Ministry of Health Team attends the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists’ Meeting hosted in TCI

#TurksandCaicos, June 12, 2023 – The Caribbean Association of Pharmacists (CAP) is a regional pharmacist body that was inaugurated in 1976.  CAP’s vision includes advancing the development and empowerment of the people of the Caribbean through excellence in the provision of all aspects of pharmacy practice. Some of the association’s aims and objectives include:

• encouraging the establishment of national pharmaceutical bodies in countries of the Caribbean where none exists and
• encouraging, stimulating and maintaining a high standard of pharmaceutical education at all levels within the region

CAP usually hosts a series of meetings on an annual basis which are geared towards providing continuing education for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other members in the pharmaceutical sector.

In light of its aims and objectives, the CAP collaborated with the Turks and Caicos Islands Pharmacists’ Association (TCIPA) to host it’s three (3) day Spring Meeting 2023. This is the 1st official Spring Meeting in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). The meeting was held between May 26 – 28, 2023 at the Ports of Call Resort in Providenciales, TCI under the theme “Ensuring sustainable healthcare for the Caribbean and the Future”. Among the invitees who attended this auspicious event were The Hon. Minister of Health and Human Services Shaun Malcolm and Mr. Andre Morgan, National Pharmacist.

In providing remarks, Hon. Malcolm commented: “I would also take this opportunity to applaud the President Ms. Kalawattie Datt-Singh of CAP and her team, for not only being the catalyst but one of the main driving forces that continue to promote the successful harmonization of pharmacy practice throughout the Caribbean.”

He further stated that he was: “delighted that the Turks and Caicos Islands Pharmacists’ Association agreed to host this event in this our beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI)…and congratulated the TCIPA for establishing our local organisation which is critical to supporting the Ministry of Health in the development of the pharmaceutical sector.”

Ms. Janelle Hamilton, President of the TCIPA in her remarks commented: “…we will continue to ensure sustainable healthcare for the Caribbean and our future. It is through collaborations such as these that we can grow and sustain our profession.”

The meeting covered eight (8) continuing education sessions, three of which were led by presenters from the TCI.

Mr. Morgan, in expressing his appreciation for this collaboration notes that since the National Pharmaceutical Policy 2016 was adopted by the Ministry of Health, noteworthy advances have been made in improving the health of the nation by strengthening the mechanisms that assure safe, quality assured and effective medicines and medical products at an affordable cost for all TCI residents. He hopes that these advances will continue to safeguard against global threats by implementing strategies that ensure sustainable pharmaceutical care for the present and future.

Mr. Morgan concluded that the three-day event was a major success and is looking forward to seeing this newfound relationship between the TCIPA and CAP develop into one that is not only mutually rewarding and lasting but more importantly one that stimulates the growth of the profession locally.