Open AccessChallenges and Changes of Pharmacy Practice During the COVID-19 Crisis in Malaysia: Instability as an Opportunity
Author(s) -
Manvikram Singh Gill
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the malaysian journal of medical sciences/the malaysian journal of medical science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.394
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 2180-4303
pISSN - 1394-195X
DOI - 10.21315/mjms2021.28.2.16
Subject(s) - pharmacy , health care , context (archaeology) , pandemic , business , agency (philosophy) , public relations , covid-19 , medicine , political science , nursing , disease , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , law , paleontology , social science , pathology , biology
Pharmacy practice is the discipline concerning the roles of pharmacists in the healthcare setting. Healthcare in Malaysia encompasses numerous sectors, such as academics, community, enforcement, hospital, industrial, jurisprudence, military, regulatory and research and development. In addressing the crisis brought on by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, pharmacists and technicians have been highly involved in the delivery of healthcare services. Malaysia has a distinct two-tier healthcare system and within this context, it is essential to integrate services during a crisis to maximise the available but limited medical resources. Often, the focus is on realistic and logical public-private partnerships. However, integrating different ministries offering healthcare facilities is also important and inter-agency pharmacy practice coordination must be optimised. The Malaysian Armed Forces Health Services can be primed to enhance the nation's healthcare capacity and capability. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip the nation and cause an unprecedented number of Malaysians to become very ill, pharmacists must be resilient in leading, adapting and integrating well-rounded strategies in their respective fields to ensure good pharmacy practice.