Dr. Onome T. Abiri as Guest Speaker at the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Symposium of Pharmaceutical Society in Sierra Leone (PSSL) at the Hill Valley Hotel in Freetown with theme “the Role of Pharmacy Professionals in Strengthening Health care Delivery in Post ebola Sierra Leone”. said the pharmacists should move from behind the counter and start serving
by providing care instead of pills only. There is no future in the mere act of
dispensing. That activity can and will be taken over by the internet, machines,
and or highly trained technicians. The fact that pharmacists have an academic
training and act as health care professional puts burden upon them to better
serve the community than they currently do”
Mr. Abiri informed his pharmacist colleagues that they need to
change the current trend and status quo of pharmacy practice and move away from
its original focus on medicine supply towards a more inclusive focus on patient
care. He further mentioned that the role the pharmacist has evolved from that
of a compounder and supplier of pharmaceutical products towards that of a
provider of services and information and ultimately that of a provider of
patient care.
“The pharmacist’s task is to ensure that a patient’s drug therapy
is appropriately indicated effectively by taking responsibilities for
individual patient’s medicine-related needs, pharmacist can make a unique
contribution to the outcome of drug therapy and their patients’ quality of
life”.
In that note, the guest speaker called on all pharmacists to shift
to the new trend that demands of pharmacy delivery and help provide a better
health care sector in the country. He also noted that government should pay
grave attention to the development of pharmaceutical practice and studies by
providing adequate learning facilities in the country.
Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Foday Sawi, said in this
post ebola era in Sierra Leone, one of the key challenges the ministry is faced
with in providing health care is meeting the increasing healthcare needs of the
ever increasing population, now compounded by the ebola epidemic outbreak.
The deputy Minister informed the pharmacists that with the growing
demand for proper medical care and effective management of chronic and
infectious disease as well as those of affluence will continue to require new
models of care, especially in the community and hospital setting. He therefore
urged that pharmacist’s contributions with respect to drug management of
patients is very crucial and indispensable. He commended their pivotal role
during the ebola outbreak in the country, noting that it helped significantly
in the management of drug dispensation and controlled.
Mr. Sawi assured the pharmacists of his ministry’s support to
strengthen the manpower and capacity of pharmaceutical in Sierra Leone and
maintained that the ministry is also working hard to expand into specialist
pharmacist to provide specialized care for complex cases in tertiary hospitals
and public health programs, focusing on disease prevention, promotion of
healthy lifestyle and health screening.
The President of the Pharmaceutical Society in Sierra Leone
(PSSL), Major Thomas Tucker expressed his gratitude and satisfaction to all
invited guests for honouring their call. He said the AGM and scientific
symposium is geared towards discussing pertinent issues surrounding
pharmaceutical in the country and to discuss ways of improving the industry.
The President of PSSL noted that 2014-2015 has been challenging
year for the health sector in the country with the outbreak of ebola exposing
the weaknesses in health care delivery.
“With the end of the viral disease we as pharmacists will ensure
we provide better, quality and effective service not only from selling but
ensure we provide effective patient care and enforce a robust management of
drugs in the country,” Major Tucker noted.
Source: Awoko
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