Pharmacy Is More than an Occupation

Pharmacy as a profession in the medical field has gained prominence in the recent past and as this happened, advocacy have followed suit. This has been driven by the inherent value that pharmacists have based on training, experience in practice and the acclaimed global standards on what's expected of pharmacists. To an extent this has gained momentum and I know this as a member of the profession who have written extensively in this subject matter over the last three (3) years. As these trends have dominated our discussions, it is important to acknowledge that the general perception of the public on the role of pharmacists hasn't changed as much from the product-oriented practice of filling and dispensing prescriptions with little interaction with the patients as outlined by Jon Waterfield in his article; "Is Pharmacy a Knowledge-Based Profession." From this outlook it's clear that as pharmacists we find a way to transcend the silos from which we operate to come closer to the individuals we serve or work with, manifest our value and communicate in ways that are comprehensible and translate the technical knowledge into practical appraisable knowledge in terms of value derived from its use.

It's a given that most of the occupations we take up in life are driven by the material benefits that come from the practice i.e. good salaries, sense of stability & security, social status & prestige among others. In the field of pharmacy, it's my inclination to believe it's different. This is partly based on my personal experiences and biases being I am in this field. Probably there are other fields with similar features except for the fact that I am not privy to their in-dealings. As I have written in the past through my several articles, pharmacy practice spans community pharmacy, industrial pharmacy, global health, policy & advocacy, academia among others; there's more to it and that's the ability to envision the interconnectedness of the fields and the ultimate contribution of that in our mission. To promote health and wellbeing in all its forms. I've seen pharmacists do amazing work in their spaces, read account of pharmacists in the global space document some of the great moments in their practice and I'm encouraged to do better.

We are in a New Year 2021 with hopes and aspirations for which I wish become a success for all of us. On the same note, for the pharmacy fraternity I believe it's a moment to rethink the profession, communicate & manifest our value and most importantly build bridges with other stakeholders. The value we offer and intend to offer in the different fields from research & development, drug design, production, clinical trials, distribution, registration and approval for use, dispensing and therapy monitoring can only happen when we collaborate. By bringing others on board we know better how to create value for them, lessen their pain and tap into their strengths for mutual gain. In the last year 2020, I was privileged to do a survey on Impact of COVID-19 on Community Pharmacies and Future of Community Pharmacy Practice which was an eye-opener to me in the sense that the key pointers of what we've always talked about to be necessary are the very features that needed investment into the future of this sector. These included innovative financing models, practice-oriented rather product-oriented model of practice, community value creation and business management skills. Without engaging it would be impossible to know all this.

I am honored to be taking up a new assignment with the Kenya Association of Pharmaceutical Industry (KAPI) with which my aspiration for an interconnected and collaborative pharmaceutical industry is at the center of their commitment for the year: Redefining Collaboration in the Pharmaceutical Industry. I believe this is a critical moment for me and the industry if I'll be able to work with my team and other stakeholders to align for an efficient and value-based pharmaceutical industry. To me some of the key facets would be how to engage with the clinical & research teams to establish how well we can translate science into policy through the regulatory authorities, the public to engage and establish the value for science in what the industry does, public health and overall health outcomes and the academic institutions to determine the way forward in building human capacity for a sustainable future in all we aspire for.

It's an exciting journey and I hope it'll be handy in helping position pharmacy the profession and the industry not merely as an occupation or rather business enterprises but as a key player in health & wellness driven with values and ethics.