Happy World Pharmacist Day!

Dear Pharmacists around the world, 

Happy World Pharmacist Day!

Probably you may know a pharmacist who works only in a hospital or a pharmacy that in fact, we are everywhere. Pharmacists have a wide role in society. We can work in industries specifically pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Moreover, in Indonesia, it is an obligation and also has already stated in Indonesian Law to have minimum 1 pharmacist in cosmetics industry, and minimum 3 pharmacists in pharmaceutical industry. We have important role to keep the quality of the products which means, the said industries cannot run without pharmacists. 

In industry, there are pharmacists who create the system to build the quality, there are pharmacists who involve in the production to make sure all the processes are fixed to the procedure, there are pharmacists who control the quality by checking the raw materials before the production of after the production, there are also pharmacists who monitor the products after release. 

Not only that, even we can work in the office, such as in government related to food and drugs regulation, they work by giving service for owner of manufacture to help them register their products and make sure only products which are fit to the standards are approved. The approval given, will also help the owner to convince the people that their products are useful and safe.  

Pharmacists of course can also work in research institution, there, they also have broad scope of research. Pharmacists can involve in the research related to plants, to investigate the existence of active substance inside some plants which may be useful for humankind, they can involve in drugs synthetic and design to create synthetic compound by mimicking the natural compound or sometimes they may put additional features to improve the biological activity. Some of them also may do research on the effect of specific compound towards the efficacy of the treatment of some diseases, and so on. The role of pharmacists in research field is truly broad.  

A pharmacist also can work in patent agency who helps the inventor to register and maintain their patent related to pharmacy or life sciences. The research result done by the pharmacists, the invention which contains big impact to the society, must be patented. Therefore, here there is another pharmacists who help the inventor to deliver the invention and disclose it to the government, in order to get the patent granted. 

Wherever pharmacists work, we have the same basic knowledge which is useful for everyone who needs information related to drugs. What makes me unhappy is, until now in Indonesia, still, the majority of the people do not aware of the existence of pharmacists. 

A simple example, when you go to the pharmacy, are you expecting the person who give you the medicine to inform you of the detail of the drugs you bought? I believe, no. Because I did. The fact is, in every pharmacy, there must be minimum 1 pharmacist who stands by, not only to deliver the drugs but also to deliver the information of the drugs, related to how to consume it, what is the indication of the drugs, the side effects and other specific information of the drugs. Not stop only that mentioned, the pharmacist should also monitor the use of the drugs. 

Some information about the drugs is already stated on the label of the packages. But, do you aware of it? Some of them may be aware, but some of you may not, specifically, when you only buy 1 strip of the tablet, you may not get the label. In addition, more specific information may not be stated in the label, so here is the role of the pharmacist to explain what is hidden. 

For example, if you buy a suppository that in fact, you need to insert into your anus/vagina, not to be swallowed. However, you don't know it and fatally you swallow it just because you recognize the form of the drugs similar to the drugs you usually use by swallowing them. Another example, you may consume a tablet then make your urine color red and you are surprised and recognize it as the blood coming as well, that in fact, if you are given the information of the drugs properly you will understand that the red color is just the side effect when consuming the tablet and coming from specific safe compounds excreted from your kidney which is not the blood. 

In my opinion, the reason why someone at the pharmacy gives you the drugs without mentioning the information in detail, the person may not be the pharmacist, only the cashier. That is the reality, so dear owner of the pharmacy, please subject to the provision from the government, to have the pharmacist standby all the operational time and be exist in giving the information. This role is important for society. And also dear pharmacist friends in pharmacy, I support you all and hope your knowledge given to everyone who visits your pharmacy becomes blessings for you. 

As well as for other pharmacists who do not work directly with patients or buyers, let's contribute to society by also giving our knowledge to anyone who needs the information or if you find someone in need, do not hesitate to help them giving the information of the drugs. 

"Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity" -Hippocrates