We continue to work on development to ensure optimum service to patients, clients

‘PHARMACISTS PROMOTING Excellence, Empowering the Nation’ has been the chosen theme for this year’s Pharmacy Week activities.

The celebration of Pharmacy Week annually has allowed for:

• Networking among members of the industry.

• The opportunity to reach out to our communities and those we serve.

• A time to look at where we are going as a profession, plan strategise and execute.

This year’s Pharmacy Week will be abuzz with activity as usual, with this executive team brainstorming to spur the pharmacy profession to action, beginning with our National Diabetes Prevention campaign to be launched in association with Dr Coleman’s Healing our Village University (US). This innovative programme will seek to get pharmacists more involved with patient care, especially as it relates to the diabetic community.

It will foster the honing of our clinical skills as diabetic educators by helping to identify those at risk for developing diabetes and assisting those living with diabetes to better understand their diabetes and the medications used to manage them.

This outreach will also foster professional development among us pharmacists and good relations within the community. In the year ahead, we will continue this and other initiatives.

We have hosted public forums before, such as the Pharma Vaxx public forum, which highlighted facts about the COVID-19 vaccines – what they are, side effects and the different populations within which the vaccines can be used. The forum also helped the public to understand the truths and debunk the myths with respect to the vaccines. During Pharmacy Week, we will be hosting yet another forum which will feature discussions surrounding the Data Protection Act and its relevance to the profession of pharmacy.

Data protection is an area where rapid changes to laws and the effects on the profession must be clearly examined and action taken to protect members and the public we serve. The society is working closely with the Pharmacy Council to ensure that patient information is secure and protected when electronic transmission of prescriptions will be introduced. Also the issue of confidentiality and protection of patient information from third-party influence is also a critical discussion to be had.

Other outreach activities will include educational seminars at the different pharmacies islandwide, whether in the private community or public health sectors. Free screening tests at select locations for the public and other activities.

There is still a need for pharmacists to push for the policy changes that would strengthen our ability to carry out our functions of delivering quality healthcare through the safe and effective use of medicines.

The society has focused over the last year on implementing the strategic plans set out for the two-year term of the current executive. We continue to work on continuing education and development for our pharmacists to ensure that the service to our patients and clients are optimum.

As pharmacists continue to push past the obstacles and boldly step into our expanding roles in healthcare delivery, we are consistently working to develop professionally and to positively impact healthcare and patient outcomes. We are also building leadership capacity by actively mentoring the upcoming generation to take over leadership in the future. We are lifting standards and pushing beyond the ordinary to achieve excellence and relevance in all areas.

As we commence this year’s Pharmacy Week, I use this opportunity to thank all who have contributed to the development of pharmacy. I want to remind all that we stand on the shoulders of those before us, but to move forward, we need to work together for the greater good. We need to continue to network with our stakeholders – local and overseas. We need the collaboration from our industry partners, the regulatory agencies and other specialinterest groups, their support is crucial for the forward movement of the pharmacy profession.

Thank you, members, for your continued participation and enthusiasm in our professional community, and sponsors for your incredible support.