Georgetown: Pharmacists from across the Region were urged to safeguard their profession and do their best to offer quality health care to their clients.
Under the theme, “The Pharmacist – A vital link in providing quality health care, the health professionals converged at the Marriot Hotel, in Georgetown, for the recent 35th annual convention of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists (CAP), a collaborative effort with the Guyana Pharmacists Association (GPA).
This is the third time Guyana was selected to host the event, which seemed to have been a thrill for Guyana. The first was held some 20 years ago.
Before the actual presentations, two awards were presented to local Pharmacists Yvonne Bullen and Azad Khan. Bullen, who has had some 47 years in the health care system, received GPA life award. The former educator said that if she could have lived her life all over again, she would do just what she did.
Pharmacist Azad Khan received the Jaiwantie Bacchus Student of Excellence Award.
Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton said it was fully recognised that Caribbean nations cannot operate in isolation.
According to him, what affects one country will affect all other countries and as such, the importance of sharing information and synchronising efforts to maintain the highest ethical standard in the practice of pharmacy could not be over emphasised.
“The theme for the conference amply describes the pivotal role Pharmacists play in the multidisciplinary fields in providing health care to all people and emphasises the holistic nature of the providing of health care which requires that pharmacists, physicians and all of the other professions work together as a team”.
He said forums such as the one held on Wednesday, are of vital importance particularly, when seeking to keep abreast with evolving practices in the respective fields as professionals. According to him, it was a pleasure for Guyana to host the conference at a time when many regional organisations are struggling to keep themselves together.
President of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists Yvonne Reid said Pharmacists play a vital role in delivering health care; however, this must be conveyed to all stakeholders, other health care providers, policymakers and patients. This she said must be done through patient interventions, interactions with other health professionals and the documentation of health interventions.
“It is through our interventions, that patient morbidity and mortality are reduced and as a result, we have a reduction in health care costs”, she told the auditorium of Caribbean nationals.
President of the Pharmacist Association here in Guyana Megan Barker urged the Caribbean health professionals to improve their knowledge so that they could provide quality health care and satisfy the needs of clients and patients across the Region.
“As Pharmacists, we must be cognisant of the fact that they are always changes in the provision of health care and must remain vigilant for counterfeit that can affect the health of the population”.
She spoke directly to the local delegates, urging them to use the conference to strengthen their commitment to the local association and the Caribbean association as well, which will benefit all in the long run.
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