To further explore the delivery of HIV/AIDS services in the community pharmacies, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), on Tuesday trained 70 community pharmacists to provide HIV/AIDS testing and medication therapy management.
Director, South-West zonal office of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Mrs Yejide Oseni, introducing the training at the PCN secretariat said this was imperative in Nigeria’s attainment of the United Nations 90:90:90 goals on HIV.
According to Mrs Oseni, community pharmacists as healthcare professionals, most accessible to the public can play complementary roles in the prevention and treatment of HIV infection.
She declared that a baseline assessment of community pharmacists involvement in provision of HIV/AIDS services in Oyo State found only 21 per cent provide HIV test services, 63.8 per cent does not offer rapid HIV testing and 59.5 per cent does not refill antiretroviral medications.
Mrs Oseni, however, assured that the training will tackle barriers to integrating HIV/AIDS services and activities into daily pharmacy practice identified in the state.
According to her, “community pharmacists will have the opportunity to provide medication for stable patients and reduce patient waiting time in public health facilities to improve patient adherence to medication.
“It will contribute immensely to the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals by the year 2020. The contribution to the first 90 (90 per cent of HIV/AIDS clients will know their status) will be directly affected by the HIV testing and counselling aspect.
“The strong referral component of this training will help the second 90(90 per cent of people who are positive are placed on highly active anti-retroviral therapy) and remotely, the third 90(90 per cent of people on the drug will achieve viral suppression.”
Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Oyo State branch, Mr Abiodun Ajibade said pharmacists’ potential had not been fully utilised, as such tasking shifting this role to them will engender an improved health index in the country.
Mr Ajibade said the Federal Government should adopt community pharmacies as primary healthcare centres to further improve assess to healthcare, especially at the grass roots.
According to him, “With over 4,000 retail outlets manned by community pharmacists in Nigeria added to the existing PHCs in Nigeria, you are assured that our health index will soar high.”
Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Mr Olugbenga Oguntoye, said the training would make the pharmacists more patient-centred and urged increased collaboration among professionals to move the health sector forward.
Mr Oguntoye said they should be suspicious of HIV when patients repeatedly come to complain of malaria or of feeling unwell over and again.
UCH’s head of unit for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS, Mrs Yetunde Afolabi said the involvement of community pharmacies in HIV testing and counselling would improve the coverage of HIV testing and counselling.