As part of efforts to deliver the highest standard of Primary health care services and programmes aimed at improving the health status of residents of Rivers State, the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board (RSPHCMB), through the Department of Pharmaceutical Services, developed and printed its maiden edition of the SOPs manual for Pharmaceutical services.
To achieve successful application and use, a one-day orientation meeting(2 batches) was held on the 21st and 22nd of August,2024. In attendance were: the Executive Secretary, RSPHCMB represented by the Head of the Special Services Unit, Dr Mrs Nnesochi Offor, Director of Community Health Services, Director of Medical Services and Pharm Wariboko West of UPTH. Other participants were pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from primary health centres, logistics management coordination unit coordinators from the 23 LGAs, staff of the pharmaceutical services department, board headquarters. A total of 150 person participated in the orientation meeting.
Addressing the participants, Dr Mrs Offor, who represented the ES, RSPHCMB thanked the Pharmacy technicians and pharmacists for the crucial role they played in the delivering of health care services to the people of Rivers State through the PHC facilities. She assured them of the Board’s continuous support in manpower development and capacity building to make them more efficient and productive while doing their job. She also expressed her gratitude on behalf of the ES to the Director, of Pharmaceutical Services and all those who contributed to the development and roll-out of the SOPs manual on pharmaceutical services.
About the SOPs manual on Pharmaceutical services, the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Pharm Bariatoa Demua said, it was designed to streamline the routine activities and different process areas of pharmacy practice at the Primary Health Care level. He added that the successful application and use of this manual will promote rational drug use, ensure consistency and reliability in delivering pharmaceutical services and improve the health outcomes of patients.
Objectives of the meeting were to :
Understand the key operational activities of the Pharmaceutical Services department
Describe the purpose of different routine activities/processes carried out at the PHC level
Outline the benefits of the SOP manual
Define key terms used in Basic Pharmacy practice & care
Describe the roles and responsibilities of Pharmacy personnel in the PHC system
Key discussion points and highlights at the orientation meeting include:
Rational dispensing of Essential medicines at the PHC facilities. Participants were taught Good dispensing practice, how to screen and evaluate prescriptions, and the use of appropriate prescription labels when dispensing medicines at the PHC.
Management of short-dated essential medicines and ways to dispose of expired and damaged pharmaceutical products. Participants were taught how to effectively manage and prevent medicines from expiry and damage. The use of the Return and Transfer(RT) form which is the right Logistics Management Information System(LMIS) tool to use when transferring products to another facility at the same level was introduced to the participants
Storage of Essential medicines and other health commodities. Participants were introduced to standard guidelines and practices that will ensure the maintenance of the quality and efficacy of medicines throughout their shelf life.
The use of inventory control cards (Stock cards) and record-keeping at the pharmacy. The aim primarily is to ensure that PHC facilities are appropriately stocked with essential medicines at all times to avoid issues of stock-out. Practical exercises were also done to improve the skills of the participants.
At the end of the orientation meeting, the following resolutions and next steps were agreed upon:
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians should ensure that a copy of the standard operating procedures manual is ALWAYS kept in the pharmacy unit of the facility
Pharmacy personnel should start using the newly introduced forms (RT form, stock cards, template for computation of expired and damaged medicines and template for quarterly requisition and report form for Essential medicines & commodities) for quality documentation of pharmaceutical services at the PHC
The guidelines on the storage of essential medicines should be prioritized to ensure safe and quality medicines at the PHC
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians should ensure timely preparation and submission of their requisitions(monthly or quarterly) to prevent stock outs of essential medicines at their facilities
The source of all drugs and medical consumables is the Central Medical Stores (CMS). Only products or items not available at the CMS and needed urgently can be purchased from board-approved licensed wholesale pharmacies with evidence that the drug is not available in the CMS and with no alternative.
