Role of Pharmacist in COVID-19

          "Role of pharmacist in covid-19"

key points are given  below.

1. Pharmacist are immunizes 
2. Pharmacists are responders
3. Patient education and counseling
4. Evaluation of literature related to covid-19
5. Reporting issues related to patients encounters
6. Working on element of standard precautions
7. Maintenance of supply chain
8. Community Pharmacist Consultation Service
9. Adopting policies procedure relating to

• Emergency preparedness
• Staff consideration
• Infection control
• Reporting obligations

     10.Conclusion  

              As medication experts, pharmacists are trained to respond quickly to patient needs. Whether it is about managing medications, identifying therapeutic alternatives, testing, immunizing and counseling patients, compounding drugs, and more pharmacists can help respond to covid 19 pandemics by testing the sensitive cases once testing kits are commercially available. Checking and treating upper respiratory tract infections in pharmacy alleviates some of the burdens of hospitals and clinics to focus on high-risk covid-19 patients. to ensure that community pharmacist is empowered to support the covid 19 response effectively, 

we recommend the policymakers takes the following steps.
• authorize (test, treat, immunize)
• ease operational barrier
• address continuity of care
• reimburse for services

            Health care professionals like doctors, nurses are on the front line of providing care. During this pandemic attack of covid-19, Pharmacists are the most trusted and accessible resource available for the patients. they can educate the general public on most preventive measures such as optimal hand hygiene, staying home, maintain social distancing almost Three feet, Pharmacist, can also provide home care for patients with suspected corona virus infection presented with mild symptoms and contact management. Pharmacists recommend advice on the use of masks in the community during home care and the healthcare settings in the contact of the novel corona virus.

                 Pharmacists are the drug experts, so they can play a role in evaluating literature, as the genesis of covid-19 occurs less than five months ago, and our knowledge about the disease is changing daily. The most uncertain issue is how long the pandemic will last? By serving as a supportive hand to clinicians, physicians, and other health care workers, pharmacists are essential in mitigating adverse consequences due to the covid-19 pandemic.

             Currently, there is no specific treatment, and vaccination is recommended by the WHO (world health organization). Numbers of drugs with antiviral effects (lopinavir,ritonavir), antimalarial effects (Hydroxy Chloroquine), and various immune-modulating agents are of great interest re-purposing covid-19 treatment. Data available for these agents are limited to in-vitro studies. Hence, pharmacists play an essential role in reviewing and interpreting this information for physicians, particularly when facing a lot of patient volume. They have no time to review the data. Pharmacists must repurposed therapies and ensure access to these therapies and other drugs on shortage due to pandemic.

        Implementing the elements of standard precautions by the pharmacist community includes the following points: their incredible role.

• Hand hygiene
• respiratory hygiene
• Personal protective equipment according to the risk
• safe injection practices, sharp management, and injury prevention
• secure handling, cleaning, and disinfection of patient-care equipment
• environmental cleaning
• waste management
• safe handling and cleaning of soiled line.

        Starting from hand hygiene. IPC recommends washing hands for 40-60 seconds. Patients with cough, sneezing, and fever should be kept at a distance of 1m away from another person. Consider having masks and tissues available for patients in all areas. Covid-19 is spread by droplets when an infected person coughs and sneezes, so pharmacists must adopt policies and procedures to ensure routine cleaning of pharmacy, especially commonly touched surfaces and items. Areas for prescription drop-off and pick-up should be disinfected as soon as possible.

        Since the outbreak started in China, and the lock down was imposed, supply from manufacturing facilities has reduced. India has also restricted the export of 26 API (active pharmaceutical ingredients), representing 10% of the export facility, so its role as the industrial pharmacist is to maintain the supply of OTC (over the counter) medicines and various antibiotics used for common illness. Despite a pandemic, pharmacists act responsibly and professionally, e.g., they are not ordering large quantities and stockpiling at the pharmacy. Pharmacists should ensure that patients have an adequate number of medicine to ensure continuity of care. To deal with drug shortage, the ministry of health recommends that pharmacists not dispense medication for more than 30 days.

         Patients who are recommended to the community pharmacist consultation services (CPCS) with upper respiratory tract infection are not believed to be covid-19 cases and are now being told to call the pharmacy and speak to the pharmacist. And pharmacist provides consultation via telephone.

        We urge policymakers to include or authorize pharmacists in testing, interpreting, counseling patients on test results, initiating treatment, and counseling patients when treatments are available and ensuring the appropriate and legal authorities to support the pharmacist community.