WINDHOEK, June 14 — Namibian Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Esther Muinjangue sounded the alarm about the strain on pharmacists at public health facilities across the country due to overwhelming patient loads.
In a statement delivered at the 2024 Annual National Pharmaceutical Services Forum on Wednesday evening, Muinjangue shared insights gleaned from the Pharmaceutical Management Information System (PMIS), revealing troubling statistics.
According to the PMIS health facility indicators for the 2023/2024 financial year, the average number of prescriptions per dispenser per day is alarmingly high.
“In the same vein, the patient load per pharmacist in public hospitals is also high. Pharmacists in public hospitals handle an average of 50 to 60 patients per dispenser per day,” she said.
This workload, she emphasized, severely compromises the quality of care and hinders pharmacists’ ability to provide thorough patient counseling and follow-up.
The forum, attended by representatives from both the public and private sectors, served as a platform for collaboration and strategy development to improve pharmaceutical services nationwide.
Muinjangue emphasized the urgent need to better integrate pharmacy services into the broader health system to meet the challenges of high patient loads.
Despite the challenges highlighted, Muinjangue acknowledged significant achievements within the Directorate of Pharmaceutical Services, including successful policy implementation and improvements in forecasting and procurement processes.
She also commended the Directorate of Pharmaceutical Services for its achievements, including the successful revision of the Clinical Supplies Catalogue.
In her closing remarks, Muinjangue stressed the importance of ongoing capacity-building initiatives to empower pharmacists and improve the quality of pharmaceutical services in Namibia.
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