Pharmacists, as agents of health, can contribute to the concept of “One Health”

The One Health concept, the approach that takes into account Human, animal and environmental healthwas one of the topics discussed during the recent celebration of Infarma Barcelona 2023. One of his schedules dealt with this perspective and put forward actions that can be implemented from the pharmacy office to help implement this form of Understanding health. “This is a multidisciplinary issue that requires the collaboration of all sectors. Pharmacists, as agents of health, can contribute to achieving a A healthier and more respectful planet‘, highlighted in the table view Nuria OlivaMember of Public Health at the College of Pharmacists of Barcelona (COFB).

Factors affecting our health

80% of the determinants of health are outside the health system. Socioeconomic determinants are perhaps the most studied and their impact is best known. Others, like the physical environment, have a lower percentage, though Latest research It’s getting more important.

“What we are clear about is that to improve people’s health it is essential to improve their living conditions. But we must do this while maintaining a difficult balance, as we cannot improve individual health conditions without considering the global health implications,” he explained. Carmen CabezasSecretary of Public Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya. The expert personified this by pointing out how the consumption of some products that can be understood as healthy, such as avocados, can lead to deforestation or Water supply problems With very important implications for the health of the population living where it is cultivated.

Another example he gave during his speech was the impact it had High temperaturesor the impact that such disasters have earthquakes or warsWhich ultimately leads to a massive displacement of the population.

Understanding and realizing that many determinants act on our health makes collaboration between health professionals with a cross-sectional approach essential.

Understanding and realizing that many determinants act on our health makes collaboration between health professionals essential. health professionals with a cross-sectional approach. Here you should also work in coordination with the departments, since many actions are necessary to improve it health conditions They go through the implementation of political measures.

Observing and monitoring animals that can act as vectors for disease transmission is another example that health cannot be understood without a Multidisciplinary approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an example of all of this. A zoonotic disease has cut life expectancy like no other event since World War II. And although we have regained a good part of that hope in some countries, we’ve also seen that later. bacterial diseasesCarmen Cabezas added.

At the One Health conference at Infarma 2023.

bacterial resistance

One typical example of One-Health’s approach specifically is the emerging problem of microbial resistance, which is responsible for approximately 400,000 infections a year and which More than 25,000 deaths annually. This resistance results mainly from the use and misuse of antibiotics in people, but especially in veterinary medicine.

70% of consumption Antibiotics He pointed out that in animals it ends up generating the emergence of these multi-resistant bacteria that reach people through different routes. Jordi VillaHead of the Clinical Microbiology Department at the Clinic de Barcelona, ​​who also noted that hospitals are important centers for microbiology appearance of these microorganisms.

“In Spain, we are still above the European average, despite the fact that we have moved from the third country with the highest consumption of antibiotics to the sixth country.”

In his speech, the expert indicated that in recent years there has been a significant decrease in the consumption of antibiotics, thanks to the various policies that have been implemented to address this problem. “However, in Spain we are still above the European average, despite the fact that we have moved from being The third country with the largest number of antibiotics to the sixth,” added Villa.

To continue improving in this regard, the microbiologist highlighted the important role that Community pharmacyControl over the non-dispensing of over-the-counter antimicrobials, but above all they are dispensed General advice Checking that treatment instructions are complete or collecting expired or unused antibiotics.

Other measures suggested by the expert a Increased deferred prescription application, which in Scandinavia achieves important results and which, although it could happen in Spain, is still a rather unknown tool. For example, when a father goes with his son to the pediatrician and suspicions between A Viral or bacterial infectionA prescription for antibiotics can only be used if you don’t get better after three or four days.”