PHARMACISTS' work on the frontline of the global COVID-19 pandemic has been key to changing patients' views of the profession, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Community Pharmacy Sector President, Lars-Ake Soderlund, says.
Speaking during a webinar focused on the lessons learned through the COVID crisis, as part of the FIP Virtual 2020 conference yesterday, Soderlund said the profession had demonstrated its importance to global health systems.
"There has been a welcome reset of the public's perception of pharmacists' role at the forefront of our health systems," he said.
"We have lived through many challenging situations, and I am very proud of how we, as a sector have responded to the outbreak.
"When other healthcare facilities closed their doors, hospital and community pharmacies remained open.
"We can conclude that pharmacists have once again shown that we are essential to the health of our communities and to the continued functioning of our health systems.
"This goes for pharmacies in academia, science, educational activities, in industry, the supply chain, hospital and community pharmacy - we are all on the frontline in fighting this disease."
Soderlund warned delegates not to underestimate how national health systems will change as a result of the pandemic, stressing that the flexible multidisciplinary approach that many countries have adopted "must continue".
He added that pharmacists needed to play a prominent role in future healthcare planning.
"It's urgent that we, as a sector, are involved in continuous planning in our countries for a second outbreak [of COVID-19], a new pandemic or a [different] crisis," he said.
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