For quite some time now there has been this notion that “why should counties hire Pharmacists yet the salary of one Pharmacist can probably pay 3 or so Pharmaceutical technologists who will end up doing the same thing”. This idea has actually been brought about by the employers, judging by the patterns in job advertisements.Brings me to my question which I will try and help us answer. WHY DO PEOPLE THINK THIS WAY?
Well, the answer is simple, most Pharmacists in the PUBLIC sector don’t want to do what they were trained to do or what is in their job description. Everyone wants to be involved in commodity management and administrative duties. I am not saying we shouldn’t be involved in commodity management-that’s actually one of the most fundamental aspect of Pharmacy practice, but surely not all of us can be In-charges.
How can we cure this mentality of “Pharmacists wanaringa, kazi ni kutengeneza timetable, kutoa dawa, kunywa chai na kutoka saa sita after kutukelelesha”? Me thinks, we need to start showing value for the money we get paid. C”mon guys, we go to school for at least 5 years and do a 1 year internship, we have knowledge on drugs that is second to none. We need to start being authorities in matters related to drugs, not just in the background such as the Medicine and Therapeutics Committee, but in direct patient care.
Visiting the wards should be our main point of focus, attending ward rounds and this doesn’t mean just standing in the back, nodding and agreeing with everything being said, but actually giving advice to other Healthcare workers on matters pertaining to medication and making necessary corrections where need be. Statistically medication errors are one of the leading causes of death among patients in the world.
MTRH (Moi Teaching and referral Hospital) has literally given us a playbook on how a Pharmacist can be well utilized in a multidisciplinary patient care team. All we need to do is copy and paste it. I know some of us will say “oh, you know MTRH has a lot of Pharmacists” But what’s the harm in trying? Rome wasn’t built in a day.
A PHARMACIST IS NOT A GLORIFIED SHOPKEEPER! A PHARMACIST IS THE BENCHED DOCTOR THAT NEEDS TO BE IN THE STARTING 11.
By Dr. Zolpidem