Open AccessStrategic role and challenges of community pharmacists in SARS-CoV-2 outbreak
Author(s) -
Debjyoti Talukdar,
Satish Jetta,
Shyam S. Pancholi,
Arindam Chatterjee,
Parveen Kumar,
Madan M. Gupta
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of research in pharmacy practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2319-9644
pISSN - 2279-042X
DOI - 10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_20_131
Subject(s) - medicine , pandemic , pharmacist , personal protective equipment , covid-19 , outbreak , infection control , public health , transmission (telecommunications) , control (management) , health care , community pharmacist , work (physics) , nursing , public relations , family medicine , environmental health , pharmacy , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , intensive care medicine , virology , political science , pathology , mechanical engineering , management , law , electrical engineering , economics , engineering
This study highlights the importance of community pharmacists' strategic role in hindering the progression of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the community setting and innovative measures to protect themselves. This article focuses on the features, control, and prevention of COVID-19 and social awareness measures of the pandemic. The means employed by the community pharmacist to safeguard his health while providing pharmaceutical services during COVID-19 is compiled and presented to benefit health-care professionals around the world. As per the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, community pharmacists play a crucial role in providing essential drugs to patients without knowing their current COVID-19 status. They also work in conditions that make them susceptible to COVID-19 exposure. Despite the availability of guidelines, community pharmacists need to be trained in personal protective equipment for efficient protection and prevention of spread. Community pharmacists are essential frontline warriors against transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the community and act as frontline workers to educate the public on COVID-19. They are at high risk and need to observe necessary precautions to mitigate the spread of the virus.