The Director of Pharmacy of the General Hospital in Ijede, Pharm. Sunday Idowu Banjoko, said that the new collaborative care models integrated in pharmacy have categorised Pharmacists as essential members of the healthcare team.
Banjoko stated at a recent event organised by the hospital to commemorate World Pharmacists Day 2022 that incorporating Pharmacists into team-based care increases patient awareness of the importance of medication adherence and promotes behavioural change in the self-management of chronic illnesses and diseases.
The Director further highlighted that the primary responsibility of every pharmacist is to use their complete knowledge and skills to promote the health and well-being of patients.
While noting that the expanding function of 21st-century Pharmacists has positioned them to have a bigger influence on drug dispensing, Banjoko asserted that Pharmacists also provide a range of preventive services to enhance health outcomes.
Also addressing was Pharm. Basirat Osijirin, who said that the conventional product-oriented role of Pharmacists is growing to encompass patient-oriented (clinical) duties, administration, and public health responsibilities.
According to her, other functions performed by pharmacists include reviewing prescription medication orders, ensuring rational and cost-effective medication use, promoting healthy living, improving clinical outcomes by actively engaging in direct patient care, and collaborating with other health care professionals.
She stated that studies have demonstrated that effective teamwork in Health Care Service Delivery has significantly reduced medical errors, unnecessary waste, and improved the efficacy of health outcomes, and that quality of care improves patient safety, patient satisfaction, patient morbidity, workloads, and job satisfaction, among other benefits.
She said, “Teamwork is globally recognised as an essential tool for building and sustaining an optimum health care service delivery system as it is beneficial to the patient, team menders, health facility and society at large”.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises September 25 as World Pharmacists Day, and this year’s theme is “Pharmacy United in Action for a Healthier World.”