Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Economics and Business

The Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM) held the second series of the 2024 Professional Staff Self-Development Program on Tuesday (13/08). The event was conducted in a hybrid format, with participants joining via Zoom Meetings and in person at the FEB UGM Learning Center Auditorium. The second series was "Wise Consumption of Medicine, Vitamins and Energy Drinks" with Prof. Dr. apt. Ika Puspita Sari, S.Si., M.Si., from the Faculty of Pharmacy UGM as the keynote speaker.

On this occasion, Professor Ika Puspita Sari explained that health is not limited to physical well-being but includes mental and social health. She also highlighted several factors influencing health, such as education, socio-cultural factors, and genetics. In particular, Ika emphasized the importance of self-awareness regarding genetic factors that affect health. "If it's genetic, we need to be more self-aware because we can't choose the parents we are born to," she explained.

Ika also talked about the wise use of medicines. She explained that medicines are used not only for treatment but also for diagnosis, prevention, recovery, health promotion, and contraception. For example, diabetes patients are given medication to strengthen the immune system during recovery.

Ika Puspita Sari explained that the DAGUSIBU principle is an acronym for Get (Dapatkan), Use (Gunakan), Store (Simpan), and Dispose (Buang). The first principle (Dapatkan) is to get the medicine correctly at health service places such as pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and health centers. Pay attention to the name of the drug, packaging condition, expiration date, and BPOM registration number.

“Pay attention to the medicine still in its original packaging because important information such as drug class, warnings, and expiration dates are contained in the packaging,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the Use (Gunakan) principle reminds us to check the safety of medicines before consumption by considering their composition, indications, dosage, directions for use, side effects, contraindications, and expiration date. Regarding medicine side effects, Ika mentioned that the symptoms of medicine side effects can vary from person to person.

"Medicine side effects can be different for each individual. We have to know ourselves, especially when choosing the right medicine," she added.

Then, the Store (Simpan) principle is to store the medicine properly according to the instructions for use and out of the reach of children. Meanwhile, the Dispose (Buang) principle is to dispose of expired or damaged medicines.

In addition, Ika pointed out that side effects of medications can vary from person to person. "Medicine is individual; side effects can be different for different people. We need to know ourselves, especially when choosing the right medication," she added.

Ika also discussed the use of vitamins or supplements. She emphasized that vitamins or dietary supplements are not a substitute for nutritious food but a complement to a balanced diet. Therefore, for those who already have a balanced diet, there is no need to take additional vitamins or supplements. "We can still take supplements, but they are meant to supplement the nutrition from food, not replace it. Therefore, they can be taken as long as the dosage is appropriate," she explained.

Regarding energy drinks, Ika explained that these beverages should only be consumed by healthy adults and with caution, as they contain taurine and caffeine, which can affect heart function.

At the end of her presentation, Ika summarized four critical points: "Medicines should only be used when necessary, the use of traditional or herbal medicines requires caution, energy drinks should only be consumed by healthy adults, and it is essential to eat a healthy diet," she concluded.

Reportage: Najwah Ariella Puteri
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum

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