KUALA LUMPUR: Community pharmacists are urged to work together with the government, learn from each other, as well as guide Malaysians into the endemic phase as the nation prepares to live with Covid-19.

       Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said community pharmacists play an important role in the fight against Covid-19 as they are the primary point of care and gatekeepers of the nation’s healthcare system.

       “You are frontlining it... when doctors and hospitals, those in the front line of healthcare are overburdened, the next in line must step in, and these are our community pharmacists.

       “As healthcare professionals, pharmacists have a key role, not only during the pandemic, but for many years, engaging directly with the community, continuing to care for patients... we can work together in areas like preventive medicine and educating the public, not just on disease, but also on wellness,” he said.

       He said this when officiating a webinar titled “Reinvent Pharmacy Biz: Adapt Beyond the Crisis” by Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild (MCPG), in conjunction with World Pharmacists Day, which was celebrated yesterday.

       Khairy said that self-test kits are another important area where community pharmacists come in, where along with other healthcare facilities, pharmacies are the proper channels to buy self-test kits from.

       He said community pharmacists can educate the public on how to use the self-test kits – its storage and disposal – providing follow-up and counselling once the results are out, and advising clients on the differences between the brands.

       “The ministry welcomes MCPG’s involvement to engage and improve our healthcare system and we are committed to seeing that your profession continues to progress and move forward in this area.

       “As this programme has so aptly put it, we must now adapt and look beyond the Covid-19 crisis into all other aspects of healthcare. Certainly, there is more we can do together,” he said.

       He applauded MCPG for taking real action to prepare, train and equip its members in the event of another surge or new variant, including organising a vaccination training programme earlier this year. — Bernama