KUALA LUMPUR: Community pharmacists are urged to work together with the government, learn from each other, as well as guide Malaysians into the endemic phase as the nation prepares to live with Covid-19. Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said community pharmacists play an important role in the fight against Covid-19 as they are the primary point of care and gatekeepers of the nation’s healthcare system. “You are frontlining it... when doctors and hospitals, those in the front line of healthcare are overburdened, the next in line must step in, and these are our community pharmacists. Khairy said that self-test kits are another important area where community pharmacists come in, where along with other healthcare facilities, pharmacies are the proper channels to buy self-test kits from. He said community pharmacists can educate the public on how to use the self-test kits – its storage and disposal – providing follow-up and counselling once the results are out, and advising clients on the differences between the brands.

Source: The Star September 25, 2021 22:07 UTC