If medical products on the shelves of the City’s pharmacy in Langlaagte were sensitive to sound, they would have long been discarded or expired because of the brouhaha from hooting taxis and buzzing traffic going past the facility every day.
Packed snugly inside the immaculately kept grey and yellow building on Main Reef Road are thousands of pills, injections, syrups, and vaccines meant to supply 79 local primary healthcare clinics and 28 provincial primary healthcare facilities in Johannesburg. The pharmacy also offers family planning and immunisation services to about 70 private healthcare providers.
In its full basket of services is medication for both preventative and curative diseases, including pills for acute and chronic ailments, curative services for children and adults, minor emergencies, antenatal care, family planning, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Tuberculosis (TB), chronic diseases, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) expanded programme of immunisation for children, and general health promotion.
The City’s pharmacy has a staff of about 75 people who are equipped to serve and save the people of Johannesburg. Staff members consist of pharmacists, pharmacist assistants (post-basic), administrative assistants, general workers, and security guards.
Jimmy Nombeu, the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services, says the City’s pharmacy runs a strict and tight delivery and collection schedule as well as a meticulous packing and storing system. Under strict supervision, a team of post-basic pharmacist assistants and admin assistants compiles list orders for clinics.
Nombeu says the City’s pharmacy plays a significant role in the distribution and supply of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment to municipal primary healthcare facilities as part of the Comprehensive Treatment and Care Programme for HIV and AIDS.
“The pharmacy plays a critical role in the following milestones of the HIV/AIDS programme; the introduction of free ARVs in the public health system, which started in 2004, the rollout of the first fixed-dose combination (FDC) ARVs in 2013, and the roll-out of the new three-in-one, fixed-dose combination, TLD.”
He says the combination includes Dolutegravir, which has been shown to have fewer side effects, lower pill burden, fewer interactions with other medications, including TB treatment, and a higher genetic barrier to resistance, which increases patient adherence.
The pharmacy also provides pharmaceutical services and support to six old age homes, with two in nearby Riverlea, three in neighbouring Crown Gardens and one in Mofolo South, Soweto. It also delivers medication to suburban areas in Riverlea as part of the Clinic Ward-Based Outreach Team (WBOT) Programme.
“The recent upgrade, expansion, and renovation of the pharmacy building have allowed the staff to serve our communities with pride by providing sustainable service delivery and improved efficiency,” Nombeu explains.
As part of the national Covid-19 vaccine programme, which aims to vaccinate at least 40 million South Africans, the pharmacy has been playing a significant role in dispensing jabs around Joburg since May last year. The municipal facility also provides pharmaceutical support to medical and non-medical sites in the procurement, distribution, vaccination, monitoring, and mobilisation of medication for the Covid-19 pandemic.
On entering the pharmacy through the main glass double doors at reception, visitors are greeted by all its certifications, which are proudly displayed on the walls, including Nombeu’s name as the chief-pharmacist and a gold plate plaque with the official launch date – 20 March 2019.
Nombeu says the outside of the building is kept immaculately clean by staff members of the pharmacy. “The cleanliness outside is a representation of the pride that we take in our facility. We are proud of the work we do and to do our work we need a clean and safe space,” he emphasises.
Inside, the building has shiny white tiles and spotless matching walls. There is an overpowering odour of medication, as well as a refreshing, hygienic smell, wafting through all passages.
The Langlaagte pharmacy, a medical supply engine, boasts four cold rooms set at specific temperatures for certain medications like Covid-19 vaccines as well as insulin. Walking into the insulin room, visitors are met by an instant temperature drop, as though it’s the middle of winter. The facility also has a huge power generator as a backup for electricity cuts.
“Our cold rooms each have a set temperature to keep the medication regulated. Our systems are so advanced that with the slightest temperature change, we are notified on our mobile phones and need to make our way down to the cold room in time to see why the temperature is increasing and how to fix it,” he explains.
Nombeu says when medical stock is delivered through the large roll-up doors, invoices are scrutinised before the medication is taken in for storage. Drivers are not allowed to reverse or walk in another direction.
“Reversing or walking back is an indication of theft, fraud, or something wrong being done. There is one way in and another way out once the medication is collected or delivered,” he notes.
The City’s pharmacy services all quadrants of the Metro, straddling Midrand in the north to Orange Farm in the south, from Observatory in the east to Roodepoort on the west rand, including Lenasia and Soweto. It is on Main Reef Road in Langlaagte and is open Monday to Friday from 07:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The facility serves as a storage warehouse that distributes stock to primary healthcare centres; it is inaccessible to the public.
Written by Sascha-Lee Joseph
22/03/2022