GREEN ISLAND, Hanover — Government Minister Audrey Marks says she is looking forward to working with the pharmaceutical sector to resolve pressing industry challenges including the near 60-year-old legislation that currently governs operations in that sector here.

“It’s time for us to review those processes and upgrade the environment in which they operate. And when you look at the fact that we have 1,500 registered pharmacies in Jamaica, it’s an important network in our health-care infrastructure,” Marks, the Minister of Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, assured Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica (PSJ) President Dr Tyrone Smith.

Her comments came as the Jamaica Observer spoke with them both, last Friday, following Marks’s address during the opening ceremony of the 41st joint annual conference of the PSJ and the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists (CAP). The conference was held at Princess Grand Jamaica Hotel in Green Island, Hanover, August 17-23.

“It’s important that they feel heard and that we work together to get the objectives that we are trying to achieve actioned because this will be for the benefit of all Jamaicans in improving our health-care delivery. So I’m looking forward to working with you,” Marks said.

Over the years, the PSJ has identified a number of areas that are in need of improvement. Among the recommendations it has made are the need to permit electronic prescribing and dispensing of drugs, pharmaceutical waste disposal, and expanding clinical practice and regulatory framework.

Addressing the need to modernise policy, Smith pointed out that pharmacists have expanded their scope of practice and professional roles.

“We have clinical pharmacists now that are more advanced in their training and are doing bedside management and working alongside doctors in the hospital to ensure that patient health outcomes are optimised. We have over 200 pharmacists in Jamaica now who are trained and certified by the American Pharmacists Association as immunisers,” he pointed out.

In response, the minister noted that while she was pleased with these developments, she was disappointed that the necessary infrastructure was not yet in place to allow pharmacists to practice within the full framework of their certification and training.

“That is another high-priority area because it’s great to see that the pharmacists have taken the initiative and the cost to get that training; it’s a high-demand training. So, we really have to ensure that they’ll be able to practice the immunisation service in Jamaica,” stressed Marks.

Regarding the integration of Jamaica’s digital public infrastructure, Smith highlighted that the PSJ, alongside the Pharmacy Council, has been pushing for implementation of electronic prescribing and dispensing. He noted that the sector is calling for a national policy to advance these digital systems.

Pharmacists in attendance at the opening ceremony of the 41st joint annual conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica and the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists. The conference was held at Princess Grand Jamaica in Green Island, Hanover, August 17-23.

Marks commended the entity for its proactive work.

“You have already identified bidirectional interoperability as an important priority for the profession and from what I’ve read I think that’s an important achievement that you have done in terms of what you have pushed towards the Government, and I will take it up,” the minister promised.

She noted that within the framework of the Government’s broader digital transformation initiatives, this aligns with the larger objective of ensuring that authorised professionals can securely access and exchange the information required to deliver efficient and safe services.

The final issue addressed by the minister was related to the leveraging of existing networks to expand health-care access — a priority that resonates deeply with her role as Member of Parliament for a rural constituency, Manchester North Eastern.

According to Marks, pharmacy distribution remains heavily concentrated in urban areas, creating a need for expanded access in “deep rural communities” to reduce the financial and physical hardship patients face when travelling long distances for care.

With the postal service operating a network of 400 locations across the country, Marks suggested that conference attendees explore how these government facilities could help expand pharmacy outreach services.

“Before we build another network we should examine how much value we have in the networks that are already in existence. That brings me back to the 550 private pharmacies, the 106 drug stores already operating across Jamaica. I want us to look at how we can use these locations — the 400 locations in 400 communities. How can you as pharmacy professionals look at using this access into deeper rural communities,” she said during her address to the conference.

The minister noted that the Government has already demonstrated this principle through the public-private sector pharmacy programme, which allows participating community pharmacies to dispense prescriptions originating in the public health sector.

She challenged attendees to use the conference for deeper thinking and discussion on the matter.

“As Jamaica confronts the enormous burden of noncommunicable diseases, what additional contribution can this professional network make to disease management? How can tele-health and remote monitoring extend the reach of pharmacists and other health-care professionals? How can community pharmacies participate more effectively in integrated care systems? How can we use digital systems to reduce unnecessary journeys for patients while maintaining the standards and safeguards required for quality health care?” she asked.