Pharmacists Are Keeping The Promise - 8th November, 2005

The Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association (CPA) reaffirms the commitment of its members to play an active public health role in the fight against HIV/ADIS. Its Ocho Rios Statement on The Role of the Pharmacist in the Prevention and Management of HIVAIDS launched on World AIDS Day in 2003, identifies strategies for individual pharmacists and national associations to achieve specific goals.

CPA has kept the promise! We have disseminated the Ocho Rios Statement in 41 member countries, sensitised national pharmacy organisations on their role in fighting the pandemic, sponsored seminars in Botswana and Namibia, held collaborative discussions with international agencies and established a UNAIDS link on our website.

Pharmacists in the Commonwealth have also commemorated the annual World AIDS Day and reached out and listened to women living with HIV/AIDS.

We will continue to ‘keep the promise’ by strengthening the patient-pharmacist relationship through counselling and providing advice on medicines, participating in the fight against stigma and discrimination associated with the disease and encouraging patient concordance with prescribed treatment regimes. Pharmacists as valuable members of the multi-professional health care team are making their contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal for the reduction of the spread of the disease. We will keep the promise!

For further information contact:
CPA Secretariat
admin@commonwealthpharmacy.org