Funding and collaboration challenges hindering pharmacists' efforts to address global health needs
In preparation for World Pharmacists Day on September 25, Pharmacy Business conducted a social media poll to explore how pharmacists can improve global health outcomes.
More than 64 per cent of respondents indicated that pharmacists should prioritize promoting preventive care.
Other suggestions included advancing research and development (9 per cent), increasing interdisciplinary collaboration (14 per cent), and addressing health disparities (14 per cent).
This year's theme for World Pharmacists Day is “Pharmacists: Meeting Global Health Needs.”
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) emphasises that pharmacists are integral members of healthcare systems, playing a crucial role in meeting health needs in various ways daily.
Key contributions from pharmacists include:
- Ensuring access to essential medicines and their optimal use, which significantly enhances patient care and public health.
- Serving as the first point of contact for health advice and primary healthcare, particularly in resource-limited settings.
- Helping prevent diseases by administering vaccinations, conducting health screenings, educating patients, and improving health literacy.
- Supporting public health campaigns, participating in research and development of new medicines, leading pharmacovigilance efforts, and ensuring judicious use of antibiotics.
- Implementing more sustainable practices and addressing the health impacts of climate change.
- Advocating for policy changes that promote better health outcomes.
- Demonstrating their vital role in tackling global health crises, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pharmacists could make a greater impact on global health if they are provided sufficient funding.
Over 90 per cent of respondents identified inadequate funding as the primary challenge pharmacists encounter in addressing global health needs, while 9 per cent pointed to limited access to technology.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has been calling on the government to reverse the 40 per cent real-terms cuts to community pharmacy budgets over the past decade, which have led to the closure of over 1,500 pharmacies and forced many others to reduce their opening hours.
It cautioned that many rural areas could become 'pharmacy deserts' if the current closure rates persist.
In the Pharmacy Business online poll, only four per cent of respondents expressed satisfaction with the level of support community pharmacies receive from the government, while 31per cent indicated they were "dissatisfied," and 65per cent reported being "very dissatisfied."
Furthermore, more than 70 per cent of participants believe the current level of collaboration between community pharmacies and other healthcare professionals is ineffective.
