COURSE: BACHELOR OF PHARMACY
UNIVERSITY: KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY
YEAR: 1(ONE)
Universal Health Coverage is based on all health -related sustainable development goals and has been adopted in a number of countries while other countries have plans to ensure it has been realized. The process of implementing the UHC in Kenya began back in 2018 and has now taken root in a number of counties in Kenya with Kisumu County being the pioneer of the program. The country’s overall development framework for the health sector is premised on the vision 2030 and the “Big four agenda”. Priority areas of focus in vision 2030 is the provision of robust healthcare infrastructure and quality healthcare services to all citizens which is in tandem with World Health Organization resolution of 1998 which recognized health as a basic human right ,this resolution is also echoed in Chapter IV of the constitution of Kenya ,2010 in the Bill of Rights 43.(1) (a)stipulates the Government of Kenya is committed to securing the health of its citizens as a basic human right to the highest attainable standard of health .This culminated to the formulation of the universal health coverage in Kenya a program which is geared towards ensuring that people have access to the use of curative ,preventive ,rehabilitative, as well as palliative medical services that are of superior quality and are effective without experiencing financial constraints .Medicines present a major setback in Universal Health Coverage , According to data claims by Jubilee insurance ,pharmaceuticals in health sector take up to 40% of health expenditure in Kenya .Such statistics show the crucial role the pharmacists have in the UHC relating to cutting down cost associated to provision of healthcare services and management of adverse effects of drugs. For the citizens of Kenya to enjoy the fruits of the UHC program there is a dire need for the pharmaceutical care to be an integral part of it.
Pharmaceutical care is a co-operative patient centered system for achieving specific and potential outcomes from the responsible provision of medicines. Pharmaceutical care incorporate an
NAME: MOFFAT GICHANA YOHANACOURSE: BACHELOR OF PHARMACY
UNIVERSITY: KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY
YEAR: 1(ONE)
awareness by the pharmacist of how spiritual, mental, emotional and physical factors influence a patient’s state of health. Today pharmacists deal with more potent and sophisticated medicine and thus it requires that we exploit the pharmacist’s expertise and knowledge to enable favorable therapeutic effects by direct engagement with patients .Furthermore the public is becoming aware of pharmacists services as they are making increasing use of information and advice about their minor conditions and non-prescription medicines from pharmacists where the pharmacists serve as primary healthcare units they are the first point of contact before the patients visit a clinic or hospital. A survey conducted by prevention magazine and American pharmaceutical association found that patients are increasingly turning to pharmacists for information about over thecounter drugs, this way the patients become more knowledgeable on the drugs they are taking. Also, a review in Turkey revealed that patients’ adherence to TB treatment improved when a pharmacist provided patient education on medication use. Thus, coherently depicting the insurmountable role of pharmaceutical care in provision of quality healthcare services. Moreover, the cost of healthcare provision is bound to go down if pharmaceutical care is an integral part of the UHC because prescription errors will be less. Adverse drug reactions and interactions cost the country as a whole millions of shillings per year. preventable adverse drug events that lead to hospital admissions occur due to inappropriate use of medicines contributing to increased health cost. Pharmacist led - medication therapy management can be applied to many medical conditions and provide long term cost saving to the healthcare system. the cost saving realized will go a long way in improving the provision of services to patients. A study in
NAME: MOFFAT GICHANA YOHANACOURSE: BACHELOR OF PHARMACY
UNIVERSITY: KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY
YEAR: 1(ONE)
Malaysia demonstrated significant cost savings with pharmacists’ intervention in ICU patients. Hence pharmacists’ services and involvement in patient centered care have been associated with improved health and economic outcomes, reduced drug adverse events and reduced morbidity and mortality. Equally important is that the pharmacist should be recognized as a potential key player in the universal health coverage.
Nevertheless, Health Management Organizations are recognizing the role of pharmacists in the pharmaceutical care which includes medication monitoring, drug adjustment, patient education, pharmaceutical compliance and toxicity profiling The WHO had called for greater involvement of pharmacists in the general healthcare system This accords pharmacists the opportunity to change and improve patients’ outcomes as an active member of the healthcare system. By the taking all these variables into consideration pharmacists can recommend a drug regimen that provides the most effective outcome. In the USA about 17 states have authorized pharmacists to prescribe drug. The West Virginia University School of Pharmacy and Centre for Disease Control had joined forces to expand the role of pharmacist as advocates and administrators of child immunization. Such expanded roles include working as clinical pharmacists in hospitals and clinical setting to provide patient rather than product -oriented care.
To better understand the role of pharmacist in pharmaceutical provision, the seven- star pharmacist concept by WHO and the international pharmaceutical federation coherently demystifies it. These include caregiver, decision-maker, communicator, manager, life-long learner, teacher, and leader. An added function of a researcher enables the pharmacist to use the evidence- based medicine effectively in order to advise on the rationale use of medicine in the
NAME:
MOFFAT GICHANA YOHANACOURSE: BACHELOR OF PHARMACY
UNIVERSITY: KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY
YEAR: 1(ONE)
healthcare team. Also, the role of pharmacist in management of chronic ailments such as diabetes type 2 and hypertension has shown good results. In Canada, research show that pharmacists provide care for patients with diabetes improving patients’ outcomes such as glycemic control and blood pressure control. Patients’ outcome could also be improved through one -on -one medication counselling by specially trained clinical pharmacists.
It is clear that pharmaceutical care forms a key part in the realization of UHC. It is imperative that pharmacists are available in all hospitals , in order to make a stronger patient oriented pharmaceutical care system there is need to deploy more pharmacists and allow the pharmacists to make prescription to patients also by the ministry of health giving students scholarships to undertake Maters in Clinical pharmacy program this will lead to a paradigm shift to a more patient centered pharmaceutical care and well defined role of pharmacists in Kenya and thus the success of UHC.