Continuing Education is a must for pharmacists
Beirut, Lebanon- July 3, 2019: Under the patronage of the Minister of Public Health Dr. Jamil Jabak, the Continuing Pharmacy Education Program was launched in cooperation with the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists during a joint press conference attended by the Head of the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists Dr. Ghassan Al-Amin and members of the press. Designed to promote continuous education through educational and training lectures, this program is focused on selected diseases and their management.
The Minister Dr. Jabak ensured that this program meets a basic requirement related to the pharmacist’s need to continue participating in education programs in order to maintain and conserve the information he has learned. He also explained that the program launched by the Ministry of Public Health in cooperation with the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists and universities that provide pharmacy programs will include giving lectures in specific places and times all across Lebanon, and these lectures should be available online for pharmacists who are unable to attend in person.
The Minister of Public Health highlighted the importance of attending these lectures, emphasizing on the agreement with the Head of the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists that each pharmacist must obtain the required balance, which includes fifteen “continuing education” credits yearly to stay in practice without having to withdraw his license. The Minister pointed out that this program reinforces the pharmacist’s knowledge of the drug he sells in his pharmacy, thus ensuring the patient’s right to be aware and informed.
“The profession of pharmacy went through many changes, in the past decades. Hence, the importance of continuing education for pharmacists to keep up with the latest advancements. This will enable them to provide patients and society at large with pharmaceutical care as per the modern practice, which is why we decided at the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon to introduce this program”, said Dr. Ghassan Al-Ameen, Head of the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon. “Today, the lectures are not only organized inside Beirut but are available across all Lebanon, allowing those who couldn’t commute, the opportunity to complete their mandatory credits and obtain the required balance thanks to this decentralization; taking into consideration that 15 units of “Continuing Education” are required annually to continue practicing this profession,” he added.
This year, the program will start with Multiple Sclerosis academy in collaboration with Sanofi Scientific Bureau, as prevalence rates of MS continue to rise worldwide, affecting more than 2.3 million people globally. Therefore, awareness is critical to manage this disease among pharmacists, nurses and patients alike. The educational campaign aims also to raise awareness among MS patients on how to live with this life-long condition.