Pharmacists play an important role in the medical fraternity and therefore, to appreciate their commendable job, every year on 25th September, World Pharmacist Day is celebrated. The main aim is to create awareness about the importance of their role throughout the world. This year, the theme of the 10th World Pharmacists Day is “Transforming Global Health”.
This day was first recognised by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Council in 2009, at the World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Istanbul, Turkey. This date was chosen because FIP first came into existence in 1912 on the exact same date. “This year sees our 10th World Pharmacists Day. We aim to show how pharmacists contribute to a world where everyone benefits from access to safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines and health technologies, as well as from pharmaceutical care services,” said FIP President Dominique Jordan.
FIP also states that The World Pharmacists Day theme is an opportunity to communicate how pharmacists are transforming health through a variety of health services in their communities, including advising on healthy living, vaccinating to prevent disease, and ensuring that medicines are taken correctly, thereby managing diseases well and improving quality of life. It also covers how pharmaceutical scientists transform and prolong people’s lives by developing safe and effective medicines and vaccines. On the education front, pharmacy educators are transforming outcomes by ensuring that there are enough qualified and competent pharmacists and scientists to meet the growing needs of our societies.
Roles Of A Pharmacist
Here are some of the roles that the pharmacists are responsible for, according to the General Pharmaceutical Council:
- the quality of medicines supplied to patients
- ensuring that the supply of medicines is within the law
- ensuring that the medicines prescribed to patients are suitable
- advising patients about medicines, including how to take them, what reactions may occur and answering patients' questions.
Pharmacists also:
- supervise the medicines supply chain and ensure pharmacy premises and systems are fit for purpose
- advise other healthcare professionals about safe and effective medicines use and a safe and secure supply of medicines
- respond to patients' symptoms and advice on medicines for sale in pharmacies
- provide services to patients, such as smoking cessation, blood pressure measurement and cholesterol management
- supervise the production and preparation of medicines and assessments of the quality of medicines before they are supplied to patients from pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Apart from this, during these tough times of the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists have contributed a lot by being amongst the frontline workers and providing easy access to medicines to everyone in need. Thus, their efforts should not be overlooked and they should be praised and respected for their work throughout.
