The presence of full-time public pharmacists in all the health units of Negros Occidental is seen to improve the delivery of healthcare services to Negrenses.

Under the provincial government’s pharmacist-deployment program, all the 31 local government units (LGUs) are now staffed with full-time pharmacists, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) report showed.

“To fully equip our newly hired pharmacists, they recently attended a three-day training,” the PHO said.

Public health pharmacist Vanessa Mari Barredo-Sala, led the training on “Capacity Building for Province-hired Pharmacists on Procurement and Supply Chain Management and Warehouse Management.”

Trainers from the Department of Health in the Negros Island Region introduced the participants to the Electronic Logistics Management Information System and discussed warehouse operations management and adverse drug event reporting forms.

Last month, the PHO opened a supply chain management warehouse adjacent to the Provincial Capitol building, a development that ensures efficient, safe and compliant storage and distribution of health commodities across the province.

“The creation of the warehouse demonstrates the PHO’s dedication to enhancing the distribution and storage of medical supplies in support of the implementation of Universal Health Care,” it said.

The facility serves as a central hub for the safe storage, inventory control, and efficient distribution of medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies to health facilities and provincial government-run hospitals in various LGUs of Negros Occidental. (PNA)