15th IPSF Students Day, FIP Congress Basel, 2008 1

Increasing awareness of the pharmacist as a health professionalIncreasing awareness of the pharmacist as a health professional

Advocating for pharmacyAdvocating for pharmacy

Dr Michel BuchmannFIP Vice President

The 1st level of advocacy:The 1st level of advocacy:

A mission for every pharmacist:

• Whilst caring for our patients, it is important to accept that they sometimes include journalists,

politicians, or administratively active people working in the field of health policy.

• They are in our pharmacies, like mystery shoppers

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The 2nd level of advocacy:The 2nd level of advocacy:

Lobbying:

• I personally am an active politician and, as member of Parliament, I can confirm that 90% of the lobbying actions I receive go directly to the waste paper basket.

• Why? Firstly because most actions were not well prepared, too much oriented towards private interest and of course because we do not have enough time to work on every subject

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The 3rd level of advocacy:The 3rd level of advocacy:

Become involved in the politic activities:

• In this position, we are well connected, we are in a good position for networking activities, we become known in time as influential people by deputy ministers, government‘s ministers and by the press.

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One central point: BE PREPARED TO ADVOCATE!

One central point: BE PREPARED TO ADVOCATE!

• What  really is your role in public health?

OR

• Will we still need pharmacists in our health systems?

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Number and various reactions of persons suffering a health problem in a current monthNumber and various reactions of persons suffering a health problem in a current month

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“We have the same mission as physicians,that of taking care of suffering personsor simply answering their questions,

but neither with the same competencies, nor the same objectives.”

“We cannot be competitors to our medical colleagues since we do not serve the same

public. The patients that we, as pharmacists, receive,

have decided not to consult the physicians.”

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Let me conclude with this main objective in advocating for pharmacy:Let me conclude with this main objective in advocating for pharmacy:

• Pharmacists understand and know about medicines. It is within this domain that they are indispensable.

• In the future, with the aid of efficient tools developed by and for the profession throughout the world, pharmacists should consider the prescribed medications and cooperate with physicians, thus ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines by the patients.

• There is so much to do in these domains.

• Prescribing is largely irrational and patients are facing their treatment alone. This is not to the benefit of the sick persons, and we are obliged to help.

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