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The COVID-19 situation in the country has taken a turn of concern with the arrival of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the current Pharmacy Support Personnel qualifications are coming to an end in June 2022, and Council has decided to defy inflationary forces in support of the profession with only a 4% adjustment in annual fees. Mr Vincent Tlala, the Registrar/CEO of the South African Pharmacy Council unpacks these and other matters in this article.

While Council ends the year with quite a few highs, we remain concerned about the continuing pressure exerted by COVID-19 on the health care system and rising COVID-19 infections across the land. We call upon all in Pharmacy to continue immensely contributing to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout programme to ensure our ultimate triumph against this pandemic.

This article presents a summary of selected matters discussed and decisions taken by the South African Pharmacy Council (‘Council’) during its meetings held on 14/15 October 2020, 17/18 February 2021, 11/12 May 2021, and 13/14 July 2021. Other matters on the operations of the Office of the Registrar and Council are covered in the articles featured in this December 2021 issue of the Pharmaciae.

The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) is happy to present to the profession our newly appointed and promoted employees, who have undergone a rigorous selection process. They bring with them a diversity of skills, experience and capabilities to help the SAPC fulfil its legislative mandate. In this period, we are also bidding farewell to two (2) colleagues as they opted to pursue other paths and seek greener pastures. We wish them the very best in their new paths.

Having taken stock of the continued commitment of pharmacy professionals to the fight against COVID-19 and the intensity with which Pharmacy is supporting the country’s vaccine rollout programme, the South African Pharmacy Council (Council) has resolved to adjust annual fees by only 4%, defying inflation, as a gesture of support and solidarity with the profession.

Legislation having an impact on Pharmacy and the practice environment is continuously updated in response to changing environmental and other factors. We endeavour to include all legislative amendments and new/proposed legislation and regulations in each issue of the e-Pharmaciae. This edition looks at the legislation published in 2021.

The brutality of COVID-19 and the sustained lack of definite treatment for the pathogen continue to pose ethical challenges for health care workers globally, including pharmacy professionals. The desire to heal and provide definite therapeutic outcomes for patients is an internalised trait of all pharmacy professionals; as such, the off-label usage of certain health products is likely in a pandemic. However, pharmacy professionals are called upon to ensure their actions are always ethical and beyond reproach.

Changing the location of a pharmacy, its ownership of making internal changes within the pharmacy without notifying the South African Pharmacy Council and seeking approval from relevant authorities is against regulatory and legal requirements, and may not only affect access to pharmaceutical services within affected communities but may also result in non-compliance with good pharmacy, manufacturing and/or wholesaling practice (GxP) requirements. When it occurs, it may result in withdrawal of the pharmacy licence.