8,000 pharmacists to be trained through myPharmAssist programme

KUALA LUMPUR: About 8,000 pharmacists nationwide are expected to be trained through myPharmAssist, a comprehensive customer-centred global education programme.
Research based pharmaceutical and healthcare company, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSK CH) Malaysia general manager Stacy Wallace said the "free of charge" programme was created by GSK's expert pharmacists.
It is in the form of digital applications, printed materials and live meetings.
"Malaysia is the first country to launch the myPharmAssist global programme. The learning modules will be rolled out on a quarterly basis with the first live meeting or face-to-face learning to be held in December 2016 at Klang Valley, discussing a topic on pain relief," she told reporters here, today.
The press conference was held in conjunction with the joint launching of myPharmAssist by GSK CH and the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society (MPS).
According to Wallace, myPharmAssist provides content and training tailored to engage and educate pharmacy practitioners, pharmacy assistants and pharmacy owners to meet the current environment of increasing demand for healthcare and wellness.
The modular programme will be available in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese language, covering various topics such as pain relief, cough, flu, oral and skin health, nutrition, digestive, minor ailments, conditions and products to business fundamentals and understanding shopper behaviour.
Meanwhile, MPS president Amrahi Buang described the launch of the programme as timely and useful in further enhancing pharmacists' competency, advancing the skills and knowledge for the benefit of Malaysians and eventually reducing total public healthcare spending.
"The role of pharmacy practitioners in the community has expanded from that of a provider of medicines to that of a provider of care.
"Pharmacy practitioners in the community are synergistic healthcare team members and excellent healthcare partners of the rakyat because they can provide care in various form including checking, filling and dispensing of prescribed medication and medication counselling, amongst other services," he said. — Bernama