Their role goes far beyond dispensing medicines; pharmacists enable self-care by guiding people to manage their health with confidence, serving as educators, problem-solvers, and vital lifelines for communities with limited access to GPs.
The Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA) hosted an industry gathering recently where our Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, acknowledged both the challenges and the opportunities of the National Health Insurance (NHI).
“If we are to rebalance a system where R250bn serves just 16% of the population, while R220bn must serve the other 84%, we must make every resource work harder, including our pharmacists,” he said.
That moment underscored a truth we cannot afford to ignore: the role of pharmacists is central to South Africa’s healthcare future.
But one conversation, however valuable, is not enough.
The PSSA meeting must be part of ongoing and consistent engagement between industry, policymakers, and practitioners, because the pressures are growing, and the solutions cannot wait.
A recent Kenvue survey, conducted across six countries including South Africa, confirms what has long been evident across the health system: pharmacists are indispensable, yet they are often asked to do more with fewer resources.
In South Africa, 82% of pharmacists regularly provide advice to consumers who cannot access a GP, effectively bridging a gap that would otherwise leave patients without care.
However, 76% of pharmacists believe policymakers have unrealistic expectations about the level of care they can sustainably provide.
Workloads are rising, with 76% reporting increased demands, and unless support structures are strengthened, the pressure on the system will continue to increase.
The survey offers valuable insight into where pharmacists excel and where more support is needed.
Confidence is highest in managing everyday self-care needs such as colds, flu, pain, and digestive issues.
In these areas, their interventions directly reduce the strain on clinics and hospitals.
Yet there are significant gaps in areas such as skin health, smoking cessation, women’s health, immunity, and children’s health.
These are not minor oversights. They are central to prevention, chronic disease management, and building healthier communities.
Addressing these gaps requires more than acknowledgement; it requires tangible investment in pharmacists themselves.
Continuous professional training helps pharmacists stay confident and equipped across a wide range of care areas.
The value of this investment is clear: it costs people nothing to visit the pharmacist for convenient, expert advice on the treatment of minor ailments.
By using self-care and over-the-counter medicines, patients can manage these conditions early and reserve more costly doctor visits or prescriptions for when they are truly necessary.
Research from the Global Self-Care Federation shows that timely self-care not only improves quality of life but also saves an estimated 10.9 billion individual hours and 1.8 billion physician hours annually worldwide.
For individuals, that means less time lost to illness or waiting for appointments, while for the health system, it means reduced pressure and more sustainable outcomes.
While this global potential is clear, the presentation of this data at the recent PSSA conference sparked a meaningful dialogue.
Delegates rightly highlighted that their on-the-ground experience, particularly within the public pharmacy sector, can present a different reality.
This feedback is invaluable as it underscores the complexity of the South African healthcare landscape and reinforces our commitment to deepening our understanding through more inclusive research that captures the full spectrum of pharmacy experiences.
Enabling more people to fully embrace self-care empowers them to take charge of their health and well-being, while also helping to future-proof healthcare systems.
This is not simply a tagline, but a commitment to building a healthier and more resilient population.
By equipping pharmacists with the skills, resources, and recognition they need, we can extend healthy lifespans, prevent avoidable illness, and reinforce the foundation of our healthcare system.
