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Re: STATEMENT REGARDING PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE PHARMACY ACT, 53 of 1974 – PHARMACIST-INITIATED MANAGEMENT OF ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY SERVICES IN SOUTH AFRICA
20 August 2021
UFFP
The UNITY FORUM OF FAMILY PRATTITIONERS (UFFP), representing over 90% of Family Practitioners in South Africa, is concerned and will be objecting to the proposed amendments by the South African Pharmacy Council to the Pharmacy Act, 53 of 1974, namely:
i. Board Notice 17 of 2021 – Pharmacists who provide Pharmacist-Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (PIMART) services in South Africa (Board Notice 17); and
ii. Board Notice 71 of 2021 – Rules Relating to Good Pharmacy Practice (Board Notice 71)
UFFP appreciates the initiative to improve patients access to and response time between HIV treatment and time of diagnosis, however the dictates of patient care must prevail and UFFP cannot support a system that can compromise patient care and safety. A system where pharmacists are allowed to initiate and administer anti-retroviral therapy – Schedule 4 Medication – to patients over the counter oversimplifies comprehensive HIV management and ignores the complexities that go with managing a patient infected with HIV.
A comprehensive patient history, detailed physical examination, accurate diagnosis, appropriate investigations (pathology and radiology) and correct treatment of patients infected with HIV, requires qualified clinical expertise, to ensure that the patient is appropriately and safely managed, as opposed to dishing out ARV medication on a Positive HIV test.
The emphasis is on treating the patient holistically and not just the HIV disease. If patients are not optimally managed according to best practice with appropriate clinical experience, then the safety, comorbidity and death rates will inevitably increase. In order to mitigate this scenario, we strongly believe that the Family Practitioners are best positioned to coordinate the comprehensive health of individual patients.
We strongly disagree that pharmacists are better placed to provide therapeutic guidance to women of all ages on matters of contraception, fertility, pregnancy, menopause, abortion services and sexual and gender-based violence.
There are several factors associated with the above proposed amendments that the UFFP finds deeply concerning for the safety and well-being of patients and in particular the quality of healthcare that patients will receive under these new proposed amendments to the Pharmacy Act.
Family Practitioners have a duty of care to the public to ensure patient safety, best outcomes and that the quality of care is not compromised. It is our opinion that these changes seek to drastically reduce the standards of care already achieved rather than improve them.
UNITY FORUM OF FAMILY PRACTITIONERS
The Unity Forum for Family Practitioners (UFFP) comprises of representative bodies of Family Practitioners.
The members of the UFFP include the South African Medical Association (SAMA), the Independent Practitioners Association Foundation (IPAF), the Dispensing Family Practitioner Association/Emerging Market Healthcare Ltd (DFPA/EMC), the Society for General/Family Practitioners (SGFP), the South African Medical and Dental Practitioner Association (SAMDP) and the Alliance of South African Independent Practitioners Associations (ASAIPA).
The UFFP represents more than 90 percent of the Family Practitioners in the country.
For Enquiries, please contact:
Dr N Mabasa
Cell No: 082 525 2569
Email: mphatam@gmail.com
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