Dear Dean and my dear colleagues;
This day, May 14th named Scientific Pharmacy Day is celebrated in our country as the anniversary of the commencement of pharmacy education. As of May 14th of 1968, it is celebrated as the National Day of Pharmacy. Pharmacy education started for the first time on May 14, 1839, at Mektebi Tıbbiye-i Adliye-i Şahane, the Regulations on Pharmacists and Pharmacies entered into law in 1953 and the pharmaceutical profession is still practiced according to this policies.
Pharmacy is one of the professions that have special importance and place for our healthcare service, on the most important day of our pharmacists, preserving its existence and functionality as one of the most important players in the treatment process in the struggle with diseases. Pharmacists continue to be indispensable in our healthcare system, just like before.
In this context, with the law passed last year, pharmacy has been redefined not only as a commercial establishment and responsible directorate but also as a 'health service provider' responsible for all stages from the production to distribution of the drug. With the regulation published under the law of the Ministry of Health, our pharmacies and pharmacists are included in the scope of primary healthcare workers.
In addition, the Covid-19 struggle that has taken place recently, has brought a great responsibility. In this context, Pharmacists have once again demonstrated how accurate the definition of the closest health advisor to the public is with their experience and success. In addition to the Covid-19 struggle, they continue to deliver prescriptions of our chronic patients without any problems. They give advice on the simple ailments of our patients who cannot reach physicians and continue to follow our chronic patients.
The efforts and success of our Pharmacists since 2014 to reduce the burden of the healthcare system are admirable. Despite the increase in workload, they have contributed greatly to health care system and continue to do so by showing an example of ethical behavior by distributing over 80 million masks to our citizens. “Pharmacists are one of the first points of communication between patients and the healthcare system and play a key role in alerting and guiding patients regarding COVID-19 disease.
Like all other healthcare workers on the front line, our Pharmacists have a high risk of getting infected with the virus and need protection.
Currently, there is no drug shortage in the face of this epidemic, nevertheless, we cannot ignore a possible supply cut in the coming months regarding the situation we are facing. In this regard, I heartily believe that pharmacists will continue to do their best to ensure that all patients have access to medications.
As a Pharmacist, my wish is to make the most of freelance pharmacy practice to meet the needs of patients and to ensure that services continue. Considering the possibility of drug deficit or worsening of the deficit, pharmacists should be allowed to produce fast, effective and safe solutions by means of preparing disinfectants and cleaners when appropriate.
In this unprecedented public health emergency, the wide network of pharmacists standing by the public plays a vital role in supporting local communities. Freelance pharmacists should be supported by providing high quality, reliable information to the public, preventing unnecessary fears, and try to alleviate the burden on the rest of the health system.
The pharmaceutical profession, which is one of the oldest professions known since the earliest dates of human existence, takes on an extremely sacred task of improving human health.
Pharmacists who constantly follow the developments in the world for the protection and continuation of public health are members of a professional group whose capital is only their own labor. As a proven professional organization, it will continue to serve humanity with a strong organic link that cannot be torn between patients, and human health-centered services.
I firmly believe that they will continue to grow their love and excitement for the new generation of professions, who always look forward to the future, for the continuity of healthy generations, which are powered by a thousand years of history.
With these feelings and thoughts, I congratulate the day and present my love and respect to all our pharmacists who are always in touch with the public and fulfill a very important health service.
Dr Dogan Üvey
Pharmacy History and Ethics