World Pharmacy Month

Question one
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Nkatoko Freddy Makola. I am a clinical pharmacist based at Life Carstenhof Hospital and Life Carstenview. I have been with Life Healthcare for almost three years now. My role as a clinical pharmacist in the hospital is to liaise with the multidisciplinary team to tailor individualised pharmaceutical care for our patients.
Even though my role is broad, I have a keen interest in antimicrobial stewardship, which ties in well with the theme of this year’s pharmacy month.

Question two
What is pharmacy month?

World Pharmacy Month is dedicated to recognising and celebrating the essential role pharmacists play in healthcare systems. It features World Pharmacists Day on 25 September each year. Organised by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), this day highlights the significant contributions pharmacists make to improving global health. This year at Life Healthcare, we’re promoting the pivotal role that pharmacy has in prevention through collaboration with our healthcare partners to ensure prevention improves patient outcomes.

Question three

How can pharmacists and pharmacy teams focus on prevention for better patient outcomes?
Through partnerships with patients, quality teams and multidisciplinary teams, our pharmacy teams enhance medication safety, reduce errors and provide pharmaceutical expertise. The focus is also on antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention, patient counselling and education, underscored by the importance of reducing medication waste and promoting hand hygiene – all aimed at delivering patient-centred, quality care.

Question four
What is antimicrobial stewardship, and how is it associated with prevention practices?

Antimicrobrials are crucial in treating infections and preventing the spread of diseases and include agents such as antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is a global programme that is aimed at promoting appropriate utilisation of antimicrobials, through a variety of strategies and interventions to combat the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR refers to when microorganisms or pathogens, which cause infections, develop tolerance or resistance to the available antimicrobial agents, making it difficult to treat the infections with existing agents such as antibiotics. We have a robust AMR programme at Life Healthcare to ensure we contribute to antimicrobial stewardship best practice and prevention which work together to combat AMR.

Question five

What is Life Healthcare doing for Pharmacy Month?
As part of our commitment towards continuous learning for employees, Life Carstenhof Hospital started off our activities by providing our nursing colleagues with a pharmacy education session by means of a quiz. This was a fun way for them to be reminded about the role that pharmacy has in prevention through collaboration with our healthcare partners to ensure prevention improves patient outcomes.
To create awareness about pharmacy as a career option and how pharmacists positively impact patients in a hospital setting, we hosted thirty grade 11 and 12 learners from a nearby.

Pharmacists within our hospitals go beyond merely dispensing medication; they serve as trusted advisors to both patients and multidisciplinary healthcare teams to elevate the quality of care and enhance patient outcomes. It is with this in mind that we will conclude Pharmacy Month with a breakfast event to recognise the pharmacy staff at Life Carstenhof Hospital for their positive contributions to patient care.