A workshop on the implementation of the EE platform was successfully held at the University of Mostar and its affiliated partners as part of the IQPharm project in the period from July 18, 2022 to July 22, 2022. This workshop was attended by members of the project team on behalf of the University of Mostar and the University of Sarajevo. On the first day of the implementation of the workshop, on behalf of the University of Sarajevo, Prof Tamer Bego, PhD and Alma Pleh presented the architecture and concept of the platform itself, which has the task of facilitating the process of finding internships for pharmacy students. On behalf of the project team, the dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Prof Ivica Brizić, PhD, as well as the head of the project team, Assoc Prof Martin Kondža, PhD wished a warm welcome to Mostar to all of the participants. This e-platform will enable students and practice managers at individual institutions to communicate more easily and to conduct a more efficient student internship. In addition to the aforementioned team members, partners of this project, namely students and masters of pharmacy from both public pharmacies and the hospital pharmacy of the University Clinical Hospital in Mostar, had an insight into the very appearance and functionality of the platform. After the presentation of the platform, a short public discussion was held on the possibilities and improvements of the platform at the request of the present members of the project team.
In the following days, members of the project team stayed in public pharmacies, where they had several meetings with masters of pharmacy in private health institutions where students do internships. Those masters of pharmacy are also mentors to students on internship, so these meetings were fruitful and useful for both parties. From the pharmacies and partners visited, visits to two different types of pharmacies should be distinguished.
The first is a visit to the pharmacy chain called Lupriv Plus, which has several different branches throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a pharmacy chain that has its own complex internal regulatory structure. Armina Tomić, MPharm, introduced the project team to such structures. Discussions were held on how to adapt the platform to such a chain of pharmacies and the internal procedures of this company. Emphasis is placed on all aspects of student practice and the necessity for students to go through all aspects of pharmacy – from the dispensing of drugs to the very processes of orders and other administrative tasks.
Another type of pharmacy is a privately owned pharmacy in the form of a family business. These are small entrepreneurs who usually have one pharmacy in their ownership structure. An example of such a pharmacy is Ljekarna Maja Kvesić, where the project team was hosted by the owner and responsible person – Maja Kvesić, MPharm. Considering the different type of institution, there are also different types of regulations, but the basic competencies required of a Master of Pharmacy are the same in all fields.
Also, it should be noted that as part of this training, a meeting of leaders was held at the level of the University of Mostar and the University of Sarajevo, led by the vice-rector for quality, Prof Dušanka Bošković, PhD and dean Prof Fahir Bečić, PhD. Useful discussion and constructive criticism regarding the implementation of the mandatory plan and program of student practice prescribed by the Federal Ministry of Health were included in the process of implementing the EE platform at the level of institutions in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
