Pharmacist shortage cripples public sector
Published:Thursday | June 10, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Nadisha Hunter, Gleaner Writer
The Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica has expressed concern about the poor working conditions in the public sector, which it has linked to the stagnant flow of professionals into state facilities.
President of the society, Valerie Germain, said less than a third of the 150 available pharmacist positions were currently occupied.
She was speaking at the launch of the University of Technology (UTech) Doctor of Pharmacy programme at the Hilton Kingston hotel on Tuesday.
"Currently, approximately 45 pharmacists occupy the 150 posts in the public sector and this is largely due to unsatisfactory remuneration and working conditions," Germain said.
"We would encourage the Ministry of Health to have public-sector pharmacies meet the standards for working environments that are stipulated by the Pharmacy Council of Jamaica," the president added.
Germain implored Health Minister Rudyard Spencer to address urgently the critical shortage in the public sector.
The increase in patient load and the concomitant rising demand for drugs - largely attributable to the implementation, in 2008, of fee-less access to public health-care facilities - have brought into greater focus the need to shore up human resources.
25 pharmacy technicians
Currently, UTech is training 25 pharmacy technicians to ease the burden on the health sector.
Dr Eugenie Brown-Myrie, associate professor and dean of the College of Health Sciences at UTech, said while technicians were not qualified to replace pharmacists, they would expedite servicedelivery, thus reducing backlogs.
"Technicians, if they are available, can carry out a lot of the distributive functions under supervision of the pharmacist," Brown-Myrie said.
She added that graduates should be ready to enter the system by next April.
In the meantime, Brown-Myrie said UTech's infrastructure presented a major challenge to accommodating pharmacy students.
She said the institution, which is the largest trainer of pharmacists in the island, managed to train 96 pharmacists this year and is looking to clear the 100 hurdle next year if there is enough space.