We Salute All Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technologists

 Since 2009, every year on the 25th of September, the world celebrates World Pharmacist Day. The day was created by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Council at the World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Istanbul, Turkey in 2009.

 

Every year, the FIP has a theme for the celebration. This year, the theme is “Pharmacy: Always trusted for your health.”

With so many different days set aside for different people groups or activities, it would be interesting to know who a pharmacist is and why there would be a theme talking about their work as trusted for people’s health.

appreciating the pharmacy departments of hospitals and stand-alone chemists/pharmacies, Jayesh Saini says that this is a group of medics that have a very critical part to play in health service delivery where sometimes it can mean life or death. He pointed out that when a physician issues a prescription for medication to a patient, it is taken to the pharmacist to dispense the medicines.

 

The pharmacist or pharmacy technologist goes through the prescription and based on his knowledge determines whether the prescribed medicines among other factors are 1) in the correct dosage 2) whether there is a contraindication with the other medicines prescribed 3) whether it is the right prescription for the disease identified. Based on this they either go right ahead and dispense the medications or contact the prescribing physician to clarify any issue of concern. The reason they do this is not that they suspect the doctors but they are trained to ensure the right drugs in the right dosages are dispensed to patients. They also explain to the patients or the one who is picking the drugs how they are to be used for maximum effect– dosages, what time, how frequently, with what (e.g. on empty stomach, after food, with water, no alcohol, no milk) and the expected side effects and what one should do were they to experience them. This team also advises the patients to give directions/explanations when for example a company brand specific is issued or preferred and is not available while the same formulary is available; even explaining the difference between branded and generic medicines. The information is critical in giving patients confidence in what they have been prescribed and helps alleviate fears and concerns they may have.

 

We join in celebrating the pharmacists across all nations wishing them eyes that see beyond what others see and a caring heart, even as we realize how important they are trusted for our health!