Anita Bujanić (Health Hub): „Advocating for Health & Profession – What is the Policy Moonshot for Pharmacists? (Kosovo Congress of Pharmacy 2024)“
his article is a summary of lecture „Advocating for health & profession – What is the policy moonshot for pharmacists?” from Kosovo Congress of Pharmacy 2024. Topic will cover postpandemic opportunities for pharmacy profession to take its recognition and roles within initiatives in (re)building sustainable and resilient healthcare systems.
„Pharmacy strengthens health systems” was the theme of last year’s World Pharmacists’ Day, organized by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). At a time when health systems around the world are recovering from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and when there is a general consensus that urgent joint action is needed to ensure that health services meet the future needs of communities, World Pharmacists Day with this slogan was an opportunity to strengthen awareness of pharmacists as intelligent solution for healthcare systems that are between therapeutic innovations in healthcare and the patients.[i]
ANITA BUJANIĆ, MA Pharm, MA Health Management is the Founder & CEO of HEALTH HUB (1st regional think tank for Healthcare and Healthcare Industry).
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic put an unprecedented strain on the EU’s health systems and revealed a number of vulnerabilities, even in the best-performing Member States. Consequently, in 2020, in the framework of the European Semester, all Member States received country-specific recommendations (CSRs) in the area of health policy (up from around half of Member States in 2019). To address these recommendations, and their health systems’ weaknesses, all the Member States have envisaged investment and reform measures adapted to their national contexts, and included them in their National Recovery and Resilience Plans. Despite differences, the NRRPs reveal a number of common themes. These include the need to expand healthcare infrastructure, modernise primary care, address staff shortages, and – not least – digitalise health services. Taken together, these measures are expected to make national healthcare sectors more robust and efficient. [ii] Several NRRPs mentioned specifically pharmacy profession and pharmaceutical services, and Croatia offers several excellent examples like monitoring treatment outcomes for chronic patients, mobile pharmacies, digitalization of medicfine pathway on secondary and tertiary healthcare level, or tracking medicines shortages.
The PHSSR’s 2023 Summary Report from London School of Economics and partner institution, explored challenges facing health services around the world, actionable recommendations and best practices across countries. Overall, the report’s findings underscore the need for both system resilience in the face of shocks and stresses, and sustainability amid longer-term demographic, social, technological, economic and environmental changes. Some of the priority recommendations from the Summary Report include adoption of long-term health system budget planning that addresses social, economic and environmental factors and workforce needs, execution of integrated non-communicable disease strategies that prioritise prevention and early detection , improvement of working conditions, and expanded training to ensure ‘skill-mixes’ are incorporated in the delivery of care, utilization of new technologies to reduce hospitalisations and improve access to high quality, innovative care and reducing socioeconomic inequalities through a “Health in all policies” approach[iii]. PHSSR is one of excellent reports for sustainable and resilient health systems, but most of them do not actually mention or recognize the potential of pharmaceutical care and pharmacy profession in transforming and (re)building healthcare of new generation, so we need to take a much proactive role in advocation our profession among high level policy-, strategy- and decision- makers.
New challenges were faced by the healthcare providers in every aspect of their professions. Yet, pharmacists played a pivotal role in maintaining the integrity and balance within the health care system by shouldering new responsibilities and adapting their practices to accommodate the increased demand in the medical services during the pandemic. Indeed, pharmaceutical care has been seriously affected by the global health crisis. This made pharmacists more dedicated to play key roles in its management and in supporting the healthcare system. Pharmacists in the community pharmacies act as the first point of contact between patients and the healthcare system, especially in times of global lockdown, thus, their work was very supportive for all; the public, health care professionals and the government.[iv]
As global leaders during World Economic Forum quoted, health systems were already reaching a crisis point before the pandemic – from ageing populations and the rise in non-communicable diseases to staffing shortages and vast inequities to access quality healthcare. So, today even more so, there remains an urgent need to transform health and healthcare systems and how care is delivered.[v]
Timely engagement and ongoing commitment of pharmacy associations in policy dialogues, support and promotion of pharmaceutical care best practices, leadership roles within health ecosystem, proactive participation of pharmacists in public health initiatives and media campaigns, empowerment of pharmacists with additional (sub)specializations, embracing new ideas and digital mindset – these are all important pieces of the puzzle that will reflect „moonshot“ for pharmacists… and leave our profession among the stars…
ANITA BUJANIĆ, MA Pharm, MA Health Management is the Founder & CEO of HEALTH HUB (1st regional think tank for Healthcare and Healthcare Industry). Experienced in governmental / public policy affairs, EU public health policies, healthcare / eHealth consulting, international business missions and multi-stakeholder engagements on national and international level. Recognized for bringing many international initiatives and public health projects to Croatia and advocating for Croatian expertise on EU level. Involved in many successful projects that promote and support innovations in EU, highlighting European fight against cancer, vaccines confidence, sustainable financing of healthcare systems, EU actions on health, improving public health and health systems performance, development of Patient Support Programmes and integrated care. International experience in patient relationship management, advocacy for successful utilization of data science and digital transformation of healthcare systems nationally and on EU level. References and engagement in many projects within Croatian Pharmaceutical Society, with focus on promoting role of pharmacists within healthcare system.
REFERENCES //
[i] https://www.healthhub.hr/special-editorial-stories-behind-officinae-mohamed-hammam-pfizer-we-strongly-supports-the-need-to-expand-pharmacists-scope-of-work-to-help-meet-the-public-health-need/
[ii] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2023)753932
[iii] https://www.phssr.org/phssr_summaryreport
[iv] Kharaba Z, Moutraji SA, Khawaldeh RAA, Alfoteih Y, Meslamani AZA. What has changed in the pharmaceutical care after COVID-19: Pharmacists’ perspective. Pharm Pract (Granada). 2022 Apr-Jun;20(2):2656. doi: 10.18549/PharmPract.2022.2.2656. Epub 2022 Jun 1. PMID: 35919794; PMCID: PMC9296094.
[v] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/4-healthcare-leaders-global-health-systems-davos23/
