UNU Jogja Pharmacy Students Win Honorable Mention at International Coophar 2026 Poster Competition

Yogyakarta, Indonesia – Two students from the Pharmacy Study Program at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja), Rindu Putri Rahmayanti and Zahlia Nisa Khanafi, from the 2024 cohort, won Honorable Mention in the International Coophar 2026: Competition of Pharmacy poster competition, organized by the Pharmacy Student Association of Telogorejo University Semarang.

For the competition, the students presented a digital healthcare innovation through a poster entitled Smart Pharmaceutical Care: Integrating Digital Health and Pharmacist Services in Depression Management. The poster introduced DEPRECARE, a digital companion application concept designed to support patients with depression throughout their treatment.

Rindu explained that DEPRECARE was designed with four main features: medication reminders, pharmacist consultations, side-effect recording, and treatment progress monitoring. These features are expected to help patients manage their treatment more effectively while making it easier for pharmacists to monitor their condition.

“Through DEPRECARE, we want to introduce a digital solution that can support patients with depression throughout their treatment. The application does more than remind patients when to take their medication. It also allows them to consult pharmacists, record side effects, and monitor their treatment progress,” Rindu said on Friday, 13 November.

Enhancing Patient Support through Digital Technology

Under the proposed concept, DEPRECARE allows patients to record their health conditions and treatment progress through the application. The information is then compiled for pharmacists to review, enabling them to evaluate any complaints or difficulties patients may experience during treatment.

Based on this information, pharmacists can provide education and advice on the proper and safe use of medication. When necessary, patients can also be advised to seek further consultation with a doctor.

Beyond designing patient-support features, Rindu and Zahlia also see opportunities to develop DEPRECARE through interdisciplinary collaboration with UNU Jogja’s Informatics Study Program. Under this plan, Pharmacy students would contribute their knowledge of medication, pharmaceutical services, and patient needs. Informatics students, meanwhile, would help design and develop the application system, from its user interface to its digital features.

Through this collaboration, the students hope to further develop DEPRECARE from an initial concept into a digital application that can support patients with depression.

Preparing the Poster and Presentation in English

To participate in the competition, Rindu and Zahlia prepared the poster materials and practiced presenting their ideas in English. Rindu said their preparation focused on understanding the material and communicating their ideas clearly to the judges.

During the judging process, both students presented their poster to the panel. The competition also attracted participants from several countries, including the Philippines.

UNU Jogja Pharmacy Study Program lecturer apt. Fitri Andriani Fatimah, M. Pharm. Sci., also praised the students’ achievement. She noted that participating in an international competition provides students with an opportunity to strengthen their pharmaceutical knowledge while developing their communication and scientific presentation skills.

“Participating in an international competition gives students valuable experience in developing their academic abilities, scientific communication skills, and confidence. They are also challenged to present their ideas in English before participants and judges,” she said.

She hopes that this experience and achievement will motivate students to continue developing their potential, creating innovations in the pharmaceutical field, and pursuing opportunities to compete at the international level. []

Reporter: Latifah