High hopes and obstacles faced by Kuwaiti pharmacists; ‘no real support from the govt’

Hold of majority expats on profession bemoaned

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 18: Member of Kuwait Pharmacy Association’s Private Sector Committee, Farah Sadiq, quoting statistics said about 1,000 Kuwaiti pharmacists face several challenges that curb their growth to the top pharmaceutical scene in the country, reports Al-Qabas daily.

Out of the societal view of a pharmacist who may sometimes lack accurate knowledge of the important role he plays, those wishing to engage in pharmaceutical work in private sector pursue financial needs that often outweigh the potential of beginners. In many cases, the pharmacist finds himself in front of big competitors whose pharmacies involve huge investments making it easy for them to acquire the largest share of competitiveness.

Investors

The percentage, which the state obliges investors to appoint from Kuwaitis in pharmacies, occupies a good place among the obstacles facing the increase in number of workers in this field among Kuwaitis, despite the desire of graduates to grow.

Al-Qabas touched the topic with pharmacists and specialists to lay hands on the wound and to identify the most important obstacles in front of Kuwaiti pharmacists in order to obtain appropriate luck in the pharmaceutical work, which is evident from the following:

Farah Sadiq, member of the Kuwaiti Pharmaceutical Society’s Private Sector Committee, listed a set of obstacles facing the career of a pharmacist. The first being his permanent presence in the pharmacy by which he requires many helpers, adding “It is unreasonable for a Kuwaiti pharmacist to be in the pharmacy 24 hours. Accordingly, other pharmacists must be available to work at all times.”

Secondly, “The profession suffers a great deal due to lack of real support from the government, as the pharmacy is still seen as a supportive medical profession, while outside Kuwait; it is considered one of the basic medical professions.”

She pointed to “society’s lack of understanding of the true position and duty of the pharmacist, as many consider it a drug dispenser, which is not true- because Kuwaiti pharmacists are qualified to give drug information and to study all drug interactions with the patient as regards complications and side effects”. She indicated that “government sector does not officially recognize specialty of the clinical pharmacy, as well as lack of job classification for it by Civil Service Commission.”

Suffering

She continued: “We are suffering as a result of low percentage of national workforce in private sector imposed on the medical institutions and companies to employ Kuwaiti pharmacists, as it reaches only 8 percent, which is a very small percentage and does not rise to support and encourage the profession. Therefore we do not see enough pharmacists in private sector due to the small number of national workforce, while specializations in other professions such as banking and telecommunications reach 70 percent and more”.

Sadiq added: “There is a major obstacle private sector faces, which is control of the expatriates there, besides considering the pharmacy profession as a commercial job. Hence, we witness competition from the merchant without looking at it as a scientific profession that entails the need to protect souls and not only to make profit.”

She stressed “the Kuwaiti pharmacist has become a source of pride and honor,” noting about 1,000 Kuwaiti pharmacists work in government and private sectors. Approximately 400 Kuwaiti pharmacists have licenses, some of them manage their pharmacies, and another section also supervises the administration.”