Pharmacy never more important: FIP

PHARMACISTS around the world have a critical role in protecting the public from “inappropriate advice” and “fake news” around medicines, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) CEO, Catherine Duggan, believes.

Speaking during a FIP COVID-19 webinar on Fri night, Duggan said the pandemic had heightened the focus on patient safety in the pharmacy sector.

“Patient safety’s never [been] more important than now,” she said.

“If we think about where we are in our different countries, in our different localities, as we face this global pandemic, patient safety risks are becoming more heightened than ever.

“We see this through medication errors linked to additional workforce pressures, we see this through the interactions that patients may be suffering with their existing therapies.

“We see this in the potential for drug reactions and adversity to remedies and treatments including the inappropriate advice, or the inappropriate prescribing of different therapies, of ‘fake news’.”

Duggan added national pharmacy organisations need to ensure their governments “know about pharmacy”.

“They need to have evidence about pharmacy and they need to hear about the impact we can play,” she said.

“There’s never been a time when nimble and appropriate regulation to ensure patient safety is needed more, but also supportive regulation whereby individuals can practice at the top of their licence and really deliver in a flexible way for patients and the public.

“We have seen emerging and responsive changes to pharmacy regulations, which are enabling patients to receive greater access from the essential workforce the pharmacy profession provides.”