PHARMACISTS need to stand by the profession's leaders in advocating for equitable access to medicines and vaccines, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Ethics Group Chair, Associate Professor Betty Chaar, believes.
Addressing an FIP webinar last night the University of Sydney lecturer warned that pharmacists will have to deal with supply shortages when treatments and/or vaccines for COVID-19 are developed.
"Whenever you're faced with an issue such as a new medicine, or lack of supply, or something that's off-label, activate your own clinical judgement and stick to it," she said.
"Reflect on your professional values and create your criteria to enable fair prioritisation if there's a shortage of the treatment or vaccine.
"Support professional leaders when they voice their values or the values of the profession and they advocate for justice of distribution or advocate for universal healthcare coverage.
"Stand by them. Give them your voice for them to voice the whole profession's position."
Chaar said health professionals had a crucial role to play in pushing for fair access to healthcare.
"It's time to advocate for universal healthcare cover if possible, and it should be the norm," she said.
"Times are changing, hopefully for the better.
"I would remind you fair access to medicines is a human right and we have a tremendous role as healthcare professionals to facilitate access and to make it as fair as possible.
"We all have a role and we must make sure that we take our part and we don't just stand by as bystanders and just look at things and say 'what can I do?' You can do something."
Chaar said pharmacists should be proactive in promoting the profession's experiences during the COVID crisis to politicians and policy-makers, adding that "if you don't have leaders, be leaders, this is the time".
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