Yogyakarta, September 28, 2026 — Students from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) have once again achieved a remarkable feat on the international stage. The UGM team, consisting of Tisha Rafa Amelia, Hanindita Nafisa Sudiarso, and Novelia Ardian Kharimah, won first place in the Creative Poster Competition at the 25th Asia Pacific Pharmaceutical Symposium (APPS) 2026, held July 7–14, 2026, in Surabaya, Indonesia.
The APPS 2026 event serves as a gathering for pharmacy students and young professionals across the Asia-Pacific region, featuring a series of symposia, regional assemblies, and various scientific and creative competitions. In the Creative Poster Competition, participants were challenged to develop innovative ideas to address public health issues. Addressing the critical issue of preventing medication errors, the UGM team developed an innovation titled SIGAP-Rx (Smart Integrated Guideline and Alert for Prescribing).
SIGAP-Rx is an integrated system designed to prevent prescription errors in real time before they reach patients. The system combines guideline-based prescription validation, automatic dose calculation, medication duplication detection, prescription error alerts, and workload monitoring during the prescribing process.
After successfully advancing through the preliminary round and making it into the top six finalists, the UGM team presented their project and participated in a question-and-answer session before an international panel of judges, ultimately being named the grand prize winner. This achievement not only tested their research and design capabilities but also honed their public speaking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills in effectively communicating health solutions.
This achievement also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) through innovations in patient safety systems in healthcare services, SDG 4 (Quality Education) through enhanced research capacity and student competencies, and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) through the development of integrated technological concepts in the field of pharmacy. It is hoped that this success will motivate UGM students to continue innovating and making tangible contributions toward addressing public health challenges.
Contributor: UGM Team | Editor: Fathul
