Celebrating National Pharmacists Day
At the event organized by Cyprus International University (CIU) Faculty of Pharmacy, May 14 Pharmacy Day was celebrated, and awards were given to those who were successful in the Patient Counseling Competition.
Among the invitees who delivered speeches on the occasion of the day were TRNC President Ersin Tatar, Minister of Health Hakan Dinçyürek, CIU Rector Halil Nadiri, Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy Mustafa Aslan, Cyprus Turkish Pharmacists Association President Umut Öksüz and Turkish-American Pharmacists Association President
Mehmet Uğur.
President Tatar expressed his satisfaction in being together with the pharmacists of the future and said, "Happy May 14 Pharmacy Day." Stating that he believes that the students of the Faculty of Pharmacy at CIU receive a very good education, Tatar noted that pharmacy education should continue after graduation and that it is important to adopt the philosophy of lifelong education.
Speaking at the event, Minister Dinçyürek reminded that pharmacists have existed since the first day of humanity and that pharmacists are essential part of health care system. He also stated unfortunately on some platforms, pharmacists are defined as 'people who give medicines off the shelf'. Dinçyürek added that this definition is not correct and that pharmacists have a big responsibility in ensuring the prescriptions reach the patient.
In his speech, Rector Nadiri noted that health services are one of the most important career fields and said that CIU is one of the most outstanding health education centers of the region due to the investments they have made in the field of health education as a university. Reminding that the Faculty of Pharmacy's M.Pharm and Pharm.D programs are accredited by the most prestigious accreditation organizations in Germany and hence Europe, Nadiri said, "Our programs are the first programs in Cyprus to be accredited by the Accreditation Agency in Health and Social Sciences (AHPGS) in the field of Pharmacy."
Dean Aslan stated that the importance of pharmacy is increasing all over the world and said, "In addition to being a basic tool in the treatment of diseases, medicines also play a critical role in preventive health services." Reminding that pharmacists ensure the effective and safe use of medicines, Aslan said, "For this reason, pharmacists undertake an important role in protecting public health."
President of the Cyprus Turkish Pharmacists Association Öksüz stated that pharmacists are not just individuals who give medicines but “Pharmacists detect and solve problems related to drugs used in therapy. They ensure the correct use of medicines thus prevent wasted medicines.” Pharmacists also provide counseling to patients and their relatives and monitor patients. As a professional service, a pharmacist would analyze the situation, synthesize and make decisions in order to offer a solution to the patient most appropriate to his conditions.
Speaking as an invited speaker, Prof. Dr. Uğur talked about the importance and production of personalized nutritional supplements and gave information about opportunities for pharmacists as well as internship opportunities in America.
At the end of the event, awards were presented to Meriem Safraoui, Kiarash Solouki, and Yusuf Lasisi who came first, second and third respectively.