SAAHIP – Our Journey
South African Association of Hospital and Institutional Pharmacists 59th Annual General Meeting and 30th Conference
Champagne Sports Resort 10 – 12 March 2016
An opinion taken from the SAAHIP Limpopo branch facebook page
SAAHIP Conference 2016 was full of excitement. The main highlight for me was to see young energetic pharmacists in both private and public institutions showing initiatives towards the improvement of patient care and advancing the role and scope of a pharmacist in hospital practice beyond the dispensary, that is in clinical ward pharmacy, advanced pharmacist interventions and ward stock management.
The second highlight when I witnessed two pharmacists, one from Mpumalanga and another from the Cape who took what Limpopo presented in Adopt-a-clinic and made it even better in their provinces. Some pharmacists take the conference as a real learning area and do actually apply their learning into real practice, thus improving pharmaceutical care.
The last highlight was the presentations on Pharmaceutical Public Health, that I believe is a role less explored, and it is receiving much attention by both institutions of higher learning and individual pharmacists.
There was more, and more learning at this conference. I hope we have space for more pharmacists to attend in the coming years. Oh, and we had Fun, big time!
#SAAHIP2016#saahip16
Nhlanhla G. Mafarafara
The theme for conference 2016 was “Our Journey”. SAAHIP members are on a journey towards the same destination: optimal pharmaceutical care in South Africa. At any given time, pharmacists find themselves at different places on this path, using different tools, different strategies and travelling at different speeds.
The conference provided a pit stop on this journey, where members could share their stories, lessons learnt, best roads encountered and most rewarding discoveries made. They could even give advice on the inevitable potholes that scatter our road. Delegates invigorated and motivated each other for the rest of the journey that lies ahead. They eagerly shared their travel secrets as they re-fueled before embarking on the next stage of their professional journey.
As always, the SAAHIP conference was packed with presentations and posters that shared experience and presented research findings. It lived up to its reputation as an amazing networking opportunity, with delegates leaving richer in knowledge, networks, relationships and inspiration.
A motivational speaker with a difference
The George Herald recently described how artist Anthony Noble took 35 minutes to transform a blank canvas into an art masterpiece in front of a group of astonished onlookers. The same thing happened at the SAAHIP conference.
Tony Noble, an art school teacher at a primary school in George, is passionate about his art, and the people it touches. His inspiration is from natural scenery, and his message is clear. He begins by apparently defacing the canvas with random brush strokes, and then proceeds, with a 5 cm paintbrush, to build on the canvas the picture he has in his mind. Only as the delicate beauty gradually emerges are the audience able to see the canvas as he has already visualised it. The analogy to life is largely unspoken, but almost tangible as he stresses the importance of taking ownership of the dream you visualise and implement.
Tony Noble holding a new canvas with the same potential of beauty as the finished painting on the easel
The business of the AGM
The AGM progressed smoothly, with National Executive Committee members giving feedback on their activities over the previous year. The Presidential Report for 2015/2016 was published in the SAPJ in the January/February issue at the beginning of 2016.
Congratulations to the Presidential Committee
The Presidential Committee 2015/2016 was re-elected for another term.
President Joggie Hattingh Vice President Juané van der Merwe National Secretary Liezl Fourie
Honorary Treasurer Sudira Balkrishen Past President Stéphan Möller
Conference reports
No annual report would be complete without addressing the areas in which SAAHIP was involved during the year. The reports are available from the SAAHIP branch chairs.
Perhaps one of the most important areas is that of services, where the indicators identified included stock outs, primary healthcare involvement and a stock visibility system. The effects of stock outs on patient care, morbidity and mortality are significant and must be investigated. Reasons for stock outs include companies on tender failing to deliver contracted medicine supplies, poor supply chain management at various levels, inadequate forecasting and quantification, as well as inadequate or poorly managed budgets. Many SAAHIP members have been involved in initiatives to resolve the problem in public sector facilities.
There have been a number of opportunities for SAAHIP members to become involved in primary healthcare (PHC). A recent focus for pharmacists in the public sector, particularly with the countdown towards National Health Insurance having begun, has been to promote and improve on pharmaceutical services in PHC facilities in line with the Ideal Clinic criteria. There has been continuing training of PHC staff on medicine supply management, stock taking and cold chain management. The Ideal Clinic concept requires assessment of PHC clinics on National Core Standards and Good Pharmacy Practice compliance. In some provinces, pharmacists are involved in the integrated chronic disease management, while others have been appointed to support the ideal clinic programme.
Presentations, posters and a workshop
This year, in addition to the guest speakers, delegates listened to twenty presentations and three Pearls presented by SAAHIP members,
and they viewed and discussed the subjects of 22 posters. Hazel Bradley facilitated a workshop to explore innovations to improve access and use of medicines for chronic conditions. Highlights from these sessions will be featured in future SAPJ issues.
SAAHIP encourages young and aspiring pharmacists to attend conference when possible. The Eastern Cape branch organised the 2015 Clinical Skills competition at the SAPSF conference, and the Western Cape branch brought the winners, Saajida Momath and Keaton Harris, to conference as part of their delegation.
Awards 2016
The annual awards recognise excellence in the work that members present at the conference. They exemplify the professionalism of pharmacy – not only do they fulfil their employment obligations, but they explore practice challenges and they document the results.
The Adcock Ingram Pearl Award
The Pearl presentations are short, snappy and to the point. In five minutes, presenters must deliver useful tips that may not be widely known, published or taught. The winner this year was Shawn Zeelie, with Pearl Letsoane and Chantelle Hayward-Zeelie as runners up.
(l to r) Liezl Fourie, Joggie Hattingh, Juané van der Merwe, Liezl Fourie
Delegates met in small groups to discuss topics before sharing their thoughts with the other groups
Life Healthcare Awards
Two awards are made annually to practising hospital or institutional pharmacists who have documented and presented the results of their activities, investigations and research projects.
The Life Healthcare Podium Award went to Mohamed Jaram for his presentation, “Hyperglycaemia Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Patients in Surgical Wards”. Mohamed went about establishing whether hyperglycaemia management is adequate according to best practice in patients who have undergone a surgical procedure. His results showed that the current treatment regimen in surgical wards does not achieve an optimal outcome and that this regimen should be revised.
Refiloe Mogale, winner of the Life Healthcare Poster Award, investigated current practices in the supply management of surgical products. She found that it was important to focus on building human and structural capacity for efficient management of surgical products.
Metropolitan Academic Award
Many SAAHIP members follow an academic career. This award recognises the contribution of academic pharmacists to hospital practice. Hazel Bradley, a pharmacist from the School of Public Health at the University of the Western Cape, won the award for her work into developing and implementing educational innovations to improve medicines use and availability in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Mediclinic Scenario Award
It is not only research that contributes to an understanding of best practice. This award goes to a pharmacist who shares a real-world working experience that can benefit other pharmacists. The winner, Chantell Hayward-Zeelie, from the Kimberley Hospital Complex, shared her experience that led to her developing a protocol on how to improve management of hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia in an in-patient setting.
Spirit Award
Kwa-Zulu Natal Coastal branch rocked the boat and won the award for the best branch spirit at the conference.
The brave young pharmacists who presented Pearls this year – (l to r) Chantelle Hayward-Zeelie, Shawn Zeelie and Pearl Lentsoane with Shani Dames
Mohamed Jaram proudly receiving his award from the representatives of Life Healthcare
Refiloe Mogale and the Life Healthcare team fit in perfectly with the Aspen backdrop
Hazel Bradley
Chantell Hayward-Zeelie receives the Mediclinic Award from Douglas Defty
Membership award
The Eastern Cape branch is congratulated for having been the branch with the highest increase in member numbers this year.
DHL competition
Although this is not an annual award, the prize is so amazing that it deserves a mention. The DHL competition was won by Juané van der Merwe, whose prize is business class tickets for two to any destination served by the DHL courier.
Seen at conference
The Eastern Cape branch looking resplendent at the ball
Paris, here we come? Juané van der Merwe with the DHL team
Don’t the Free State and Northern Cape branch make good looking pirates?
KwaZulu-Natal Inland branch are prepared to visit the coast to board their ship
Would you recognise these people if you met them in the street? On the far right of the photograph is photographer and pharmacist Dave Sieff, masquerading as a yellow submarine at the Clinigen SA evening function. There are also 3 other strange guys in black wigs – Beatles? Not.
The KwaZulu-Natal Coastal branch made splendid Egyptians at the Clinigen SA evening
Thanks to our members with photographic talent, especially Dave Sieff and Yolanda Harding.
Financial support and exhibitors
In this day and age, it can be a real challenge to finance a conference. The SAAHIP conference however meets all the criteria for being a critical CPD event for its members. Important information about products and the conditions they treat was also freely available. Thank you to all those companies that gave so generously to the conference in so many ways.
Abbvie
Adcock Ingram Critical Care Amgen
Ascendis Pharma
Aspen Pharmacare Saturday: Aspen Pharmacare
AstraZeneca Bayer Healthcare B Braun
Cipla Medpro DHL
Friday: Equity Pharmaceuticals ESCO Technologies
Fresenius Kabi Janssen Litha Pharma
Management Sciences for Health Mediclinic
Merck
Metropolitan Health MSD
Mylan
National Bioproducts Institute
National Department of Health (Essential Drugs Programme) Novo Nordisk
Pfizer Laboratories Pharma Dynamics PPS Insurance Ranbaxy SA & Sonke Roche Products / Diagnostics Sanofi Aventis
Smith & Nephew
South African Pharmacy Council Specpharm Holdings
United Pharma
United Pharmaceutical Distributors UTI Pharma (Sisonke Partnership) WWIS/Truven
A scary sight – the KwaZulu Natal Inland branch adopt the Haka as their official dance
Mother and daughter – Marietta and Liezl Fourie
The NorthWest branch well represented
The Limpopo branch ready to celebrate in style
