From left: Daniel Vella Friggieri, Regional Director Malta & Africa, Joshua Zammit, HR Divisional Manager, Sergio Vella Managing Director Actavis Ltd, Prof Juanito Camilleri, Rector of the University of Malta, Prof Lilian Azzopardi, Head of the Department of Pharmacy
Actavis Ltd and the Pharmacy Department at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery have signed a collaborative agreement which will see Actavis Ltd support the Department of Pharmacy for three years, through different initiatives aimed at enhancing, strengthening and creating teaching and research programmes within the Department. The three year agreement was signed by the Rector of the Univeristy of Malta Professor Juanito Camilleri and the Managing Director of Actavis Ltd Mr Sergio Vella.
Initiatives that outline the agreement include the co-ordination, design and printing of the Department’s journal – the Journal of EurMed Pharmacy (JEMP). Actavis Ltd will also be presenting an award to the best presentation held during the Annual Pharmacy Symposium, and supporting specific projects undertaken by Pharmacy students.
Past and current projects include: ‘Stability study of drugs in transport’ , a study by Helga Farrugia which was presented during the World Meeting on Pharmaceutics, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology in 2010; the ‘Maltese Medicines Handbook’ by Doriella Cassar (2009); and the ‘Newsletter for Community Pharmacists’ by Rachel Galea (2009) and Caroline Mercieca (currently working on this project).
Through this agreement Actavis Ltd will also be collaborating with the University of Malta in order to provide students with the opportunity of internship placements at Actavis. Moreover Actavis and the University will be working towards establishing a programme for extra-mural practical sessions for undergraduate pharmacy students.
"Actavis Ltd has collaborated with the Pharmacy Department on several occasions, however this agreement will strengthen and formalise the relationship between the two entities," said Mr Vella. "Actavis is one of the world's leading players in the development, manufacture, and sale of first-class generic pharmaceuticals. The Group has more than 10,000 employees operating in over 40 countries around the globe. The Malta facility employs over 600 highly talented employees and its continuous improvement philosophy, has become, since 2001, a key contributor to the Actavis group of companies," he continued.