Cape Town: The City is celebrating September as Pharmacy Month, commemorating the theme mainly focused on the role of pharmacists in meeting the global health needs. To mark the occasion Pharmacists are trained in all matters related to medication, considering storage, handling and preparation, to dispensing and administering.
Reportedly, September 25th is celebrated as World Pharmacists Day. The pharmacists also have the authority to provide the dosage, and ensure about the interactions and side effects of the medications used to treat health conditions.
Health Department of Cape Town has 37 Pharmacists and 77 Post Basic Pharmacist assistants, who dispensed more than 7.3 million items of medication in the last financial year.
Some Pharmacists will also represent the City of Cape Town at the 82nd Annual World Congress of Pharmaceutical Sciences, that is being held on South African soil for the first time in 2024, it will concentrate on Innovations in Future Healthcare.
One of the biggest risks to the public health is antimicrobial resistance, that is caused in a part of the body, by the incorrect or overuse of antimicrobial medicines such antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals.
The disease causes bacteria, viruses and fungi to change over time and no longer respond to medicines. It is for the reason that antimicrobials are prescribed only when, it is absolutely necessary.
City’s Health Department encouraged the public to use medication precisely as prescribed, not to share medication with others, and not to mix the medication and other substances, such as alcohol.
The unused or expired medication should be returned to the pharmacy to securely dispose of and to prevent environmental contamination and reduce the risk of accidental ingestion.
Improper disposal of the used medication and instruments poses significant risks, including the accidental ingestion by children and pets, that leads to potential overdose or poisoning.
Furthermore, the expired medication can be misused by contributing to medicine abuse and increasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services – Councillor Patricia Van der Ross said that Pharmacists are actively involved in the treatment and management of health conditions and putting patients on the road to recovery.
Ross expressed, “I don’t think we often fully appreciate their role in the public health arena. And, if we’re honest, I don’t think all of us appreciate the importance of medication and following the instructions that come with it.”
“As we commemorate Pharmacy Month, let’s acknowledge the contribution of pharmacists’ to the public health and start doing more to improve our own health outcomes, by obeying the advice and medication as prescribed,” stated Patricia Van der Ross.