An agreement signing ceremony was held on 17 October 2023 at the Ministry of Public Health, marking the establishment of a partnership among 6 organizations to develop an integrated pharmacy service system.
Partners in this collaboration include NSTDA, the National Health Security Office (NHSO), the Pharmacy Council of Thailand, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), and the Community Pharmacy Foundation of Thailand (CPFT).
Dr. Kitti Pitaknitinan, President of Pharmacy Council of Thailand, stated that this partnership aims to enhance public health service systems to support health promotion and disease prevention, reduce hospital overcrowding and facilitate referrals, encompassing primary care to tertiary care, for the Bangkok Metropolitan Area. Technologies will be employed to facilitate data management and connectivity related to pharmacy services, with the ultimate goal of creating an integrated, efficient health service system that serves the needs of the public.
Dr. Adisorn Tuantranont, Vice President of NSTDA, underscored NSTDA’s commitment to creating innovative technologies and solutions for the national development. In this initiative, NSTDA will develop an ICT system to support an efficient pharmacy service provision, contributing to equitable access to healthcare.
Dr. Pairoj Saonuam, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of ThaiHealth, indicated that this integrated public health service system will significantly improve public health services, facilitating data connectivity and patient referrals across all levels of care, from primary care (pharmacy) to tertiary care (hospital). Enhanced public health service system can help prevent diseases linked to smoking and excessive drinking. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of premature death by 50%. Each year, around 80,000 Thai people die from smoking, accounting for 18% of all deaths. Of these, 6,000 Thais lose their lives due to the effects of second-hand smoke. The economic loss due to smoking amounts to THB 352 billion annually. To address this pressing public health concern, ThaiHealth has launched an anti-smoking campaign that has garnered the support of 386 pharmacies across the nation. This network of pharmacies, combined with the integrated health service system will play a critical role in supporting people to stop smoking, drinking, and substance abuse.
This agreement represents a strong commitment of the six parties to develop an efficient health service system to support health promotion, mitigate disease risk factors, reduce hospital overcrowding and facilitate patient referrals, enabling equitable access to healthcare.