Education of health professionals is key to better outcomes
More attention to the training needs of health professionals
is critical to providing essential health services, says Commonwealth
Pharmaceutical Association president, John Bell.
Speaking in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on June 16, Mr Bell
said that the establishment of four-year pharmacy degree courses in several
Commonwealth countries was to be applauded, however, in many other countries,
pharmacy schools were under-resourced, under-funded and under-staffed.
Ongoing continuing postgraduate education was also necessary to make sure
all pharmacists were properly equipped to serve the general community.
Co-operation between governments and professional
associations is essential in order to provide these courses, he said.
There is also benefit from other partnerships, explained
Mr Bell. Medication management and quality use of medicines are terms
which are now widely used. They point to the fact that no matter how effective
new drugs might be, they will not result in better health outcomes unless
they are selected carefully, prescribed correctly and administered appropriately.
These aims will only be realised if health professionals
work collaboratively. A partnership approach is essential to ensure the
general population benefits as much as possible from the results of drug
research. It is also the only way to ensure best value for money.
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