Crystal  Yim  2013-­2014  Access  to  medicines  and  their  rational  Use    Pharmaceutical  Program  Officer  Nairobi,  Kenya    

As  the  Access  to  and  Rational  Use  of  Medicines  Pharmaceutical  Program  Officer   I  worked  with  the  Ecumenical   Pharmaceutical   Network   (EPN)   to   ensure   the   reliable   supply   of   high   quality   and  affordable  pharmaceuticals  for  communities  in  need.      EPN   is   a   Christian,   not   for   profit,   independent   organization   committed   to   the   provision   of  quality  pharmaceutical  services  as  a  means  to  achieving  global  and  national  goals  and  targets  on  health  and  access   to   medicines.   EPN   supports   the   implementation   of   National   Medicines   Policies.   EPN   is   a  worldwide  network  of  associations,  institutions,  and  individuals  who  have  an  interest  or  are  involved  in  the  delivery  of  just  and  compassionate  quality  pharmaceutical  services.    Within  the  first  month  of  my  assignment,  we  travelled  from  Nairobi  to  Arusha  in  Tanzania  where  we  worked  with   a   local  member   organization   to   develop   the   survey   and   train   data   collectors   for   the  Tanzanian  Essential  Children’s  Medicines  study.  The  objectives  of  this  study  were  to  determine  the  availability  and  pricing  of  selected  children’s  medicines   including  antiretrovirals  (ARVs),  to  describe  facility-­‐level  practices  that  affect  access  to  medicines  and  to  document  the  opinions  of  health  facility  professionals  regarding  barriers  to  access.    This  was  the  main  project   I  was   involved  with  for  my  6  month  placement  with  EPN.      Other  activities  included:  working  with  counterparts  on  East  African  Pooled  procurement  initiatives,  development  of  informed  consent  forms,  conducting  a  survey  regarding  hospital  pharmacy  attitudes  towards   continuing   professional   development,   investigating   treatment   barriers   for   patients   living  with  HIV,  writing  proposals  for  Rational  Use  of  Medicines  drug  utilisation  evaluations  at  faith  based  hospitals  and  helping  counterparts  to  apply  for  conference  scholarships  and  funding  proposals.                                    Investigating  HIV  treatment  barriers  with  the  Mbone  Ngwone            

                       

HIV  Positive  Support  Group   The  EPN  team  at  the  annual  EPN  forum.      

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                 A  typical  outpatient  hospital  pharmacy  in  Kenya  

     

What  we  discovered  on  my  first  visit    to  a    Tanzanian  dispensary  storeroom  …  

 As  a  Pharmacy  Technical  Officer  I  worked  with  Gold  Star  Kenya  to  strengthen  the  capacity  of  their  Pharmacy  team  for  the  remaining  6  months  of  my  assignment  in  Kenya.      Gold   Star   Kenya   provides   quality   and   evident   based   interventions   for   improved   health   outcomes  through   internal  expertise  and  strategic  public  and  private  partnerships.  Gold  Star  Kenya  mobilises  resources  from  public  and  private  sources  to  manage  programs  and  projects  that,  expand  access  to  comprehensive   and   integrated   high   quality   HIV   prevention,   care,   treatment   and   support   services  and   promotes   the   adoption   and   practice   of   high   impact   service   delivery   interventions   and  innovations  to  facilitate  the  scale-­‐up  of  best  practices  that  address  and  common  health  conditions  of  the  public  health  interest  in  Kenya.      I   worked   closely   with   my   pharmacist   counterpart   and   two   pharmacy   technicians   to   develop   a  Medication   Adherence   and   Counselling   for   Pharmacy   Personnel   manual   and   month   long   pilot  training   course.   The   manual   comprised   5   modules   from   the   introduction   to   antiretroviral  medications   through   to   using   pharmacy   counselling   techniques   and   reporting   adverse   drug  reactions.  The  sixteen  pharmacy  participants  used  the  manual  to  successfully  complete  the  4  week  pilot   course.   The   course   consisted  of   two   training   days   one   at   the  beginning   and   at   the   end  with  weekly  MCQs  and  Case  studies  to  be  completed  over  4  weeks.  A  facilitator’s  manual  was  produced  to  ensure  my  counterparts  were  able  to  continue  to  provide  trainings  in  Eastern  and  Western  Kenya.        

                   

   

                 The  successful  pharmacy  participants  of  the  Medication  Adherence  and  Counselling  course  –  May  2014.      Other   activities   included   the   development   of   SOPs   for   laboratory   test   processing,   strengthening  relationships   between  Government   and   private   laboratories   and  Gold   Star   Kenya   and   helping   the  office  and  program  assistants  to  increase  their  computer  skills  and  document  editing  abilities.      I  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  time  I  spent  as  a  volunteer  pharmacist  in  Kenya.  The  work  was  different  to  any    job  I  had  in  Australia  and  I  found  the  entire  experience  extremely  rewarding  both  professionally  and  personally.  The  aspect  I   liked  most  was  passing  on  my  skills  and  experience  as  a  pharmacist  to  help  pharmacy  personnel   increase  their  knowledge  so  they  are  able  to  help   improve  the  health  of  their  local  communities.  I  especially  enjoyed  learning  from  others  and  forming  relationships  with  not  only  those  I  worked  with  but  also  those  I  became  friends  with  in  Kenya.