Pharmacists are not celebrated as much as other healthcare professionals due to misconceptions that they are simply salespeople rather than healthcare providers.

However, the Ministry of Health and Social Services Acting Deputy Executive Director, Johannes Gaeseb, emphasised the vital role they play in the healthcare system chain.

Gaeseb said at the launch of the Pharmacy Week in Windhoek that pharmacists are recognised as healthcare professionals who serve on the frontline of the public.

He explained that pharmacists deal with the medicine supply chain management and procurement, where they negotiate complex logistics to ensure that general medicine reaches patients.

"In many cases, the pharmacist is the only consistent link between the national warehouse and rural patients. In the private sector, pharmacists operate under different pressures, balancing business sustainability and professional responsibility."

Pharmacist Malima Kapirika highlighted the mandate of pharmacists by stating, "Our main client, our main boss, is the public, so you will have a friend in the Health Professions Council of Namibia (HPCNA) as long as your profession is advancing public health. Anyone and anything that detracts from that goal will find a formidable enemy in the HPCNA."

He further states HPCNA promotes the interest of public health and, in doing so, recognises the value healthcare professionals bring.

The pharmacy week is being observed under the theme "Think health, Think pharmacy".