School of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon.
Jordan Pharmacists Association, Amman, Jordan.
Health Res Policy Syst. 2021 Apr 21;19(Suppl 1):49. doi: 10.1186/s12961-021-00695-0.
Self-care interventions offer a solution to support the achievement of three goals of the World Health Organization (WHO): to improve universal health coverage, reach people in humanitarian situations, and improve health and well-being. In light of implementing WHO consolidated guidelines on self-care interventions to strengthen sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists from four different EMR countries discussed the current SRH situation, inequality gaps, barriers to SRH service access and the pharmacist's crucial role as a first-line responder to patients before, during and after COVID-19.
Self-care interventions for SRH allow health care providers to serve a greater number of patients, improve progress toward universal health coverage, and reach people in humanitarian crises. In fact, these interventions can be significantly enhanced by utilizing community pharmacists as first-line health care providers. This review highlights the important role of community pharmacists in promoting self-care interventions and empowering individuals, families and communities. As a result, well-informed individuals will be authoritative in their health decisions. Exploring self-care interventions in the EMR was done through reviewing selected SRH services delivery through community pharmacists before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Somalia. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, community pharmacists were found to be excluded from both governmental and nongovernmental SRH programmes. During the pandemic, community pharmacists managed to support patients with self-care interventions, whether voluntarily or through their pharmacy associations. This highlights the need for the health care decision-makers to involve and support community pharmacists in influencing policies and promoting self-care interventions.
Self-care interventions can increase individuals' choice and autonomy over SRH. Supporting community pharmacists will definitely strengthen SRH in the EMR and may help make the health system more efficient and more targeted.
自我护理干预措施提供了一种解决方案，可以支持实现世界卫生组织 (WHO) 的三个目标：改善全民健康覆盖，为人道主义环境中的人群提供服务，以及改善健康和福祉。鉴于在东地中海区域（EMR）实施 WHO 关于自我护理干预措施的综合指南以加强性健康和生殖健康（SRH），特别是在 COVID-19 大流行期间，来自四个不同 EMR 国家的药剂师讨论了当前的 SRH 状况、不平等差距、SRH 服务获取障碍以及药剂师在 COVID-19 之前、期间和之后作为患者第一线应对者的关键作用。
SRH 的自我护理干预措施使医疗保健提供者能够为更多的患者提供服务，推进全民健康覆盖的进展，并为人道主义危机中的人们提供服务。事实上，通过利用社区药剂师作为第一线医疗保健提供者，可以显著增强这些干预措施。本综述强调了社区药剂师在促进自我护理干预措施和赋予个人、家庭和社区权力方面的重要作用。因此，知情的个人将在他们的健康决策中具有权威性。通过审查埃及、约旦、黎巴嫩和索马里在 COVID-19 大流行之前和期间通过社区药剂师提供的选定 SRH 服务交付情况，探讨了 EMR 中的自我护理干预措施。在 COVID-19 大流行之前，社区药剂师被发现被排除在政府和非政府 SRH 方案之外。在大流行期间，社区药剂师通过自愿或通过他们的药房协会，成功地为患者提供自我护理干预措施。这突出表明，卫生保健决策者需要让社区药剂师参与并支持影响政策和促进自我护理干预措施。
自我护理干预措施可以增加个人对 SRH 的选择和自主权。支持社区药剂师肯定会加强 EMR 中的 SRH，并可能有助于使卫生系统更高效和更有针对性。
