should have asked this, I should have asked that, but you didn't."
"Great help – he wrote out what all my prescriptions were for. I was discharged from hospital with these medicines, but I didn't know what they were for."
Students who took part said:
"It boosts your confidence, to talk to people and see them use their medication better because of what you say."
"It makes it very, very real. Now I ask myself the question – what's happening when that medicine goes home?"
And it's fun!
"I found out all about her life. She told me stories, history. I told her about her medication and about what I do. We enjoyed it."
