THE EVIDENCE OF PRIMARY CARE PHARMACIST CONTRIBUTION AT THE FRONTLINE AGAINST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Primary care pharmacists are a vital healthcare provider during the outbreak. They remain on the frontline of public health by serving people as direct point of access for obtaining pharmaceuticals and a wide range of services performed in the health crisis situation. These roles have been evident during the Covid-19 pandemic as healthcare systems are currently experiencing shortage of medical and nursing staff members to outreach patients at the primary care level. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced healthcare systems to rethink healthcare delivery implying a dire need of multipronged approach including efficient use of health professionals on the care team. The situation in Indonesia, which has become the new epicenter of Covid-19 spread across the globe, highlighted that primary care pharmacists can be utilized to ensure patients receive adequate care in primary care settings. This research aims to provide a compilation of evidence in relation to primary care pharmacist roles beating Covid-19 at the frontline. This research employed a qualitative approach through a number of focus group discussions involving forty primary care pharmacists in Surabaya, the second worst affected city in Indonesia. This study revealed how pharmacist can be effectively deployed in tracing the Covid-19 suspect, providing advices for initial testing and more importantly continue to deliver uninterrupted supplies of medicines and health devices for communities in a greater need for health support. Whilst the results showed the positive contribution of pharmacists in the current circumstances, it is also highlighted a limited support for sustainable operation which could be the reason why such practice may not yield further impact in the future.