PETALING JAYA: Pharmacies are the best place to buy Covid-19 self-test kits, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today after complaints from pharmacists that the kits are being sold on online shopping platforms.
Khairy said pharmacists would be able to educate the public on methods of usage, storage and disposal, as well as provide follow-up and counselling once the results are out.
“(They can) even advise on the differences between test kit brands,” he said in his speech at the “Reinventing the Pharmacy Biz” conference to mark World Pharmacists Day today.
Speaking on the role of pharmacists, he called for greater cooperation in areas like preventive medicine and on educating the public, not just on diseases but on wellness.Khairy added that the health ministry also welcomes the involvement of the Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild (MCPG) to help improve the healthcare system, further stating it was now crucial to adapt and look beyond the Covid-19 crisis into all other aspects of healthcare.
One of Khairy’s 100 days key performance index is to focus on preparing Malaysians for the endemic phase and “a key part of which will be engaging stakeholders and working together with community pharmacists”.
Calling them the gatekeepers of the nation’s healthcare system, Khairy said when the healthcare frontliners are overburdened, the next in line is the community pharmacists.
Malaysian Pharmacists Society president Amrahi Buang had previously said self-test kits were not toys but medical devices that must comply with gold standards in terms of functionality and safety.
Amrahi had said it is important that Covid-19 self-test kits are sold in licensed pharmacies and private healthcare facilities so that the government can closely monitor complaints. - FMT
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