Introduction

Arising stronger from a challenge as great as the COVID 19 Pandemic,  the Health care System  in Cameroon  is making amends and strengthening her Building Blocks in Preparation for eventual Outbreaks.

Not undermining the challenges faced by Cameroon’s Health System framework in the areas of Leadership and governance, Health workforce, Health system financing, Service delivery, and Health information systems, the Pharmaceutical sector in Charge of Medical products, vaccines, and technologies faced unique challenges during the Pandemic which was a drawback even to the other components of the health system framework. 

This article explores the Dynamics in medication use During the Covid-19 Outbreak and proposes solutions in a bit to inspire critical thinking, creativity and innovation in the Pharmaceutical sector in Cameroon.

Dynamics in Medication Use During Covid19 Outbreak

• Repurposed Drugs

At the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, the health workforce was confronted with a lack of approved drugs for the treatment  of SARS-COV-2 infection.

Medications were therefore  used off-label and repurposed to manage the virus. For example, hydroxychloroquine gained  attention from the onset but was later found  to be ineffective.

• Multi-Drug Regimens 

Multi Drug-regimens became common, especially for patients with severe symptoms of COVID-19. 

• Population Adherence to Preventive Measures, Treatment, and Vaccination. 

Covid 19 was faced with a lot of disinformation and misinformation  especially  on social  media. This alone posed one of the greatest  challenges to adherence to treatment  and vaccination. The increase  in conspiracy theories  and medical misinformation  negatively affected the Public’s compliance with disease control  measures and Influenced unhealthy attitudes and mistrust toward the healthcare workforce. 

• Increase in Self-Medication 

Treatment and hospitalization refusals for fear of the unknown due to disinformation led to an increase in self-medication. Several antibiotics like Azithromycine and others were  used without prescription which could lead to an antimicrobial résistance epidemic subsequently. Many clients self-medicate on unchecked traditional medicine prepared by themselves. Some people even self-medicate on both traditional medicine and conventional medicine at the same time which could lead to chronic kidney or liver disease in the long run.

• Supply Chain Disruptions

Due to the Border lockdown at the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic, Global supply chain disruptions were eminent. This heavily  affected the accessibility to essential medicines. In many instances, healthcare providers were compelled to substitute unavailable drugs with suitable alternatives. Shortages of prevention material spack up local production for some materials like face masks and hand sanitizer but lack of machines, capital, and processing material prevented production units from maximizing their potential.

Lessons From Covid-19 for the Pharmaceutical Industry in Cameroon 

• The importance of establishing remote pharmacy services to decrease transmission of infection: The Pharmaceutical Sector in Cameroon should create online pharmacy services in order to decrease unnecessary Hospital visits. This method can provide efficient Pharmaceutical care and reduce the risk of cross-infection in case of eventual outbreaks.

• The need to establish a pharmacy “emergency support guarantee system” within a public health emergency. This will ensure effectiveness and efficiency in pharmacy service delivery.
• Empowering Local Pharmaceutical industries in the area of research,  biotechnology, and innovation especially in traditional medicines such that natural resources can be used diligently.
• Provide outbreak-driven Pharmaceutical care: The  outbreak-driven  pharmaceutical care surpasses  routine Pharmaceutical care  activities to include: 
  • Monitoring the usage of off-label medication. This helps to oversee multi-drug regimens and minimize the risk of adverse drug interactions, thereby ensuring patient safety. 
  • Prompt patient counseling and Education using airways established online pharmacy services.

Cameroon should promote clinical adaptability by encouraging healthcare providers to revise treatment protocols based on the most current scientific evidence.

The government should foster regulatory agility, allowing for expedited approvals during pandemics while maintaining safety and efficacy standards. This flexibility will enable timely access to essential medications. 

Conclusion

The lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic offer valuable insights for improving the Pharmaceutical Industry in Cameroon. By putting these lessons learned into practice Cameroon’s Pharmaceutical Industry can better prepare for future health crises.