Pharmacists launch kidney support fund THE FIRST Caribbean Pharmacy Day was commemorated yesterday with the local launch of a kidney support fund by pharmacists. At the official launching ceremony held at the Pollyanna Restaurant in Kingston, the Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica (PSJ) indicated that collection tins will be placed strategically in pharmacies around the island and members of the public will be asked to make donations. The funds collected will be handed over to the Kidney Support Foundation at the end of the collection drive. About one per cent of Jamaica's population experience health problems related to kidney function. Many of them, who are fortunate to access the limited number of renal dialysis machines in the island, are burdened with the high cost of this treatment. Ellen Campbell-Grizzle, president of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists (CAP) said that this outreach programme to patients experiencing renal disease was part of the renewed thrust by pharmacists "to reach out and to touch" the clients they serve. The pharmacist's duty of care, she pointed out, lies not only in the curative side of the health industry but in prevention. Subsequent pharmacy days, she said, will continue to focus on the public spiritedness of pharmacists. Caribbean pharmacists, Mrs. Campbell-Grizzle said, have served the region with distinction and the day is also about celebrating their contribution to the growth and development of the respective territories. "We have been effective gatekeepers of the medicine that our people use, ensuring that only the best pharmaceuticals and advice are given to consumers. This function we have performed with quiet efficiency. And as our regional organisation grows and sense of solidarity increases, we intend to become an impenetrable bulwark in the protection of regional public health and safety," she said.
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