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In a speech read on her behalf by the Minister of State in her office, Sylvester Nguni, at the official opening of the annual Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe (PSZ) congress in Victoria Falls on Friday, VP Mujuru said as a critical component of the health sector, the pharmaceutical industry should ensure that prices of drugs were affordable so that health institutions, which have a limited range in their stocks can access them.
“As you aim to adopt best practices in your industry, and to offer extended pharmacy services to your communities, I would like to challenge you to be innovative. I think it is about time that people put a face to the pharmacist. We have seen medical practitioners having outreach programmes to help the vulnerable access medical services. What is it that the pharmaceutical society is doing to give back to the communities and help the less privileged members?
“I would also want to call upon pharmacists in private practice to make medicines accessible through fair and reasonable charges,” she said.
VP Mujuru said Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have emerged as a new health threat to the society as HIV and Aids continued to affect communities.
“The incidences of diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, respiratory and cancer brings about many opportunities for the pharmac-ists to rediscover themselves and find relevance in the management of these conditions.
“In addition we have committed ourselves as a Government and nation to meet the targets as set in the Millennium Development Goals and in that respect we note the role of the pharmacist in striving to achieve goals four, five and six on reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases.”
The Vice-President also noted that there were existing and emerging threats, which continued to plague the pharmaceutical profession and industry.
“Some of these issues are the liquidity crunch, duty regime on raw materials and preferential procurement of finished pharmaceutical products from the local manufacturers. I would like to urge all stakeholders to look into these issues in order to level the playing field and bring back viability in the local manufacturing industry, which was once the pride of Zimbabwe and the region. We all know that addressing these challenges would help to restore, create and sustain jobs,” said VP Mujuru.
She said the Government noted with satisfaction the best practices displayed by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe in safeguarding the public’s right to safe medicines.
VP Mujuru said the request by PSZ to be accorded due recognition as a critical stakeholder in the health delivery system by the health services funders was on the table.
“Such realisation and recognition will naturally lead to early settlement of provider claims, which will go a long way in restoring viability in that sector. National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe (NatPharm) has not been spared the effects of the liquidity challenges. It goes without say that the company’s challenges have had a ripple effect on other players in the industry. Hospitals in the public sector have continued to remain open albeit with a limited range of medicines. However, I must applaud the very brave and hard working pharmacists that have continued to serve the public under extremely difficult circumstances,” said said.
Cde Mujuru, however, said despite the hardships being experienced in the country, the Zimbabwean citizen still expected patient focused pharmaceutical care.
“Pharmacists have to assume responsibility for providing a service of real value in order to achieve better health outcomes for the patient. The responsibility is now much more than simply providing a product from behind the safe havens of a dispensary in a hospital or a community pharmacy,” she said.
VP Mujuru said pharmaceutical care services or patient oriented pharmaceutical services were now a recognised and necessary component of health care.
“Pharmaceutical care is responsible provision of medicine therapy to improve the quality of life of the patient through cure, elimination or reduction of patient’s symptoms or discomfort, arresting or slowing of a disease process or preventing a disease or condition,” she said.
Online Reporter