NASSAU, The Bahamas — Minister of Health Dr. the Hon. Hubert Minnis praised members of the Bahamas Pharmacy Council for working extremely hard travelling throughout the country ensuring that pharmacists are properly trained and exercising best practices, and that pharmacies are properly inspected and delivering safe medical care.
“This monitoring is important because if a pharmacy does not pass inspection and medications are not kept under the best conditions, then of course the medications may lose their potency and result in individuals receiving inadequate care,” Dr Minnis said during the Council’s First Anniversary Celebrations Lecture and Cocktail Reception at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort, Tuesday, February 8, 2011.
He said the theme for the anniversary “Cultivating Good Pharmacy Practice throughout the Nation” is an excellent reminder of the critical role of the Council as the regulatory body for the profession of Pharmacy in The Bahamas.
“Your commitment to ensuring compliance with the Pharmacy Act speaks to the Council’s genuine care and concern for the welfare of patients, clients, professionals, the general community and the overall health in our country,” Dr Minnis said. The focus of the lecture pharma-co-vigilance, is important in the safety of the medicines supplied, he noted.
“Intense competition among pharmaceutical manufacturers and products, result in simultaneous registration and marketing in many countries, which may lead to adverse effects not readily identified and not monitored systematically.
“The Council’s aim is to ensure that information is disseminated locally for the monitoring and detection of adverse drug reactions,” Dr Minnis said.
“Medicine-related problems, once detected, need to be assessed, analysed, followed up and reported to the Council as the regulatory authority for necessary action.” Parliament passed the Pharmacy Act 2009 on May 22, 2009, and the Ministry of Health in consultation with the Bahamas Pharmacy Association, determined the membership of the Pharmacy Council and the Council on December 17, 2009, was thereafter instituted and brought into force.
The functions of the Council are: to regulate and control the practice of Pharmacy; to govern and regulate the standard of practice of professionals involved in the practice of Pharmacy; to establish, develop and maintain standards of knowledge, skill and professional practice of pharmacy; to govern and regulate the standards and practice of all facilities utilised in the practice of pharmacy; to register all persons entitled to be registered under this Act; to register all premises or facilities entitled to be registered as pharmacies under this Act; to authorise persons as sellers of poisons; to issue licenses under this Act to issue compliance with the requirements of this Act; to facilitate the receipt of any complaints regarding the practice of pharmacy and individuals or entities involved within the profession of pharmacy; and to do such other things as may be prescribed by the Act or any other written law to be preformed.
The Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation is collaborating with the Council to put on this week’s events.
Speaking at the lecture were Dr José Luis Castro, PAHO/WHO regional adviser in rational use of medicines, and Dr Adriana Mitsue Ivama PAHO/WHO Sub-regional Advisor of Medicines and Biologicals for the Caribbean Region.
Other activities planned for the first anniversary include a workshop on Wednesday, February 9, a wellness fair at the Mall at Marathon, Saturday, February 12, and a church service at Bahamas Harvest Church, Sunday, February 13.
By Llonella Gilbert
Bahamas Information Services
