Exclusive Teaching Pharmacies for HKU Students: Health In Action Community Pharmacy 醫護行社區藥房
Health In Action (HIA) is a non-governmental organisation which promotes health equity in societies through the cycle of “service, research, social innovation and incubation”. With a transdisciplinary team of nurses, dietitian, social workers, pharmacists, physiotherapists, health coaches, community health and public health officers, HIA serves underprivileged communities primarily in Kwai Tsing District. HIA Community Pharmacy is not-for-profit and provides accessible and affordable medicines and pharmacy services to the general public in Hong Kong.
As the first teaching pharmacy in Hong Kong, HIA Community Pharmacy has established a cohesive and supportive teaching and learning environment for HKU students. At the teaching pharmacy, students perform different duties under supervision of pharmacist mentors, including 1) responding to health and medication enquiries, 2) pharmacy management and operations, 3) patient care including medication counselling, 4) planning and implementing community health programmes, and 5) planning and delivering public education.
Working in a transdisciplinary team of nurses, dietitian, physiotherapists, pharmacists, social workers, public health specialists and health coaches, students gain hands-on experience and perspectives in interprofessional collaborative practice that promotes health equity through community capacity building.
