New Message from the WPPF President

The end of 2009 and the Year of the Ox is imminent and as we reflect on the greatest economic recession since the 1930s, it is important to realise that over 100 years of global development have been marked by recessions and surges forward as new paths open and offer new opportunities. Confucius said ‘Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall’.

We now approach the calendar year 2010 and the Lunar Year of the Tiger. Pharmacy and pharmacists must realise that no longer can we go on being only suppliers of medicines, but take the opportunity being offered by the World Health Organization and many of our governments to take an important role in primary healthcare. If we do not move with the impending economic surge and change from supply to patient care, the profession could be lost in robotics and advancing technology.

The member associations of our Forum must show strong leadership as we now move to an era of collaborative healthcare. Pharmacists are the most knowledgeable health professionals in relation to medicines and are positioned to play an important role in collaborative care. Our community and hospital pharmacy organisations are well placed to achieve this and must be the drivers of change in their countries. However, community pharmacy particularly must take care to balance between health professionalism and retail commercialism to maintain an image of a health centre and not a retail store.

With many of the governments in our region following the leadership of WHO and FIP and offering these new roles to pharmacists, the challenge to our pharmacy associations is to take leadership and grasp the opportunities. We are about to emerge from the mist of recession and the challenge to our organisations is to take opportunities offered in 2010 and lead the profession with the determination and strength of the tiger.

On behalf of the Executive Board of the Western Pacific Pharmaceutical Forum, I wish you all a very happy festive season and a very healthy and prosperous calendar year 2010 and Lunar Year of the Tiger.

John Ware OAM

President

New Year Message from the President.pdf