Challenges in the Pharmacy Profession

Challenges to the Pharmacy Profession

• The pharmacy profession faces challenges related to shifting focus from product to patient, increasing need for good quality information for patients, use of information technology, dispensing separation, and changing Malaysian healthcare scenarios.

Shift in Focus from Product to Patient

• Pharmaceutical care is the responsible provision of drug therapy to improve patient quality of life.
• Pharmacists work with patients and other professionals to create a therapeutic plan with specific outcomes.
• Five key principles of pharmaceutical care include: patients' data collection; medical information evaluation; formulating a drug therapy plan; implementing the plan; monitoring and modifying the plan.
• Under-utilization of community pharmacists in Malaysia for provision of pharmaceutical care to the general public is a concern.
• There's a need for training in new skills and life-long learning for the pharmacy profession.
• Specialization and credentialing are important for pharmacists to practice clinically, with areas like clinical pharmacokinetics, geriatric pharmacy, MTAC diabetes, MTAC warfarin.

Biotechnology Products and Gene Therapy

• New skills in manufacturing "tailor-made" drugs/treatments are needed.
• Treatment options with antibodies/gene therapy are very effective but very costly.

Increase in Need for Good Quality Information

• Pharmacists need to be knowledgeable and able to evaluate information, provide unbiased information, and integrate traditional/herbal/complementary medicine practices.
• Professional responsibility should not be compromised by commercial interests.

Use of Information Technology

• Information technology is needed as a source of information, for provision of pharmaceutical care, management of pharmacies, fulfilling legal requirements, and re-imbursement processes.
• New and innovative IT applications are essential for pharmacies.

Dispensing Separation

• Agreement in principle on dispensing separation is included in the National Medicines Policy, requiring further work.
• Public acceptance of pharmacists' expanded roles needs to be improved, and distribution/numbers are subject to further development.
• National healthcare financing schemes also need to be considered.

Changing Malaysian Healthcare Scenario

• National healthcare financing is changing.
• There's an increase in the number of corporate players in retail pharmacies (Jusco, Cosway).
• There's a potential saturation of the pharmacy workforce.
• The New Pharmacy Act (Poisons (Amendment) Act 2022) and related acts (Poisons Act 1952, Sale of Drugs Act 1952, Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1956, Registration of Pharmacists Act 1951) are noteworthy changes.
• The MOH White Paper 2023 provides further details on the changing healthcare system. (There's likely more detail on this, but the displayed slide only lists the name/title of the document)

Transforming Healthcare Service Delivery

• Primary healthcare is prioritized, hospital care is optimised, partnerships with the private sector are fostered, and digital technologies are implemented to enhance equity in healthcare delivery.

Advancing Health Promotion and Prevention

• Public health functions are strengthened by inter-sectoral coordination, pro-health initiatives are supported. Inter-sectoral collaborations are fostered.

Ensuring Sustainable and Equitable Health Financing

• Investment in healthcare and comprehensive services are encouraged while supporting effective healthcare spending.

Strengthening the Health System's Foundations and Governance

• Roles within the MOH are restructured with stronger policies, legislation, and regulations to support personnel training, research, innovation, and evidence-based practices.

Explore the evolving role of pharmacists as they shift from a product-centric focus to prioritizing patient care. This quiz addresses key challenges such as information technology integration, in-depth pharmaceutical care principles, and the need for ongoing professional development in the Malaysian healthcare context.