Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Pharmacy Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Müberra Koşar made a statement on the occasion of 25 September – World Pharmacists Day. Prof. Dr. Müberra Koşar’s statement is as follows:
“In a time period, where the whole world is struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of health personnel and investments in health can be observed once again. We bow respectfully in the presence of all health personnel, especially our colleagues, Pharmacists, who we lost during this pandemic.
Today, 25th of September, is World Pharmacists Day. During the International Pharmacy Federation (FIP) 69th World Pharmacy Congress held in Istanbul between the 3rd and 8th of September, 2009, it was proposed to celebrate the founding date of FIP, which was founded on 25 September, 1912 by the delegation of the host Turkish Pharmacists Association (TEB), as "World Pharmacists Day". At the same meeting, the FIP delegation unanimously accepted this proposal and formally notified all countries of this decision. For this reason, since 2009, 25th of September is celebrated as the World Pharmacists Day all over the world.
This date was first noted by the history of pharmacy expert Assoc. Prof. Dr. Halil Tekiner who suggested celebrating World Pharmacists Day in his article titled “When Shall We Celebrate an International Pharmacy Day?” published in the September 2009 issue of the British pharmacy history journal, Pharmaceutical Historian.
Pharmacy profession and pharmacists are the most important building blocks of the primary health care sector. Pharmacists, who know their patients from their daily life, serve as health consultants. Drug use, presentation of the drug to the patient and counseling service is a process that requires great attention and should be followed carefully. Unfortunately, even today, unconscious drug use is common in society, with the advice of neighbors or friends. This behavior is very harmful both in terms of public health and economics. The importance of the pharmacy profession is better understood. Herbal teas or cosmetic products used for treatment can be at least as harmful as drugs. For this reason, it is very important to buy such products from pharmacies under the advice of a pharmacist, to protect our health. Because pharmacists are the only professional group that receives all scientific training on such products. In this respect, Pharmacies and Pharmacists are the most reliable health institutions and their members providing uninterrupted public service.
Pharmacy is the only professional group that has the authority to take charge and control at all stages from the production of pharmaceutical raw materials to the final product. In our country, the drug production authority belongs only to the pharmacist. Our profession, which is at the base of the physician-patient-pharmacist triangle, is also a social profession working for public health. Today, pharmacy ceases to be a mortar pharmacy and continues to serve in many new fields such as clinical pharmacy, research pharmacy and pharmaceutical production and marketing sector pharmacy. Clinical Pharmacists are employed in health institutions in order to prevent misuse of drugs and to prevent material and moral damage caused by drug use.
Moreover, nowadays many diseases that threaten public health are emerging. The importance of drug R&D and pharmacist is seen once again in the development of new drugs to be used for the treatment of such illnesses. Today, pharmaceutical production sectors prefer Pharmacists both in production and marketing of the produced drug.
I would like to congratulate all our Pharmacists and Pharmacist candidates who provide this important and indispensable social health service even in the most difficult conditions we are in, and wish to celebrate many more Pharmacists Days together where we receive the value and importance we deserve."
