E-DRUG: Role and Competencies of District Pharmacists
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear E-Druggers,
I am doing research into the roles and competencies of district
pharmacists. I am based in South Africa but I realise that many
countries around the world have moved to a district health system over
the last few years and most have a pharmacist based at district level
to oversee pharmaceutical services. I have found very little published
literature on the subject, but expect that there may be quite a bit of
"grey literature" around which is difficult to access and would be
very useful for my research.
I would love to hear from anyone who can provide me with information
on district pharmaceutical services and, in particular, aspects
related to the roles and competencies of district pharmacists -
including job descriptions and any specific training provided for this
position. (Either your own experiences or pointing me to relevant
literature or reports would be appreciated). Thanks Hazel
Hazel Bradley BPharm, MPH
Senior Lecturer
School of Public Health,
University of the Western Cape
Private Bag X17, BELLVILLE 7535
SOUTH AFRICA
Email: hbradley@uwc.ac.za
Tel: + 27 21 959 2630
Fax: + 27 21 959 2872
Cell: + 27 72 297 9932
E-DRUG: Role and Competencies of District Pharmacists
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Hazel
There are a number of publications that might be heldpul but for a start here is a good one.
Management of Drugs at Health Centre Level - Trainiing Manual
WHO Regional Office Brazzaville
WHO/AFR/EDP/04.3
It is easy to download from the web. http://www.who.int/medicinedocs/index.fcgi?sid=pW5UHRkb9ee80ca7000000004753c31f&a=d&d=Js7919e
or just search on the title.
Contents include
1. Introduction
2. Management of drugs
3. Selection of drugs
4. Drug procurement
5. Drug distribution
6. Use of drugs
7. Drug stock management support tools
8. Definitions
Beverley Snell
Centre for International Health
Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health
P O Box 2284 Melbourne 8001, Australia
Telephone 61 3 9282 2115
Fax 61 3 9282 2144
email <bev@burnet.edu.au>
E-DRUG: Role and Competencies of District Pharmacists
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Hazel,
Although you have broadly defined a District Pharmacist as one รข€œbased at
district level to oversee pharmaceutical services", you may need to look at
this more closely in your research. I have seen cases where a pharmacist is
only physically posted to a district location, but the national Ministry of
Health human resource establishment does not actually provide for this
structurally, or through an appropriate budgetary provision. Such a posting
seldom has consequence. Where the national establishment structure provides
for a district pharmacist, it will be helpful if you also look at what
career paths are created at the same time, for promotion to Regional and
National levels. This should be part of role definition. For example, I
have in the past read a job description, with respect to another cadre of
health staff, which stipulates that to become national head of that cadre,
an incumbent must have served at district level for a minimum number of
years. I think that if such prospects are not visible, there is a tendency
to see "district posting" as a banishment to the periphery forever!
Finally, if district posting is done in the context of a national
"devolution" or "decentralisation" strategy, then we should remember that
without an appropriate budget, power and authority, there may be little, if
any, difference between a pharmacist at district level and one sitting in
Medical Stores in the capital.