Story by Sherine Atieno and Photos by Ondari Ogega
Patient-centred care was the central message as pharmacists marked this year’s World Pharmacists Day, celebrated under the global theme “Think Health, Think Pharmacists.”
The commemoration served as a reminder of the pivotal role pharmacists play in transforming healthcare, not only through dispensing medicines but by ensuring that patients receive holistic care that extends to follow-up, and better health outcomes.
Held at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), the celebrations brought together healthcare institutions from the Pharmacists Society of Kenya, Nyanza branch. The celebrations featured a series of panel discussions covering training, leadership and regulation, research, and hospital pharmacy practice.
Panellists urged pharmacy students and practitioners to pursue specialization, diversify their services, and adopt ethical practices as a means to strengthen patient trust. Pharmacists must be seen as people who bring back health. Through dispensing drugs ethically, they help patients recover and regain confidence in the healthcare system. They also emphasized the need for integration of artificial intelligence in research and patient care, and aligning practice with clinical guidelines.
Dr. Emma Obegi, the Kisumu County Pharmacist, underscored the importance of leadership and regulation in safeguarding quality prescriptions and safe dispensing practices. She noted that strong regulatory frameworks open opportunities for pharmacists to earn greater trust as leaders in healthcare delivery.
Representing JOOTRH’s CEO, Dr. Allan Yienya, Senior Director of Research and Training, urged pharmacists to rethink behaviours and adopt new modalities that inform policy change. He shared findings from a recent facility study showing that 8 out of 10 patients with hospital-acquired infections contracted them from healthcare workers, emphasizing the role of pharmacists in infection prevention and control. Appreciating their contributions in both research and clinical practice, he lauded pharmacists as “the last line of defence” against medicine misuse and rising threats like antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
JOOTRH’s Director of Pharmacy, Dr. Irene Olweny, reminded colleagues that the value of a pharmacist lies in patient satisfaction; taking time to explain prescriptions, ensuring comfort with medications, and encouraging adherence. “Treat every patient the way you would like to be treated,” she urged, calling on pharmacists to diversify into emerging fields while keeping the patient experience at the centre of their practice.
At JOOTRH, pharmacists are already at the forefront of driving policies, guiding empirical prescriptions, and championing AMR control through measures such as culture testing. By reinforcing infection prevention protocols and acting as custodians of safe medicine use, pharmacists are proving that patient-centered care is a practice that defines the future of healthcare.
