Kenyan pharmacists pledge support to universal healthcare coverage

The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya has affirmed local pharmacists' support of national universal health coverage.

Louis Machogu, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, said local pharmacists are set to support the national government's efforts to facilitate universal coverage.

The Kenyan government has committed to guarantee all citizens access to affordable healthcare through the universal health coverage pillar of the Big four Agenda.

Under the pilot program, four counties including Kisumu, Nyeri, Isiolo and Machakos, are offering residents access to health services and essential medicines in primary and secondary care hospitals.

The health services range from emergency services, child health services, maternal health services, mental health services, and infectious disease management.

This is in addition to non-communicable disease management, inpatient and outpatient services and community health services, in public health facilities.

Machogu said local pharmacists will be on hand to provide efficient pharmaceutical supply and prescription management systems to complement clinical interventions at county and national levels.

He said quality healthcare systems, including access to pharmacists, can help prevent up to 58 percent of deaths currently attributed to major drivers of excess mortality across Kenya, from cardiovascular diseases and injuries to neonatal and communicable disorders.

"The role of a pharmacist as a statutory regulated professional in the health delivery ecosystem cannot be ignored as it provides the bridge for effective and quality-based clinical outcomes through the dispensing of appropriate medicines," he said.

While cautioning patients to avoid self-medication, which is negatively impacting the efficacy of pharmaceutical products, Machogu petitioned the government to prioritize access to affordable and quality-assured pharmaceutical products as part of the national universal health coverage plans.

George Onyango, general manager of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Kenya, said his company believes that pharmacists form an integral part of the patient's "circle of trust".

"This circle of trust is made up of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, the pharmaceutical industry and other stakeholders who work together to make the patient feel better," he said.

Globally, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) believes that structured, collaborative action on universal health coverage is needed to meet the shared goals of expanding patient access to medicines through innovative solutions, and achieving long-term sustainability of the health sector.

Universal health coverage is part of the Kenyan government's four-part, five-year development plan, known as the "Big Four Agenda".

The government plans to grow the manufacturing sector to 15 percent of gross domestic product, provide affordable housing by constructing 500,000 new houses and achieve 100 percent food and nutrition security.