D

octors will not be the only competent authority in prescribing medicine for patients following the creation of a committee that will reaffirm the true role of pharmacists, a senior health official says.

Ratna Rosita, the Health Ministry’s secretary-general, said Monday that pharmacists, especially those who work at hospitals and community health centers, should now move from their “traditional tasks” of only dispensing medicines prescribed by doctors to a more patient-oriented role. “Pharmacists should make sure that their functions can be delivered to patients; they should have more chances to give clear information directly to the patients about medicines they will consume, including their side effects,” Ratna told journalists after installing officials at the newly established KFN (National Pharmacy Committee).

Unlike physicians, few pharmacists visit patients, whereas it is important to give them clearer information about the medical treatment they receive.

Instead of just preparing and dispensing prescribed medicines, Ratna said, pharmacists should be allowed to give patients advice about their medication. At the same time, they should advise physicians in prescribing medicines to their patients.

“They must give advice to physicians if they find that medicines prescribed by those physicians are not suitable for the patients’ medical conditions,” said Ratna, adding that pharmacists should have the same right as doctors to visit patients.

The 2009 Health Law, and its implementing regulation, mandates the establishment of a national pharmacy committee to improve pharmaceutical tasks. “Unlike doctors and dentists, professionals in pharmaceuticals are not yet regulated and certified,” said Ratna, adding that the KFN would regulate pharmacists’ practice licenses.

Sri Indrawaty, the ministry’s head of pharmacy and medical equipment, said many pharmacists had not been implementing their pharmaceutical tasks so well.

“I’ve seen so many cases in which pharmacists leave their dispensaries during working hours,” she told The Jakarta Post.

The Health Minister’s Regulation (Permenkes) No.889/2011 stipulates that pharmaceutical tasks in a dispensary must involve several pharmacists instead of just one. Therefore, in a pharmacy, there should be a main responsible person who has several associate pharmacists, allowing them to keep serving people.

Sri said that the KFN would soon hand the government a regulation draft on pharmaceutical tasks, including pharmaceutical control rules. The government will then set up a policy that should be implemented by the committee. “After obtaining a pharmacist’s license (STRA), pharmacists have to carry out the pharmaceutical tasks according to the stipulations of their jobs. We will impose sanctions if they breach the rules,” Sri said.

Trainings will also be provided for pharmacists to improve their skills. “We will hold certification programs, as well as competency tests as needed, to improve their capacity in executing their pharmaceutical tasks,” said Purwadi, the newly appointed KFN chairman.

The committee consists of nine members, comprising two representatives from the Health Ministry; three from the Indonesian Pharmacists Association (IAI); one from the Indonesian Pharmacists Association (PAFI); one from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM); one from the Indonesian Association of Higher Education of Pharmacy (APTFI); and one from the National Education Ministry.

As of 2011, pharmacists in Indonesia total 40,000, according to Health Ministry data. It is said that the number of pharmacists continues to grow by about 4,000 people per year.

However, most of the pharmacists work in urban areas.

“We lack pharmacists in the health care service sector, especially at the community level,” said Engko Sosialine, Director of Pharmacy Service Management Efforts at the Health Ministry. As of March, Indonesia had 8,931 community health centers (Puskesmas) and 22,650 supporting health centers.