Pharmacy Week Public Forum

Members of the public are being invited to participate in the Pharmacy Week Public Forum on Thursday (Nov. 24) at the Bethel Baptist Church in  Half-Way-Tree, St. Andrew.

Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Past President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica (PSJ), Dr. Ernestine Watson, said that the event, which gets under way at 5:00 pm, is one of the major activities for Pharmacy Week, which is being observed from November 20 to 26.

She noted that the discussion session will provide an opportunity for the public to interact with pharmacists and have their questions answered. “The public forum is really for our patients. We want to give back and one way of giving back is by getting information out to you in the most convenient way,” she said.

Those who cannot attend in person will be able to view the proceedings live on the PSJ’s Instagram platform. There will also be a live radio outside broadcast. Dr. Watson said that the forum will provide information and advice on gut health as the country emerges from COVID-19.

She pointed out that the pandemic “messed up a lot of our systems, including the gut, so we are going to have specialists coming in to talk about how we can get our gut into better health because when our digestive system is affected, it affects every other area”.

Dr. Watson noted that vitamins, as well as foods that help with gut health, will be highlighted.

“We also want to help persons to know if they are on medication that may be affecting them and how they can adjust. We will be talking about mental health, considering [the impact] of COVID-19… and persons will be able to ask questions,” she pointed out.