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Tag: Sanofi

  • Empowering Health: How PharmAcademy is Transforming Pharmacy Practice in the Philippines

    Empowering Health: How PharmAcademy is Transforming Pharmacy Practice in the Philippines

    In a pioneering move, Sanofi Consumer Healthcare, in collaboration with SwipeRx and the Philippine Pharmacists Association Inc. (PPhA), has revolutionized the role of pharmacists across the Philippines. Through the innovative platform PharmAcademy, an impressive 6,457 pharmacists have been upskilled, enhancing their ability to manage and prevent diseases directly within their communities.

    Event Photo Empowering the next in healthcare

    Bridging the communal gaps in health literacy with the help of pharmacists

    Launched at the PPhA’s 2023 National Conference, PharmAcademy is a platform to equip pharmacists with the skills to play a more proactive role in disease management and prevention, especially in counseling about illnesses that can be prevented by lifestyle adjustments and proper self-care. This initiative focuses on diseases like Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), prevalent conditions highlighted at this year’s conference due to their rising impact in the Philippines.

    For this year’s conference, PPhA placed a focus on the state of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). A 2023 study published in the Annals of Hepatology revealed that 4% of deaths annually in the world are caused by liver disease, and has become a pressing matter in the Philippines as well.

    Group Photo

    Dr. Denis Cua Ngo, President of the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology provided key insights on the severity of the disease in the country, saying, “We are facing epidemic of obesity which will almost inevitably result in an increase in rates of NAFLD and NASH, and eventually a burden of end-stage liver disease.” 

    Dr. Dennis Ngo
    Dr. Denis Cua Ngo, President of the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology

    In the Philippines alone, around 27 cases in 1,000 deaths in the Philippines can be attributed to liver disease. While alarming in number, lifestyle modification and proactive liver care remain to be the cornerstone of prevention. Pharmacists are instrumental in promoting proper healthcare practices within the communities they serve, making learning tools like PharmAcademy even more relevant, especially in tackling cases of NAFLD and NASH.

    Changing the pharmacy practice one accreditation at a time

    Only on its second year in the Philippines, PharmAcademy has aided in the progress of proactive healthcare at the forefront of pharmacist education. To date, 2,314 pharmacists have received CPD-accreditation for completing Immunology 101, while 2,219 have been accredited for mastering the ABCs of multivitamins.

    Gut health was also a prominent part of the pharmacists’ education, with the alliance having issued a combined total of 2,785 accreditations on the following modules: Gut Immunity and the role of Probiotics in Diarrhea Management, and Case-Based Approach to Digestive Health.

    Regulated by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), these modules work to improve over-the-counter patient care overall, allowing upskilled pharmacists enough knowledge to confidently fulfill their role as frontline healthcare providers.

    The interest to explore post-pandemic servicing strategies were also evident, as a total of 4,961 completed soft skill modules covering topics like “Pandemic communication barriers with customers” and “Understanding customers’ behaviors post-COVID.”

    Dr. Yvonne Ferrer
    Dr. Yvonne Ferrer, Sanofi Consumer Healthcare ASEA Medical Lead

    These soft skills are essential in advising for individual patient care and help pharmacists better understand the importance of effective communication during crises, where patient uncertainty and anxiety is at its peak.

    As PharmAcademy persists to upskill pharmacists across the nation, its second year will now include interactive sessions with industry thought leaders and offline knowledge-transfer sessions, on top of the readily available modules that pharmacists can access on the SwipeRx app.

    “By enabling pharmacists and pharmacist assistants to step into their role as the primary healthcare providers of their community, we empower each patient who seek their guidance to have more control of their healthcare journey, ultimately allowing them to put their health into their own hands,” Dr. Yvonne Ferrer, Sanofi Consumer Healthcare ASEA Medical Lead, concluded.

  • Batang Matatag Campaign: Help Us Save Kids From Diarrhea

    Diarrhea remains to be one of the leading causes of death among children under five years old both worldwide and in the Philippines, according to the Department of Health. Unfortunately, proper food, nutrition, and sanitation are not high priorities as most Filipino families live below the poverty line, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

    Batang Matatag Infographic

    Erceflora Kiddie hopes to address this deeply rooted problem through their “Batang Matatag” (Resilient Child) campaign.

    Sama Bajao village in Iligan 03

    “Access to basic health services, clean water and hygiene facilities, as well as nutritious food, remains to be a public concern to children, especially to those who reside in far-flung areas of the country,” said J Ann Mirasol, Head of Marketing of Sanofi Consumer Health Care.

    “That is why Erceflora Kiddie is committed to helping build a campaign that boosts children’s resilience and gut health. Erceflora Kiddie is a great product to help address gut imbalance, but we realized we needed to take more concrete action and address the misconceptions about hygiene through education on food, gut resilience, and proper hygiene and create community kitchens that

    can provide regular access to clean water and nutritious food in the area,” she said. “This is how ‘Batang Matatag’ came about.” World Bank Group’s Undernutrition report states that one in three children younger than five years old suffer from stunting or being too small for their age. This issue is linked to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene and could often lead to repeated cases of diarrhea. Unfortunately, the report also states that several regions in the country have levels of stunting that exceed 40% of the population. Among these regions, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) stands out with 45% of children under five stunted.

    Sama Bajao village in Iligan 04

     “A big challenge in BARMM is the lack of access to clean, nutritious food, and so we’re looking at communities in the region where our efforts through the ‘Batang Matatag’ campaign can really make a difference,” Mirasol said. “Illnesses like diarrhea leads to stunting of the development of Filipino youth which could also incite detrimental effects on their productivity and learning as they grow older.”

    According to UNICEF Philippines, poor nutrition at such an early period can have irreversible effects on the mental and physical development of children, affecting their performance in school, later, their ability to earn as an adult, and ultimately, their quality of life as a person.

    “Despite decades of economic growth, these irreversible effects could cause the country a significant loss in human and economic potential, which is the biggest driver as to why we created the campaign,” Mirasol underscored.

    Erceflora Kiddie believes that good nutrition is critical in building a foundation for economic prosperity. Filipino children who receive optimal nutrition will experience proper cognitive development and a greater chance to succeed. Through the “Batang Matatag” campaign, the company wants to give the children in BARMM a chance to grow and live life as a productive Filipino who can contribute to the growth of the country.

    “We hope that this partnership between Erceflora Kiddie and Save the Children could potentially lead BARMM and the country one step closer to improving the health and nutrition status of the Filipino youth,” said Vanee Gosengfiao, General Manager of Sanofi Consumer Health Care.