Prescription drugs: handle with care
02 September 2024
September is Pharmacy Month, and the 25th is World Pharmacists Day. The theme this year focuses on the role of pharmacists in meeting global health needs.
Pharmacists are trained in all matters related to medication – from storage, handling and preparation, to dispensing and administering.
They are also the authority on dosage, interactions and side effects of medications used to treat health conditions.
City Health has 37 Pharmacists and 77 Post Basic Pharmacist assistants, who dispensed more than 7,3 million items of medication in the last financial year.
Some of them are representing the City at the 82nd annual World Congress of Pharmaceutical Sciences, being held on South African soil for the first time this year, and focusing on Innovations in Future Healthcare.
'Pharmacists are actively involved in the treatment and management of health conditions and putting patients on the road to recovery. I don't think we often fully appreciate their role in the public health arena. And, if we're honest, I don't think all of us appreciate the importance of medication and following the instructions that come with it. As we commemorate Pharmacy Month, let's acknowledge our pharmacists' contribution to public health, and start doing more to improve our own health outcomes, by taking the advice, and our medication, as prescribed,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services, Councillor Patricia Van der Ross.
One of the biggest risks to public health is antimicrobial resistance, caused in part by the incorrect or overuse of antimicrobial medicines such antibiotics; antivirals and antifungals.
This causes bacteria; viruses and fungi to change over time, and no longer respond to medicines.
It is for this reason that antimicrobials are prescribed only when absolutely necessary.
City Health encourages the public to use medication precisely as prescribed, not to share medication with others, and not to mix medication and other substances, like alcohol.
Unused or expired medication should be returned to the pharmacy to be securely disposed of and to prevent environmental contamination and reduce the risk of accidental ingestion.
Improper disposal poses significant risks, including accidental ingestion by children and pets, leading to potential overdose or poisoning. Additionally, expired medication can be misused, contributing to medicine abuse and increasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
