Computer Architecture/Combatorics Homework

Computer Architecture/Combatorics Homework

In my computer architecture class I was given the following homework
question:
"Given an assignment matrix with p rows and d columns, design an algorithm
to obtain an assignment of the drugs to the patients that maximizes the
number of pairs of drugs covered by the patients assuming that each
patient can be administered c drugs without having any complications."
I do not have much experience with combinatorics, but here was my thought
process. The total number of combinations that need to be tested is (d
choose 2) and the maximum number of combinations that a person can cover
is (c choose 2). How do I go about designing an algorithm to maximize the
number of pairs of drugs covered by each patient?