PHARMACY'S prominent role in supporting communities around the globe is creating fresh opportunities for the profession to push to be empowered to work to its full scope of practice, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) President, Dominique Jordan, believes.
Writing in the foreword to the 2020 FIP Annual Report, Jordan said the pandemic had presented significant challenges, but also elevated the profession's profile, with community pharmacies keeping their doors open, exposing pharmacy workers to the virus.
"No single event has demonstrated the value of pharmacy as much as COVID-19 has, and doors to new and expanded roles have been opened," Jordan said.
"Never have so many governments and health ministers acknowledged the contribution of pharmacy to health systems and the health of communities.
"In a year of great uncertainty and emergency, our pharmacy profession has demonstrated its expertise, strength, courage and dedication to care at the highest level.
"However, not far from our minds are our colleagues who have died during the pandemic as a result of providing care to their communities."
Jordan also noted that the pandemic had highlighted the "power of sharing and working together in unity", with FIP hosting regular webinars throughout the crisis to allow pharmacists from around the world to learn from each other's experiences.
"I believe that pharmacy will emerge from this pandemic bigger and better, but we must think ahead and complement the positive recognition we have received with evidence," he said.
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