…pharmacists are seen as the first point of call in the healthcare system…
r Inspiration –“Strive for perfection in everything you do” Sir Henry Royce r Hobbies - Football (enthusiastic Barcelona supporter), music festivals and travelling r Ambition in life - to always think outside the box, and always push the boundaries r Most passionate about – Have a great passion for travelling. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine r Biggest achievement most proud of – Completing my Bachelor of Pharmacy, one of the proudest things I have ever accomplished r Best advice ever received – you can learn more with your ears open and your mouth closed r Skills or qualities wish you had – better time management is always something I wish I was able to achieve. If only there were more hours in a day r How to achieve work-life balance – Don’t really think there’s an answer to this, you work to live and live to work. I think the balance finds itself r Most valued possession – family and a close group of friends with all their support anything is possible r If there was one person you could meet, who would it be? Ben Bernake
Compiled by RACHNA LAL
Welcome to Hard Talk, where we pose questions to both top executives and budding entrepreneurs on some of the major issues involving business.
Pharmacists have been helping relieve pain and suffering as well as treating long-term conditions for thousands of years.
No doubt the role of pharmacists has evolved since the days when you would pop into a pharmacy to buy a cough mixture or get a prescription fulfilled.
Today, pharmacists can sell dozens of medications with proper advice.
The Nand family are amongst those who have shown commitment and dedication to the profession with over 30 years of experience in Fiji.
Abhay Nand, together with his wife, founded the Nand’s Pharmacy almost three decades ago. Today, it is one of the best known pharmacies in the country.
All three of their sons are following the footsteps of their parents determined to continue with the family legacy.
The middle child, Nibhay Nand, said all three brothers share the same vision and it is with a lot of determination that they all work together towards achieving that vision.
“Over the decades, a lot of sacrifice and hard work has gone into building a recognised and trusted pharmaceutical destination,” he said.
“So along the way you learn on how you can improve service to customers and provide an excellent professional outlook as the pharmacy and medication destinations within Fiji.”
1. Why did you decide to join the pharmaceutical industry?
I think the pharmacy profession chose me as much as I chose to become a pharmacist. But more influentially, I grew up watching my mum and dad work in the pharmacy and helping out in the pharmacy really cemented that I would become a pharmacist.
These days it’s with the keen interest I have in the pharmaceutical profession that keeps me enthusiastic and involved in my profession
2. What areas do you see shortfalls in as far as the industry is concerned?
Short falls as far as the industry is concerned – I still believe that Fiji as a developed country, there are many areas within Fiji that don’t have adequate access to medications or even a pharmacy at that.
It’s a shame that places like Levuka, Taveuni and Tailevu still don’t have easy access to a pharmacist or even a pharmacy. It’s poor legislations that limit how many pharmacies that a pharmacist can operate.
3. Can a pharmacist replace a doctor?
No, never can a pharmacist replace a doctor. But rather focusing on how accessible and convenient it is to visit a pharmacist as compared to any other health professional.
Generally, for many health ailments, pharmacists are seen as the first point of call in the healthcare system, which can be seen as a very fortunate. With that said, good collaboration between doctors and pharmacists is a good foundation for any healthcare system.
4. Is it fair to have certain medications price controlled?
Price controls are generally set by legislators of the day for various reasons. But in general, I would say a lot of economists are sceptical about the supposed positive outcomes of price control. Having products on price control may produce a shortage of supply in the market.
I believe price control rules out competition within the market. If all prices are the same, how does competition exist? Competition doesn’exist as there is no differentiation in the market. And competition is a better tool than price controls for protecting consumers
5. We have a tablet which is generic and one which is original. But a lot of people are not aware about this. Can you explain what each is and what difference would it make to choose one over the other?
A tablet which is the original is generally the brand name which exists in the market and more so, probably the first to bring that product to the market. A generic is other companies that produce the same medicine under the medications active ingredient.
Most generic drugs should have the same active ingredient, strength, dosage form and route of administration as the brand name. The generic medicine must pass vigorous quality tests in many developed countries.
Unfortunately, Fiji, as yet, does not have the capabilities to test the generic medicine that comes into the country, thus placing doubt on its effectiveness. Simply put, if you were to ask me if I would give a generic medicine to my own grandmother? I would state that I would never give my own grandmother the generic medication. I believe you can’t put a price on the health of a human being. But the choice at the end of the day is at the request of the patients.
6. In the olden days, there was a lot of reliance on herbal or traditional medicines. What are your thoughts on herbal/traditional medicines?
Yes, back in the day there was a lot of reliance on herbal/traditional medicines, and there is still a lot of focus on them. Used properly, herbal medicines can improve one’s health quite dramatically. There are a lot of advantages herbal medicines can offer over prescription drugs, but it should be noted that natural medicine is really the basis for modern medicine practice.
It is evident that major attention has been drawn back to the natural healing powers of herbal medicine. In addition to the busy lifestyles society leads today, a majority of the population may struggle to have a healthy and well balanced diet, so that the real benefits of herbal medicine is that it exists for our general health and wellbeing
7. What are three biggest challenges you have faced in your profession?
• One of the more frustrating challenges was gaining regulatory approval, as a lot of red tape still exists. And a lack of transparency to the length of which an approval can take.
• Also the retail sector is put under a lot of pressure when public hospitals/healthcare centres are out of stock with essential medicines, which is unfortunate.
• Also my profession as a pharmacist needs to evolve and develop like other developed nations. Allowing banner groups of retail pharmacys to operate must occur for the survival of community pharmacy to better serve the people of the nation on a mass scale.
8. What is one thing you aspire to achieve in your profession?
I aspire to be able to provide an essential service as a pharmacist, where everyone in Fiji is able to access a pharmacy and a pharmacist at ease regardless of location. I’m definitely in the pharmaceutical profession in Fiji for the long haul, so my dream is to make this happen. So I’m definitely not going anywhere, anytime soon.
9. In terms of education for pharmacists, does Fiji have enough calibre to provide the right training?
Fiji definitely does have enough calibre to provide adequate training to future pharmacists that intend to complete their bachelor of pharmacy within the tertiary education system. Also, I believe the more students are exposed to different settings, whether it be hospital or community pharmacy, it will assist them in developing their professional skills.
It would be good if the Fiji Pharmaceutical Society could develop a programme for continuing professional development, which is a must for any healthcare profession. I’m very proactive in keeping up my professional development, which I do with a lot of enthusiasm. But some pharmacists in Fiji may not have access to resources to assist them in continuing professional development, that’s why I think it’s very crucial to have a continuing professional development programme in place.
10. Are there enough pharmacists in the country?
In a growing population there is always a need for pharmacists. Currently there is enough in the country. But with proper collaboration between tertiary educations and community pharmacists, there will always be enough capabilities to cater for the pharmaceutical demand of Fiji.