Ugandan pharmacists have blamed the government for its alleged failure to recruit them into the civil service, which they claim is the increase in the abuse of drugs, especially prescription drugs by patients.

Mr. Musa Ssemanda, the Treasurer of the Pharmacists Society of Uganda (PSU) noted on Monday that with no more than 1,500 pharmacists in Uganda, the country still has a small number of such drug experts.

“Pharmacists play a vital role in helping people get the best results from their medications. They prepare and issue prescriptions, ensure medications and doses are correct, prevent harmful drug interactions, and counsel patients on the safe and appropriate use of their medications,” said Dr. Ssemanda.

“But despite their small numbers, very few have been recruited from the public sector, with most of the few who have been recruited working in regional referral hospitals while others are in self-employment and in private practice,” he added.

With Uganda’s population of around 45 million, PSU records indicate that there are currently 1,500 licensed and registered pharmacists in the country.

This implies 1 pharmacist for every 30,000 Ugandans, compared to the ratio of 1 for 2,000 recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

To make matters worse, over 90% of these pharmacists practice in the central region, which leaves the rest of the regions lacking.

“We call on the government/Ministry of Health to expedite the process of recruiting pharmacists for all public hospitals and health facilities,” Dr Ssemanda said.

Dr. Ssemanda noted that the practice of patients buying or receiving over-the-counter prescription drugs from pharmacies, pharmacies and public health facilities has not only resulted in death but also increased spending on drug options. treatment for both patients and the government side. who pays for treatment in public health facilities.

“Pharmacists should have the ability to dispense drugs because while drugs have many benefits, they come with risks. There may be an overdose or an underdose that contributes to antimicrobial resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that make drugs used to treat the infections they cause ineffective.

Prescription drugs are drugs classified by the National Drug Authority (NDA) to be sold at retail only with a written prescription from a properly qualified physician or surgeon and may only be dispensed under the supervision of a pharmacist approved.

Some of the prescription drugs include codeine which is used as an analgesic and commonly used for the treatment of headaches, pethidine (pain reliever) and azithromycin which is an antibiotic drug used for the treatment of a number of ailments. bacterial infections. This includes middle ear infections, strep throat, and pneumonia.

The PSU appeal comes at a time when health experts in Uganda are warning that the country is seeing worrying increases in deaths and healthcare costs due to drug-resistant infections, which are being blamed on the use inappropriate use of antibiotics combined with the challenge of insufficient access to drugs.

Asked why the Ministry of Civil Service was not recruiting pharmacists, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Service, Ms Catherine B. Musingwiire, referred the matter to the Health Services Commission.

“I can’t answer that. Ask the Health Services Commission who their immediate recruiter is,” Ms Musingwiire said.

But Professor Pius Okong, chairman of the Health Services Commission, said the commission was not responsible for the problem, explaining that the commission only recruits to fill vacancies advertised by the Department of Health.

“We are not recruiting only because there are workers on the market. There must be pharmacist vacancies for us to recruit,” Prof Okong said.

He explained that in lower health units like Health III and II, there are no positions for pharmacists, adding that drugs in health units at this level are dispensed by drug dispensers or attendants. to medications.