Urges govt agencies to engage members in health programmes
A PROFESSOR of Clinical Pharmacy at the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, and Chairman, Association of Public Health Pharmacists of Nigeria (APHPN), Joshua Funsho Eniojukan, has charged pharmacists on the need to ensure the accessible, safe, appropriate and rational use of medicines.

Eniojukan, last week, in his statement on the occasion of the World Pharmacists Day 2015 said spending on pharmaceuticals constitutes a significant proportion of health care costs and pharmaceutical care services provided by the pharmacy workforce are essential to ensuring cost-effectiveness and optimal patient outcomes.

The clinical pharmacists urged relevant agencies of government to appropriately recognize pharmacists as health care providers within its programmes especially under National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), emergency preparedness programmes, disaster management programmes to function in public health capacities and to be eligible for proper reimbursement in such capacities.

He said urgent need exists for a greater inclusion of public health concepts in the curricula of faculties of pharmacy, as well as the development of more postgraduate public health programs for pharmacists;

Eniojukan said there is need for increased awareness of the role of pharmacists in public health through the dissemination of information among schools of public health, professional societies, policy-makers and other health care employers is required;

He called for interdisciplinary research among pharmacists and other public health professionals and collaborations of health planning agencies, schools of public health, schools of pharmacy, public health agencies, policy-makers and pharmacy and public health professionals should occur to develop legislation and advocate for plans that address health care needs spanning from local to worldwide.
“Pharmacists are already partners with you on health. With the above, more pharmacists will be able to do more towards achieving both positive pharmaceutical care and public health outcomes for patients/clients utilizing their facilities,” Eniojukan.

The clinical pharmacists said pharmaceutical care services encompass basic roles such as medicines procurement, medicines supply chain management, enhancing access to medicines as well as expert roles in ensuring rational use of medicines, optimizing treatment efficacy and adherence and minimizing risks to patient safety – ultimately improving health outcomes and strengthening health systems.

Eniojukan said pharmacists provide their services in a variety of settings in response to a dynamic and evolving set of primarily local health care priorities and needs.

He further explained: “In addition, regional, national and international policies and factors dictate the need for developments in pharmacy practice. Within this context, pharmacists are medication experts in the treatment of disease and in health promotion. This expertise, in its broadest sense, encompasses the preparation, supply and control of medicinal products and assurance of desired outcomes of treatment by medication. It thus begins with the medicine development process and continues through to medication’s ultimate benefit to the individual and to society generally.

This expertise has its foundations in the pharmaceutical sciences and related research, and has its focus on the individual and populations. This translates to mean that pharmacists must be involved in any system that produces, procures, distributes and utilizes drugs and medicines. The assurance of the quality of the drugs is one of the foremost responsibilities of the pharmacist. Without the oversight functions of the pharmacist in the medicines supply chain, avoidable and costly errors in quality, procurement, quantification and inventory control would be the order of the day.

He said the public health role of the pharmacist needs to be clearly defined, broadly recognized and sufficiently promoted by public health agencies, relevant government agencies, pharmacy educators or other health care professionals as several advantages position the pharmacist to undertake public health activities creditably.

Eniojukan said studies have shown that pharmacists with more comprehensive responsibilities have lowered total costs and improved quality of care outcomes particularly related to chronic conditions.

According to the American Public Health Association, through interdisciplinary approaches, it is envisioned that the pharmacist’s contribution to the public health work force, health education, disease prevention and health promotion, public health advocacy, and health quality will aid in achieving optimal public health outcomes.