Pharmacists Advocate Regulation Of Online Pharmacies

The African Pharmaceutical Forum has called on drug regulators in Africa to enact laws to guide the practice of internet-based pharmacy in the continent.

The APF President, Dr Prosper Hiag, made the call during the 2021 Hybrid Regional Workshop of the association held in Lagos.

The workshop was themed, ‘Technological Innovations for Pharmacy in Africa amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.’

Hiag lamented the indiscriminate online advertisement and sale of both over-the-counter and prescription medicines, saying drug regulatory authorities in the continent should step up the enforcement of necessary laws on advertisement and sales of medicines.

“The viral pandemic has led to an increase in the use of technological innovations in the pharmaceutical sector.

“The pandemic has also provided African countries the opportunity to develop local information technology-driven solutions that can help them reach and serve patients better,” Hiag said.

The keynote speaker, Dr. John Marfo, of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana urged pharmacists to be more proactive in using technological innovation to improve their services.

He said, “Pharmacists must also embrace the lessons learnt during the pandemic, especially in the area of digital knowledge. The survival of pharmacists and pharmacies depends largely on how pharmacy practitioners leverage technology for growth.

“The use of some digital apps aided communication of pharmacists with clients tremendously in the heat of the COVID-19 lockdown when physical meetings were restricted; some of the apps could be appropriately adapted and adopted by practitioners.”

He stressed the need for the adoption of technological innovations in the logistics and supply chain of medicines, adding that it would help address the problem of uncoordinated drug distribution channels in many African countries.

Marfo also urged the African Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agencies and Academic Institutions to ensure that the training of pharmacy students and practitioners was in tandem with current and appropriate technological innovations.