PHARMACY BOARD OUTREACH 2022: KEY FINDINGS
Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone has in 2022 completed Outreach exercise for four institutions: Three Secondary Schools and One Religious Institution.
Names of Institutions engaged: Albert Academy Secondary School Government Model Secondary School AnnieWalsh Memorial Secondary School Central Mosque
Target Audience: SSS Pupils School Administration and Worshippers and the Clergy.
Consent: Consent was through School Administration in instances when SSS Pupils were engaged in Focus Group Discussions
Topics Covered: Mandate of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone Access to Medicines Rational Medicines Use Irrational Medicines Use Drug Misuse Drug Abuse Role of the Pharmacy Professional Cadre
Objectives:
Reinforce an understanding of the Board’s mandate and the mandate of Pharmacy Professionals
Deepen understanding of medicines the medicines use process drug peddling counterfeit and substandard medicines
- Initiate discussions around
pharmaceutical waste management to mitigate against climate change.
Methodology: Face-to-Face Key Informant Interviews Focus Group Discussions Assembly and Prayer Times Gathering
Emerging Themes from the Publics Perspective on the Legal Mandate of the Pharmacy Board and the Profession of Pharmacy
1. Awareness of the roles and functions of the Pharmacy Board and the Pharmacy Profession and the Pharmacy Professional as a trusted and respected Health care provider for school going children and their families 2. Interest in Pharmacy Board and Pharmacy as a career destination and to serve as active participants in enforcement of legislation on access to medicines and monitoring of use of medicines including prosecution for those who sell or misuse or abuse drugs or medicines 3. Unclarity of scope of the Pharmacy Board and what Pharmaceutical work entails and the roles and functions of the Pharmacy Professionals and its relative position and difference to other health professionals ( CHOs Physician Assistants Doctors Nurses Midwives SECHNs Physician Assistants Nursing Aides etc) 4. Exposure(heard about and/or bought and/or used heard about and/or bought and/or used 5. Acceptance of the Pharmacy Board amongst the interviewed/engaged population subsets. 6. Eagerness to explore Pharmacy and Pharmacy Professionals knowledge for clinical care and growth of the Pharmaceutical Sector to access information on medicines and on the legal mandate of the Board and Pharmacy Professionals and to better understand the Pharmacy and Drugs Act 2001 7. Recognition of the legitimacy of Pharmacy Professionals( Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians) and the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone 8.Exasperation with drug peddlers and drug peddling and the perpetuation of production and use of hard drugs 9. Willingness to escalate the information in their households and amongsts worshippers 10. Understanding of medicines misuse and/or abuse based on lived experiences identification of cough medicines and kush as commonly misused medicines 11. Understanding of the legal implications of drug peddling i.e police custody jail term etc adequate understanding of safe medicines use of drug counterfeiting and drug smuggling 12. Emphasis on accessing medicines from a trained and qualified Pharmacy Professional or a registered/licensed Pharmaceutical Premises 13.Colloquail ( Local dialect) understanding of side effect adverse drug reactions etc of medicines ( bad effect) 12. Lack of information and knowledge on pharmaceutical waste management
*School pupils also mentioned their exposure to the COVID-19
Vaccine Campaign by describing generally the COVID-19 vaccine or naming
specific vaccines such as Pfizer vaccine
and J &J vaccine*
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