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This topic was the focus of the scientific oration delivered by Prof. Dr. apt. Ilma Nugrahani, S.Farm., M.Si., at the Aula Barat of ITB’s Ganesha Campus on Saturday (24/5/2025), titled “Pharmacia in Harmonia Progressio: Towards Green Pharmacy.”

Prof. Ilma is a lecturer in the Pharmacist Professional Study Program. She previously served as the Development Coordinator/Head of the School of Pharmacy Library. Actively engaged in research, she has published over 50 international articles indexed by Scopus. In recognition of her dedication, she received an award from the Ministry of Research and Technology in the category of High-Quality Scientific Articles in Health and Medicine (2020).

Prof. Ilma explained that green pharmacy is an effort to use materials, processes, distribution, consumption, and disposal of all pharmaceutical waste in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. “The definition of green pharmacy is not limited to selecting and categorizing medicines derived from natural/botanical sources but also returning synthetic drugs to nature safely without posing harmful risks,” she stated.

She emphasized that the application of green pharmacy principles must begin in higher education, both in teaching and research activities.

“ITB has already implemented this concept in teaching and coursework, even since my undergraduate days. Several courses, such as Environmental Pharmacy, Food Safety Analysis, Toxicological Analysis, and other supporting subjects, are designed to equip students with the knowledge, attitude, and skills needed to become competent pharmacists with an environmental perspective,” she said.

In the field of research, the development of environmentally conscious science and products strives to adhere to the “reduce, reuse, and recycle” principles. Some of Prof. Ilma’s relevant research includes the development of empirical analysis methods combined with mathematical derivatization and chemometrics, solid-state analysis methods, drug raw material development using solid-state reactions, halal analysis methods and products, and the utilization of digital transformation in pharmacy.

“The main challenge in developing solid-state reactions and analysis is the limited availability of analytical equipment. Currently, several solid-state analysis tools are available at the School of Pharmacy, other faculties, and research centers, such as FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, DTA/TG, DSC, and PXRD. However, there is only one SCXRD instrument at ITB, one of only two available in Indonesia,” she explained.

To address these challenges, Prof. Ilma encourages collaboration between universities, research institutions, pharmaceutical industries, and even international organizations. Regulatory support from the government is also crucial to strengthen national pharmaceutical education and research, fostering self-reliance in healthcare.

Prof. Ilma hopes that Indonesia can actively participate in the harmonization of international regulations regarding environmental management. Additionally, she emphasized the vital role of educational institutions in supporting sustainable development through the implementation of the tridharma (three pillars of higher education) and the development of environmentally conscious institutions.

Penulis: Erika Winfellina Sibarani (Mathematics, 2021)
Translator: Dina Avanza Mardiana (Microbiology, 2022)