Namibia has marked National Pharmacy Week with a call to recognise its role in ensuring access to safe and effective medicines.

The Ministry of Health and Social Services launched the week at the Windhoek Central Hospital under the theme "Empowering the Pharmacy Workforce for the Future".

The Ministry's Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Naita Nghishekwa, stated that the role of pharmacy professionals extends beyond dispensing medicine.

She said such roles include patient counselling, medicine safety, supply chain management and promoting the responsible use of medicine.

"Pharmacy is often misunderstood and mainly recognised for its role in dispensing medicines. While dispensing is undoubtedly a vital responsibility, the profession encompasses much more than this. The theme for this year aims to shed light on this broader scope. Each medicine provided to a patient is underpinned by a comprehensive system of decisions and activities that ensure the medicine is suitable, of guaranteed quality, accessible when required, and used appropriately."

Nghishekwa emphasised that pharmacy professionals have a responsibility to ensure that patients understand their treatment so that they can take it correctly.

"When we communicate, share information, and align our efforts, we make better use of limited resources, and we serve the patients more consistently, whether they receive care in a public hospital, a private pharmacy, or a clinic far from the capital."

National Pharmacy Week provides an opportunity for professionals to reflect on challenges facing the sector, share practical solutions and celebrate achievements to improve patient care and strengthen Namibia's health sector.