{"id":9804,"date":"2015-06-19T15:45:27","date_gmt":"2015-06-19T22:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sop.washington.edu\/?p=9804"},"modified":"2017-01-04T15:44:48","modified_gmt":"2017-01-04T23:44:48","slug":"innovative-pharmacy-training-does-a-world-of-good-in-malawi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staff.washington.edu\/twentzel\/wordpress\/innovative-pharmacy-training-does-a-world-of-good-in-malawi\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovative Pharmacy Training Does a World of Good in Malawi"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Pharmacy Assistants Graduate, Improving Patient Care at Critically Understaffed Rural Health Centers<\/h4>\n
\"Pharmacy
Pharmacy Assistant student attending to patients during practicum training in rural pharmacies in Malawi Photo: Village Reach<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When most of us think of our local pharmacy, we take certain things for granted. We expect that the medications prescribed to us will be in stock and that the well-educated pharmacist staff will give us clear instructions on how to take them, along with any appropriate warnings or side effects of which we need to be aware.<\/p>\n

In other parts of the world, those basic assumptions are not the norm. In remote villages, it can be difficult to ensure essential medications are kept in stock and re-supplied as needed. Often there aren\u2019t dedicated, trained pharmacy personnel, nor bottles and labels to dispense medications; pills, if they are in stock, might be wrapped in newspaper or plastic bags with little or no verbal instructions given.<\/p>\n

Malawi College of Health Sciences, VillageReach, University of Washington and the Malawi Ministry of Health Collaborate<\/h4>\n

An innovative Pharmacist Assistant training program in Malawi seeks to change that norm. On June 19, 2015 in Lilongwe, Malawi, the first cohort of students graduated the program\u2014the result of a collaboration between the Malawi Ministry of Health, the U.S. Government through the USAID | Deliver Project, the Malawi College of Health Sciences, University of Washington Global Medicines Program, and Seattle-based NGO VillageReach.<\/p>\n

\"Malawi
Malawi Pharmacy Assistant Graduation Ceremony Photo: Village Reach<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The program produces a dedicated cadre of individuals with enhanced training in medicines management and supply chain practices who will eventually support each of Malawi\u2019s 650 rural health centers. Through this new program, students are trained to dispense life-saving medications and provide patients with essential advice, and\u00a0also gain the skills to effectively manage inventory to ensure a well-functioning supply chain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Pharmacy Assistants will go a long way to improve the quality of health service delivery in rural areas, as well as strengthening health systems in the country through improved medicines information management that the government can rely on and use to serve people better,\u201d says Albert Khuwi, Health Technical Support Services Deputy Director for the Malawi Ministry of Health.<\/p>\n

Visionary Approach to Address Pharmacy Worker Shortages<\/h4>\n

During the two-year program, students complete two five-month practicums in district hospitals and rural health centers, in addition to the classroom-based learning. The emphasis in practical experience allows students to make an almost immediate impact in rural pharmacies where overburdened and undertrained personnel struggle to meet the demands placed on them. Initial results showed an 80% reduction in clinician time spent on logistics in health facilities with Pharmacy Assistant students, allowing health workers to devote more time to patient care.<\/p>\n

Additionally, when a Pharmacy Assistant is working in a health center, the following measures may improve:<\/p>\n