Name: Seng Kin Yong

Student ID: P21100647

Year:1

Course:

Faculty and University:B(Pharm), Aimst

University

Lecturer: Sabri

Title: Pharmacists’ role before and during

COVID-19 pandemic
 What is the role of pharmacist? These are the common question that had been asked
by the society nowadays. They are confused with what pharmacist’s role between
doctor role. This is due to there is no clear explanation about pharmacist role toward
the society. On 31 December 2019, COVID-19 pandemic rises in Wuhan, China
which then spread to all over the world. There a lot of people lose their jobs except
front line workers due to movement control order that implement by Malaysia
government. Frontline workers such as doctors, nurses, pharmacist, social workers
play a vital role during COVID-19 pandemic. This brought a lot of changes in
pharmacist role during the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s are the changes of role of
pharmacist before and during the pharmacist?
First and foremost, the role of pharmacist before COVID-19 pandemic is dispense
proper amount of quality medicine to the patient according to the instructions of the
physician and the medicine that given to the patient is within the law as there are few
drugs such as amphetamines, cocaine, heroin and so on. Those drugs known as illegal
due to it will cause unpredictable effect, dangerous, especially for people who don’t
have the knowledge about drugs.
The second role of pharmacist before COVID-19 pandemic is given a proper
explanation about the dosage of medicine to the patient. This is because different
amount of intake of medicine will bring effect to the patient health. For example,
dextromethorphan (DXM) is a cough suppressant which commonly found in cough
syrup, tablets, and gel capsule. If a person intake excessive of DXM than the dosage
given by the pharmacist will cause addiction toward the medicine. With a proper
explanation by the pharmacist this can prevent the patient to consume over dosage of
the medicine which can cause addiction or serious health problem.
The third role of pharmacist before COVID-19 pandemic is explained to the
customer or patient on how to store medicine in a proper place with correct condition.
This is due to there are varies type of medicine with different needed condition. Such
as temperature and moisture. Some medicine needs to store at the fridge at the
temperature between 2°C and 8°C such as insulins, eye drops and some creams. This
can prevent the wastage of medicine if the customer or patient are being guided by the
pharmacist and followed the guidance from pharmacist.
The fourth role of pharmacist before COVID-19 pandemic is provide services to
the patients. Services such as blood pressure measurement and cholesterol
management. Pharmacist will provide the ways and medicine to the patients which
will help them to control their blood pressure and cholesterol level. For example, for a
high blood pressure patient, pharmacist will advise the patient to exercise regularly,
have a healthy diet and give some medicine to reduce the blood pressure such as
amlodipine and nifedipine if the patient having a very high blood pressure.
There are a lot changes of roles of pharmacist during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pharmacist maximizing the efficiency of the health care system by providing direct
patient care and perform frontline duties. The first role of pharmacist during COVID-
19 is provide telehealth service to the patient. Due to the movement control order,
patients are restricted to stay in their hometown. This became a major problem when
they faced health issue in their hometown that need the help from pharmacist.
Through telehealth services, patients will know the health issue that happen on
themselves. For instance, pharmacist will guide the patient on what medicine that
available in the patient house that can be consume to reduce the symptoms of the
diseases.
The second role of pharmacist during COVID-19 pandemic is provide screening
services to the patients that have the symptoms of corona virus. This will reduce the
tension from the doctors in the hospital. The patient that suspected to have corona
virus also don’t have to go hospital for screening. This will also reduce the risk of
getting into the crowd of people when waiting for scanning in hospital
The third role of pharmacist during COVID-19 pandemic is clarify misconception
about corona virus to the patient. This is because some patients don’t have the correct
knowledge about this disease. For example, they though drinking hot water will kill
this virus and listen to the rumour that ivermectin will cure this disease. This will lead
to a very serious problem if they blindly what people said. So, pharmacist will clear
the doubt about the rumours and give proper guidance to the patient if he/she are
suspected to be having this disease. This is because pharmacist is a professional health
care that will provide right guidance to the patients.
The fourth role of pharmacist during COVID-19 pandemic is provide a
management of drugs in hospital. This is due to there are a lot of patients in the
hospital that need the drug to relieve the effect of Covid-19 virus. The separation of
medicine must be undergoing a series of conservation strategies to ensure that
sufficient medication supply to the patient especially the patient in ICU. So, this will
reduce the death rate of the patient due to there is enough supply of medicine for the
hospital.
In a nutshell, pharmacist plays a vital role whether before COVID-19 pandemic or
during COVID-19 pandemic. The role of pharmacist must be well known by other
peoples that pharmacy not just only dispense medicine. The COVID-19 pandemic had
changed people mindset that doctor is more professional than a pharmacist; doctor
and pharmacist is a same level professional which doctor in charge of surgery while
pharmacist in charge of medicine. Besides, during COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists
are still able to work compare to others occupation which had forced to close because
of movement control order that implement by the government. So, pharmacist is a job
that won’t be affected by any critical situation because there will be demand of
pharmacist by people every day.
References