E-drug: Brain drain of pharmacists (cont'd)
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Hi All,
Many useful points have emerged in this discussion. I would like to
respond to some of the points made by Aarti.
I am firmly of the opinion that as educators we have a responsibility
for designing curricula that socialize undergraduate students into the
reality of the work environment and provide them with tools to deal
with that reality. Our students have many different assignments that
are concentrated on this aspect of pharmacy practice. Aspects of
primary health care, public health and drug supply management run
throughout their time at the university.
Apart from didactic material, students have tasks to do such as
auditing pharmacies in their home areas in terms of pharmaceutical
care criteria, conducting research by interviewing patients about their
perceptions, debating real time issues, working in community
pharmacies (supported by a structured learning campaign), and
visiting pre-selected patients from poor communities in their homes
during which they are expected to interview the patient, prepare a
comprehensive analysis of the patients actual and potential drug
related problems and prepare a pharmaceutical care plan for that
patient. They also conduct research in clinics on expired or at-risk
drugs and other appropriate durg supply and drug use indicators.
This is in addition to the traditional ward round programme.
I accept that in the global village in which we live, out students are
actively encouraged to see the world, and they do. However, if they
have been socialized into the drug related needs of the country and
the continent, I am hopeful that they will want to return and make a
difference.
Cheers,
Billy
Billy Futter
Associate Professor
Faculty of Pharmacy
Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
email B.Futter@ru.ac.za
phone 046 603 8494
fax 046 636 1205
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