Mayor re-opens pharmaceutical facility

THE City of Joburg has officially opened the newly- upgraded metropolitan council pharmacy in Langlaagte.

The pharmacy, which previously supplied 82 local government clinics with medicines and surgical sundries, was upgraded through the Corridors of Freedom to fast-track supply.

Mayor Herman Mashaba was joined by member of the mayoral committee for health and social development, Councillor Mpho Phalatse and the Region B leadership.

The newly-upgraded facility now provides pharmaceutical services to all 78 clinics, 27 provincial clinics, as well as 70 private providers who assist clinics with family planning and immunisation.

The pharmacy provides acute, chronic, family planning and immunisation services that are in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) expanded programme of immunisation recommendations.

The city is part of the “fast track cities” who have been heavily affected by the epidemic and are at the forefront of responding to HIV.

Phalatse revealed that between April 2017 and March 2018, 63 298 of people who know their HIV-positive status were initiated on ART and 328 471 remained on treatment in the city.

This could have not been achieved without the services of the pharmacy which plays an important role in ensuring that all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and that 90% of these attain viral suppression, said the MMC.

“As part of improving immunisation coverage, a total of 72 650 out of 90 575 (80.2%) children under the age of one were fully immunised in 2016/17. In 2017/18, the immunisation coverage increased to 83.2% (77 738 of 93 402) and to 84.7% (53 439 of 94 691) as at February 2019”, he added.

“Today, the roles of pharmacists are evolving, along with an ever-changing healthcare environment, which is spurred on by a greater focus to reduce cost of care and improve health outcomes. In doing so, the pharmacy continuously trains pharmacists’ assistants as a path to polish the quality of services within the craft in partnership with the Witkoppen Community Health Centre,” he added.

In 2017/18, the pharmacy trained four post basic pharmacist assistants.

Currently, there are 15 basic pharmacist assistants undergoing the training that will be completed in July. Of the 15, seven will be placed in city clinics across every region and eight at the pharmacy.