To mark World Pharmacists Day, Professor Helena Kelly, Head of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at RCSI, highlights the growing importance of pharmacy in our communities and healthcare.
In need of medical advice and support? From minor ailments to major illnesses – or even just for reassurance or advice – chances are that your local pharmacist is the first port of call.
Indeed, pharmacists are the most accessible members of the health services.
On 25 September, RCSI’s School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, which delivers the Masters in Pharmacy (MPharm) programme, celebrates World Pharmacists Day.
While the majority of pharmacy graduates work in the community, there are many other areas pharmacists work in including hospitals, policy, industry or academia.
At RCSI, pharmacy education is centred on the patient. Students regularly engage in hands-on learning in the School’s patient-centred care labs, where they develop their clinical and communication skills.
Patients regularly share their experience and perspectives with the students, further cementing the patient view in pharmacy practice.
This patient-centred focus reflects the changing nature of pharmacy globally, with the role expanding far beyond dispensing medications. These days, they are focused on providing patient advice and counselling, helping patients identify when their medicine is not working for them, dealing with side effects and supporting public health information campaigns.
An excellent example of the expanding role of pharmacists is their ability to deliver vaccines. Building on that, within the past year, an expert taskforce recommended that pharmacists be allowed to prescribe for a number of conditions, which should reduce the pressure on GPs and emergency departments.
There’s an increasing global recognition that pharmacists have a high level of clinical knowledge which can provide greater support to the healthcare system.
Community pharmacists deal with everything from minor cuts or burns to suspected strokes or heart attacks and they’re particularly valuable in communities with very young or very old populations.
For people with young children, the pharmacist can become a very familiar person. For older people who may be taking multiple medications, the pharmacist plays a key role in helping them to manage their conditions and avoid any confusion.
In industry, meanwhile, pharmacists are vital for the development of medications that have helped dramatically extend human lifespans over the past century. In academia, pharmacists both teach the next generation and provide vital research inputs on the development and efficacy of medications.
What’s the future for the profession in an age of artificial intelligence and technological leaps?
Robotics may have a greater impact than artificial intelligence (AI), as it can take the medication from the shelf, package it up and release the pharmacists to spend time with patients.
But AI may help provide a better understanding of why some people suffer side effects and others don’t, as well as why some people respond better to certain drugs. AI will also help pharmacists work more collaboratively with other health professionals, including nurses and surgeons.
It’s all leading to a better, more patient-centred approach where people are seen as humans – rather than a collection of illnesses, ailments and body parts.
Showcasing the vital role of pharmacists
This year, the theme of World Pharmacists Day is 'Think Pharmacist, Think Health', and RCSI will be hosting a number of events.
A keynote talk by Dr Denis O’Driscoll, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, will be followed by a network reception where students will have an opportunity to showcase their talents.
The evening will bring together practicing pharmacists, educators, students and healthcare leaders to celebrate the profession, as well as the vital role that pharmacists play in building healthier communities in Ireland and around the world.
RCSI will also hold an event for students, where they compete with staff in a series of mental and physical tasks.
As RCSI has a strong and diverse cohort from around the world, as well as campuses in the Middle East and China, students will be showcasing information about the profession in their country.
Professor Helena Kelly is Head of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at RCSI.
RCSI is committed to achieving a better and more sustainable future through the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
