HUMAS FARMASI USU – The Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), once again held a Doctoral Promotion Examination (Open Defense) for the Doctoral Study Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Odd Semester of the 2025/2026 Academic Year. On this occasion, Erida Novriani appeared as the doctoral candidate with a dissertation entitled “Optimization of Tuberculosis Treatment Using Digital Applications at Public Health Centers in Medan City.”
The open defense was conducted on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. WIB, at the IMT-GT Room, 2nd Floor, BPA Building, USU. This examination was open to the public as part of the academic commitment to maintaining quality and transparency in doctoral education.
The promotion examination was chaired by Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si. as the presiding chair. The promoter was Prof. Dr. Urip Harahap, Apt., with co-promoters Prof. Khairunnisa, M.Pharm., Ph.D., Apt. and Prof. Dr. Wiryanto, M.S., Apt.
The board of examiners consisted of:
Prof. Dra. Azlina Nasution, M.Sc., Ph.D., Apt.
Dr. Aminah Dalimunthe, S.Si., M.Si., Apt.
Prof. Juniadi Khobib, M.Kes., Ph.D., Apt.
Prof. apt. Ivan Surya Pradipta, Ph.D.
In her dissertation, Erida Novriani examined the utilization of digital applications to optimize tuberculosis (TB) treatment at the primary healthcare level, particularly at public health centers (Puskesmas) in Medan City. This research aims to improve patient adherence, therapy effectiveness, and TB treatment monitoring through a digital health approach.
Tuberculosis remains one of the major health challenges in Indonesia; therefore, technology-based innovations are considered crucial to support treatment success and reduce treatment failure as well as drug resistance.
This research aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:
SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being): Supporting efforts to control and eliminate tuberculosis as a communicable disease that remains a national and global priority.
SDG 4 (Quality Education): Realizing high-quality higher education through innovative, community-oriented doctoral research.
SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure): Encouraging the use of digital technology in healthcare service systems to improve treatment effectiveness.
SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Strengthening collaboration among educational institutions, healthcare professionals, and healthcare facilities in implementing digital innovations.
Through the implementation of this doctoral promotion examination, the Faculty of Pharmacy USU once again demonstrates its commitment to producing doctoral graduates who are not only academically excellent, but also capable of delivering innovative solutions to public health challenges.