The establishment can also be the place where preparation, composition, separation, bottling or packing, selling of any medicine for protection or treatment of human beings or animals takes place.
An ongoing professional development programme, the Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) programme, is a key part of this; completion of 20 hours of accredited continuing education is among the requirements for licensing and re-licensing of pharmacists.
Currently there are over 400 licensed pharmacies in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The requirements for obtaining a licence are extremely detailed, and include for example specifications of the minimum floor space, ceiling heights, temperature ranges, and ready accessibility for clients in person, by telephone, by fax machine, and by email. This level of detail is designed to give confidence; the requirements also include several elements of good practice, for instance the mandatory provision of “an area designated for the provision of Patient Counselling services ... This area shall be to provide an accepted degree of privacy and afford confidential communication”.
Pharmacists are there primarily to dispense your prescriptions (including repeat prescriptions) and to provide advice, medicines and treatment for minor ailments which do not need a prescription. Most can offer health and lifestyle advice and direct you to other sources of support, advice or treatment. They will also arrange for the safe disposal of unused medicines.
Pharmacists can often help you decide whether or not you need to see a doctor. There is no need to make an appointment to see a pharmacist, and you can talk to them in confidence, even about symptoms that are very personal.
Plans are under way to improve pharmacy laws in the country, especially with the introduction of new standard operating procedures that describe how specific lab operations are to be performed. HAAD is currently conferring with private sector hospitals about the new systems.
