Development of pharmacy and

pharmacy setting in Ethiopia

 Foreign traders and Christian missionaries
used to bring different medicines into
Ethiopia starting from 16th century
 Emperor Minilik II could be regarded as the
first “importer and distributor” of drugs
 He received drugs used for ailments
 No clear report on when pharmacy started in
Ethiopia
 “Pharmazie la Gorgie” the first pharmacy
giving service to the general public (in
nov,1911) was established by Dr. Merab
 At the time there were also other
pharmaceutical suppliers
 Most European and Indian grocery store at
this time stocked popular medicines.
 Like; iodide of potassium, pills, quinine,
castor oil, Epsom salts and antiseptic cotton
 By early 1930s Ethiopians started to take part
in the role of pharmacy
 The first legislation regulating the work of the
doctor, pharmacist, midwife and veterinarian
was promulgated in July 18,1930
 The legislation gave exclusive right of
dispensing & stocking drugs to those with
formal medical training
 School of pharmacy was established in 1961-
1962 (1954 EC) in Addis Ababa University.
 It was re-organized once in 1978-79
 Ethiopian pharmaceutical association(EPA)
was formed officially in November 1974 with
40 members
 Jimma Institute of Health Sciences was
undertaking undergraduate training at
diploma since September 1985 & B.Pharm
program Since September 2001
 Currently more than 8 public & a number of
private academic institution provide
pharmacy training in different level through
out the nation.
 Types of pharmacy settings in
Ethiopia
A) Pharmacy
Managed under the responsibility of a
registered and licensed pharmacist
Minimum experience of three years
 Only established in a place where there is at
least one hospital giving services to the public
B) Drug store /Animal drug store
 Managed under the responsibility of a
registered druggist or veterinary doctor
 At least three years of experience
Established in a place where there is at
least one health center/animal clinic
giving service
C) Rural drug vendors/ animal rural drug
vendor
Managed under the responsibility of a
registered pharmacy technician or
assistant veterinary doctor
At least three years of experience
Established in a place where there is at
least one health center or clinic/animal
clinic managed by an assistant
veterinary physician
ROLE OF PHARMACISTS IN THE
HEALTH CARE DELIVERY
 INTRODUCTION
Pharmacists in the health care delivery works
as a member of the health care team
The health care team is a group of people who
share a common health goal and common
objectives, determined by community needs,
to the achievement of which each member of
the team contributes in accordance with
his /her competence and skill and in
coordination with the functions of others.
The health care team consists of the patient
and all the health care professionals who have
responsibility for patient care.
ROLE OF PHARMACIST IN THE HEALTH CARE
TEAM
Pharmacists are active members of the patient
care team their roles include
Ensuring adequate and sustainable supply
of essential drugs
Maintaining drugs and medical supplies in
suitable environment
Conducting prospective drug utilization
review before dispensing medications to
patients
Providing information on the dispensed
medications and OTC
Provision of drug information service for
patient & health care team
 NEW ROLES
Attending patients round and taking patients
medication history
Preparing pharmacotherapy plan with other
responsible health care professionals
Involving in all processes of care concerning
with patients’ medication including
 Product selection
 Regimen review (dose, frequency and
duration)
 Ensuring safe medication administration
 Monitoring for desired therapeutic outcomes
 Identifying & avoiding medication errors &
adverse drug events, etc.
Ensuring the optimal, safe and cost effective
use of medication
Educating patients about their discharge
medications
To be effective health care team members,
pharmacists need skills and attitudes
enabling them to assume many different
functions
The concept of the “seven-star pharmacist”
was introduced by WHO in 2000 to enhance
the role of pharmacists in the health care
delivery
Pharmacists should assume the following
functions to be effective in the health care
team
I) Caregiver:
Pharmacists provide caring services.
They must view their practice as integrated
and continuous with those of the health care
system and other health professionals.
 Services must be of the highest quality.
II) Decision-maker:
Requires the ability to evaluate, synthesize
data and information and decide upon the
most appropriate course of action.
The pharmacist should be able to make
decision on the appropriate, efficient, safe
and cost-effective use of resources (e.g.,
personnel, medicines, chemicals, equipment,
procedures, and practices)
At the local and national levels,
pharmacists play a role in setting
medicines policy.
III) Communicator:
Involves verbal and non-verbal
The pharmacist is in an ideal position to
provide a link between prescriber and
patient, and to communicate
information on health and medicines to
the public.
He or she must be knowledgeable and
confident while interacting with other
health professionals and the public
IV) Manager:
Pharmacists must be able to manage
resources (human, physical and financial) and
information effectively
This function is very important in
maintaining sustainable supply of
medications and equipments
V) Life-long-learner:
It is impossible to acquire in pharmacy school
all the knowledge and experience needed to
pursue a life-long career as a pharmacist
Pharmacists should learn how to keep their
knowledge and skills up to date.
The commitment to life-long learning
must begin while attending pharmacy
school and must be supported
throughout the pharmacist’s career.
VI) Teacher:
The pharmacist has a responsibility to assist
with the education and training of future
generations of pharmacists and the public.
Participating as a teacher not only
imparts knowledge to others, it offers an
opportunity for the practitioner to gain new
knowledge and to fine-tune existing skills.
VII) Leader:
Leadership involves compassion and
empathy as well as vision and the ability
to make decisions, communicate, and
manage effectively.
In multidisciplinary (e.g., team) caring
situations the pharmacist is obligated to
assume a leadership position in the
overall welfare of the patient and the
community.
 The function of the pharmacist as a
researcher was later on added.
COMMON DEPARTMENT’S OF PHARMACY
1) Pharmacology and therapeutics
It deals with how drugs interact within
biological system to affect function of the
body
 It includes
 Pharmacology, Pharmacotherapy,
 Pharmacoepidemiology, Pharmaco
economics,
 Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics
 Toxicology, Pharmacogenomics
2) Pharmacognosy
It is the study of natural products (plant,
animals, mineral in nature) in crude
form used as drug or for the preparation
of drugs
Crude drugs are the dried, unprepared
material of plant, animal or mineral
origin used for medicine
 It Includes
Pharmacognosy ,
Chemistry of Natural Product
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
3) Pharmaceutics
It deals with the conversion of chemicals that
are natural, synthetic or semi synthetic into
medication or dosage forms.
It Includes
 Physical Pharmacy, Pharmaceutics
Immunological and biological products
 Industrial pharmacy
4) Pharmaceutical chemistry
It is also involved in the synthesis and semi
synthesis of drugs & in the quality control
process
It Includes
 Medicinal Chemistry, P/cal Analysis
5) Pharmacy practice
It deals the practical principles of
the pharmacy profession in various
pharmacy practice settings
It Includes
Drug informatics
Communication skills for
pharmacists
Pharmacy law and ethics
Pharmacy practice
CAREER IN PHARMACY PRACTICE
1) Community Pharmacy

Role to dispense pharmaceuticals

Providing information about OTC & POM
drugs
Provide advice about home health supplies
and durable medical equipment
2) Health System Pharmacy
It is the practice of pharmacy in private and
government owned hospital, health
maintenance organization, clinics, and
nursing home
The Role of Pharmacist in this area:-
 Dispense medications
Prepare sterile solutions
Advise other professionals and
patients on the use of drugs
Monitor drug regimens
Evaluate drug use
Advise other professionals on the
selection & effects of drugs
Providing clinical pharmacy service
 
3)Nuclear Pharmacy
 Produce radioactive drugs used for diagnosis
and therapy
4) Industrial Pharmacy
Pharmacists holds responsibility for:-
production & quality control supervisory
position
Clinical research scientists and
development personnel
Marketing and administration
Works as a promoter & sales for their
company products
 PHARMACISTS IN INDUSTRY
Pharmacists in industry can have the
following positions:
I) Industry Sale
The sale representative usually calls up on
physician, pharmacists, nurses, and in some
cases, dentists and veterinarians.
The objective of this call is to provide the
various professional audiences with enough
comprehensive information on a product to
encourage the products appropriate use by
the health care provider.
II) Marketing
Pharmaceutical marketing jobs are
varied and interesting.
The marketing department is
responsible for developing and
implementing marketing plans to
promote the company’s product to the
appropriate audiences.
The marketing department will work on
promotional materials by using portfolio
The marketing department will develop
materials for product launches &
organize conferences & exhibitions.
They will also need to look after
advertising; websites; the company
internet; newsletters; direct mailers;
market research, analysis and
intelligence; and forecast of the
product life cycle.
Importantly, it is the marketing
department that will work with
other managers to develop the
selling materials
Most marketing departments are
composed of;
A) Marketing strategy
Which is responsible for anticipating
and developing products and services to
meet the need of market place in the
long term.
B) Product management-
 which oversees the overall marketing
plan for a specific product, and is
responsible for profit or losses
generated by that product.
C) Life cycle management-
Which evaluate new uses for the
products and supports research to
study these uses, leading to new
indication.
D) Promotion
which develops the promotional
piece for the product
III) Research and development
Pharmacists in the industry are engaged
in research and development of
New drugs or New indication
 Dosage forms for existing products.
Health economics research is another
area for evaluating cost effectiveness of
new medicine
Research on patient reported outcomes
is also very important to companies as
they evaluate their products
IV) Production And Quality Control
A) Pharmacists in production
Pharmacists working in production
often serve in
Managerial position.
 Manage needs and planning for plant
facilities, equipment, and personnel who
will be needed to meet the company’s
goals.
Establishing and administering
manufacturing procedures
Also responsible controls to ensure that
production of high quality products
ROLE OF PHARMACISTS IN GOVERNMENT
SECTORE
Pharmacists can be involved in different
governmental sectors;
A) Administration and drug management
B) Health and drug policy
Participate in formulating policies on the
selection, procurement and distribution of
drugs.
Participate in the preparation of pharmacopoeia
and other official documents.
C) Management
Pharmacists are responsible for DSM which
includes( Selection, Procurement,
distribution & Use)
D) Regulatory and enforcement agencies
In regulatory agencies pharmacist are
concerned with
Approval
Registration
Quality control of drugs, cosmetics
and medical devices. E.g. FMHACA
Pharmacists in enforcement agencies
control
The distribution of drugs through
lawful and illicit channels
Inspect of the manufacture, importation,
distribution and sale of drugs.