MMSU GeriaTeam is grand finalist in Unilab’s Ideas Positive

August 03, 2018

The GeriaTeam of MMSU, composed of five BS Pharmacy graduates, was one of the national grand finalists in the Ideas Positive Run 8 of the Unilab Foundation (UF) after the organization evaluated the team’s GeriaTRICKS project which was implemented in Brgy. Baay, Batac City.


The team was composed of Carl Kasten Cocson, Christian Andrew Tagami, Channel Kyle Xyree Sumalde, Ruth Isabelle Flores, and Angel Lorraine Labasan.


Ideas Positive is the UF’s youth engagement program that forms innovative solutions to community health concerns such as people’s willingness to take their prescribed medication at the right time.


Through the GeriaTRICKS project, the team has improved the medication therapy regimen of 100 elderly people of Brgy. Baay who were suffering from various illnesses and were under strict doctors’ medication.


The MMSU team implemented the GeriaTRICKS through the project’s four pillars -- GeriaTEACH, GeriaKITS, GeriaLIST, and GeriaTREATS. Each pillar focuses on several activities that might alter the negative behaviors and mindsets of elderly people that hinder them from complying with their medication therapy.


For instance, the GeriaTEACH provides proper treatment plans and teaches the geriatric community about the importance of medication safety by conducting information drive, skills-training, and seminars.


On the other hand, the GeriaKIT and GeriaLIST were given to the patients prior to the teaching of pertinent information to them. The former is a personalized and color-coded medicine box that contains the specific drugs for the patients, while the latter is a personalized checklist that is used in tracking down the compliance of patients in taking their medicines. The updated list was given to the patients every month.


Aside from giving the patients kits and checklists, the team also conducted recreational activities for them. This was called the GeriaTREATS, where the team brought joy and sense of belongingness of the patients so that their negative mindsets and behaviors might be eliminated.


“We are very happy because we never expected that we were one of the finalists,” beamed Cocson.


Prior to their winning, the GeriaTRICKS project went through a paper and live screening last December 2017 at the Benguet State University in La Trinidad, Benguet. Among the 115 proposals presented during the live screening, 39 were selected by a 37-member panel of evaluators. MMSU was among the 17 qualifiers for Luzon during the initial recruitment period.


After the screenings, all the qualifiers went to a three-day boot camp in Sta. Cruz, Laguna last February 15 to 17 where they learned the basics of project management through a series of leadership enhancement sessions, and team-building activities, among others. They also received P100,000 seed money to implement their project within six months.


Last March 2018, the representatives of Ideas Positive evaluated the team’s Project GeriaTRICKS on  the readiness of the elderly people  in Brgy. Baay.


“We have refined our project to be more effective coupled by our dedication, commitment, and passion in this activity,” Cocson said.


The MMSU team will present the impact of its project in the Ideas Positive Youth Forum on Public Health on August 12-13 at the Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo City.