The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) joined the global community in celebrating the World Pharmacists Day, which annually takes place on September 25, with the theme ‘Pharmacy: Always Trusted for Your Health’ for 2021.

The date, 25 September, was selected during the World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Istanbul in 2009 because, in the year 1912, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) was established on this day.

This date was approved by FIP to become an annual date for the World Pharmacists Day, which was first celebrated in 2009, with the participation of all the national associations of pharmacists who are in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), with the aim of educating people of all ages about the role of pharmacists and conducting activities that enhance their role in the development of medical care.

PHCC Director of Pharmacy, Dr. Manal Al Zaidan said that the celebration of the World Pharmacists Day symbolizes respect for the profession of pharmacists, who serve patients in many health aspects to ensure that patients have an excellent treatment experience, by providing the best medicines necessary for the patient's condition, in co-operation with the rest of the medical staff.

The aim of adopting the theme ‘Pharmacy: Always Trusted for Your Health’ this year is to reinforce the relationship between the patient and the pharmacist – especially during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, by providing the best health service possible and limiting medication errors, as well as spreading awareness among the community on the pharmacists' efforts and effective role towards their country and community, she added.

Dr. Al Zaidan also commended the accomplishments by the pharmacy staff during the pandemic, delivering more than 80,000 medications to patients, as well as providing consultation via telephone service to facilitate communication between patients and pharmacists. She noted that these services had an important role in addressing the pandemic in the safest way possible to ensure the safety of community members.

Dr. Al Zaidan added that PHCC pharmacists provide many services, such as reviewing and verifying patients' prescriptions to ensure the safety of patients, in addition to guiding patients to the proper way to take medicines and discussing side effects that some patients may experience sometimes, in addition to providing modern services during the pandemic, such as the Medication Home Delivery Service, as it had greatly contributed to reducing congestion and limiting the spread of COVID-19 infection during the peak of the pandemic.

Dr. Al Zaidan also said that the service of medication consultations via telephone based on the referral of the general doctor, and trailed at the Madinat Khalifa Health Center, would be activated in many PHCC centers soon.

In addition to conducting awareness-raising activities to guide patients in the optimal use of antibiotics and explain the dangers of their misuse, provide the medical staff with accurate medicines information and answer any inquiries related to medicines, and to manage the stock of medicines to ensure the availability of all types of treatments and their alternatives, in addition to their role in providing vaccines, such as COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, etc.