The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced the names of the members of the Pharmacy Council of Guyana Board whose tenure began on April 01, 2024 and ends on March 31, 2026.
A release from the Ministry on Wednesday disclosed that the ap-pointees are: Dr Karishma Jeeboo, Chairperson; Carol-Ann Lam, Vice-Chairperson; Shundell Seymour-Williams, Council Member; Mary Ramsaroop, Council Member; Zoe Grenville-Forde, Council Member; Claudia Hinds, Council Member; Erica Ward, Registrar/Secretary; Sookdeo Singh, Ex-Officio Member; Dr Narine Singh, Medical Council of Guyana Representative; Khame Sharma, Consu-mers Association Repres-entative; and Nakesha Cosbert, Legal Representative.
According to the release, the main functions of the pharmacy council, according to the Pharmacy Practitioners’ Act 2003, are to: a) regulate the practice of pharmacy in accordance with this Act; b) establish, maintain, and develop the standards for the practice of pharmacy; c) establish, maintain and develop standards of professional ethics among members of the pharmacy profession; d) publish, distribute and disseminate in a manner that the council thinks fit, literature and information relevant to the pharmacy profession; e) conduct mandatory continuing educational sessions for practising pharmacists; f) establish, maintain and develop an internship; g) register pharmacists, practising pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, and pharmacy interns; and h) perform such other duties as may be necessary in the discharge of its functions.
The MoH also explained that the new council is expected to perform the following tasks: a) digitise all processes to ensure seamless registration of pharmacists, practising pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, and pharmacy interns; b) streamline the internship programme to ensure pharmacy interns garner the most from this experience; c) offer mandatory continuing education sessions for pharmacists and pharmacy assistants; d) develop and enforce standards for professional practice and ethics for pharmacy professionals; e) host a website for the council to inform processes regarding registration, temporary registration, accreditation, and the assignment of credits for continuing education sessions. The website would include a yearly list of registered pharmacy professionals so that the public can be informed; f) publish literature and information relevant to the pharmacy profession for pharmacy professionals and the general public; and g) enable the review of the pharmacy laws of Guyana, with the Pharmacy Practitioners’ Act of 2003 and its regulations being a priority.
The council will be set up with functioning committees guided by the chairman and vice-chairman to ensure this work is accomplished over the next two years, the release added.
