WHO are we? We are Pharmacists – your medicine experts! That unique health care professional who specializes in the usage and administration of medication. Moreover, we are Caribbean Pharmacists – we share many similarities (especially culturally and socially) with our colleagues across the region.
We are not merely dispensers – dispensing prescriptions to patients upon receiving a physician’s orders, we are experts on how drugs work and interact with the body. We help our patients to understand their medicines, counsel them on what to expect, understand the side effects, make recommendations for lifestyle modification, etc., and in the case of clinical pharmacists, advise doctors on the best medications and therapeutics for patients so that those who take them achieve the best possible results.
Over the years, the practice of pharmacy has evolved and expanded. We are involved in Policy making, medication review, research and development among others. Emerging technologies allow us to interact with each other in real time allowing us to lean on or lift up each other across the region.
Today, we join our colleagues across the region as we celebrate Caribbean Pharmacy Day. We extend to all colleagues, technicians, partners, students and associates, a Happy Caribbean Pharmacy Day! We see ourselves as ‘the key to a healthier future’! To this end, we encourage each other to maintain high standards – in education, drug quality, practice, and professional encounters. Together we will continue to put our profession on a pedestal from which we can showcase our value and excellence.
I thank you!