Guideline

COVID-19: Guidelines for pharmacists in South Africa

Natalie Schellack, Monique Coetzee, Gustav Schellack, Michelle Gijzelaar, Zeenat Hassim, Marnus Milne, Elmien Bronkhorst, Neelaveni Padayachee, Nirasha Singh, Sonya Kolman, Andrew L. Gray
Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases | Vol 35, No 1 | a206 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajid.v35i1.206 | © 2020 Natalie Schellack; Monique Coetzee; Gustav Schellack; Michelle Gijzelaar; Zeenat Hassim; Marnus Milne; Elmien Bronkhorst; Neelaveni Padayachee; Nirasha Singh; Sonya Kolman; Andrew L. Gray | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 08 April 2020 | Published: 10 June 2020

About the author(s)

Natalie Schellack, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
Monique Coetzee, Pharmacy Services, Mediclinic Southern Africa, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Gustav Schellack, Pharmaceutical Industry, Pretoria,, South Africa
Michelle Gijzelaar, Pharmacy Practice Department, Life Healthcare, Johannesburg, South Africa
Zeenat Hassim, Pharmacy Department, Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa
Marnus Milne, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
Elmien Bronkhorst, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
Neelaveni Padayachee, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Nirasha Singh, Clinical Pharmacy Services, Netcare Limited, Johannesburg, South Africa
Sonya Kolman, Pharmacy, Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa; and Department of Pharmacy, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Andrew L. Gray, Division of Pharmacology, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

Abstract

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, and its declaration as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), the reliance on pharmacists as one of the first points of contact within the healthcare system has been highlighted. This evidence-based review is aimed at providing guidance for pharmacists in community, hospital and other settings in South Africa, on the management of patients with suspected or confirmed coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19. The situation is rapidly evolving, and new evidence continues to emerge on a daily basis. This guidance document takes into account and includes newly available evidence and recommendations, particularly around the following aspects relating to COVID-19:

  • Epidemiology
  • The virus, its modes of transmission and incubation period
  • Symptom identification, including the differentiation between influenza, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and COVID-19
  • Social media myths and misinformation
  • Treatment guidelines and medicines that may need to be kept in stock
  • Treatment and prevention options, including an update on vaccine development
  • The case for and against the use of NSAIDs, ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in patients with COVID-19
  • Interventions and patient counselling by the pharmacist.

It is critical, though, that pharmacists access the most recent and authoritative information to guide their practice. Key websites that can be relied upon are:


Keywords

novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV); corona virus disease; pandemic; COVID-19; SARS-CoV; MERS-CoV; SARS-CoV-2; spill-over; chloroquine; hydroxychloroquine.

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