PHARMACISTS around the world have a critical role on healthcare's frontline in managing patients' concerns as fears of the coronavirus grow, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) believes.
FIP's emergency taskforce released its coronavirus 2019-nCoV Outbreak: Information and interim guidelines for pharmacists and the pharmacy workforce, last week.
The 30-page document outlines the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists in community and hospital settings, in outbreak-affected and unaffected areas, including reliable information the covers what equipment to stock, advice they can provide patients and preventative measures, the taskforce Chair, and FIP Military and Emergency Pharmacy Section Secretary, Jane Dawson, said.
"Since pharmacies are often the first point of contact with the health system and given that cases have already been seen in a number of countries, it is important that the whole pharmacy workforce is well informed and prepared," she said.
The FIP recommends that pharmacies should designate a pharmacist to take charge of procurement, storage and distribution of key medicines, and adjust the inventory to guarantee the supply for clinical practice.
The list includes antiviral medicines, antimicrobial agents, antipyretics and analgesics, corticosteroids and several other categories of medicines.
CLICK HERE for the FIP guidelines.
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