As the country observers World Pharmacist Day, the Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has paid tribute to pharmacy professionals saying that they play a critical role in patient care and in improving health outcomes.
September is Pharmacy Month in South Africa and culminates in the annual World Pharmacist Day on 25 September. This year’s theme is: “Pharmacy strengthening health systems”.
The focus of the month has been on promoting health education, providing access to primary healthcare and vaccines and empowering patients on antimicrobial stewardship and encouraging them to approach their pharmacist for their medication queries.
“Pharmacists contribute significantly to the achievement of the sustainable development goal number 3, by ensuring medicine availability for non- communicable and communicable diseases. They are part of a multidisciplinary approach to achieve better health outcomes. They ensure that the right medicine is given to the right patient, at the right time, for the right condition, and at the most cost-effective price,” explains MEC Nkomo- Ralehoko.
Pharmacists play a leading role in ensuring that the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) maintains 96% medicine availability within public health facilities, and they remain a resource that should be utilised optimally to promote healthcare for patients and to also strengthen the health system.
World Pharmacist Day continue to be celebrated annually since its inception at the 2009 International Pharmaceutical Federation Congress held in
Istanbul, Turkey and has allowed pharmacist through practice and emerging innovation to support the futuristic health care needs of the health system.
During October 2023, the GDoH will host its Annual Pharmacy Managers Conference, under the theme: “Pharmacy Resilience in an era of disruption: What can we do differently”. This is aimed at addressing the role of pharmacy in strengthening health outcomes, in the rollout of the National Health Insurance and pharmacy technology in advancing the pharmacy profession and the risk of not preparing today for tomorrow.