EMPOWERING PHARMACISTS: Watsons Partners With PPhA, PCCP in Asthma Educators Program

Asthma is a condition in which your airways narrow and swell and produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. For many asthma sufferers, attacks can be debilitating and even potentially fatal.

Watsons, whose goal is to make people look good and feel great, wants to help asthma patients achieve better asthma control and an improved quality of life through a partnership with Philippine Pharmacists Association (PPhA) and the Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP). This is also to empower and improve its pharmacists’ competencies to be able to serve its customers’ health needs better.

EMPOWERING PHARMACISTS: Watsons Partners With PPhA, PCCP in Asthma Educators Program — Front row (left to right): Dr. Josephine Blanco- Ramos (Chairman, PCCP), Dr. Malbar Ferrer (President, PCCP), Mr, Danilo S Chiong (General Manager, Watsons Philippines), Dr. Yolanda R. Robles (President, PPhA), Mr. Loree C. Mante (Training and Development Consultant, PCCP) Second row (left to right): Dr. Ivan Villespin (Vice President, PCCP), Dr. Dina V. Diaz (Past President ,PCCP, Consultant- Department of Pulmonary, Critical and Sleep Medicine, Lung Center of the Philippines), Mr. Rafael V. Lim (Director, Health Business, Watsons Phils), Ms. Jessamine P. Jimenez (Director, Sales Operations, Watsons Phils), Ms. Josefina C. Arriola (Director, Human Resources and Organization Development, Watsons Phils), Atty. Froilan A. Bagabaldo (Executive Vice President, PPhA), Mr. Bryan S. Posadas (Press Relations Officer, PPhA), Ms. Frances Lois U. Ngo (Chair, Medication Adherence Advocacy, PPhA)

The partnership between Watsons, PPhA, and PCCP was formalized through a memorandum of agreement signed last October 16, 2019 at Watsons Philippines’ head office. The signing was attended by Watsons executives led by its general manager Danilo Chiong; officers of PPhA headed by its president Dr. Yolanda Robles, and officers and members of the training team of PCCP, led by its president Dr. Malbar Ferrer.

“In line with our commitment to improve the health of Filipinos, we partnered with PPhA and PCCP to enable our pharmacists to deliver better patient education and make them our customers most trusted health and wellness partners in the community,” said Chiong.

As part of the partnership, Watsons conducted the Asthma Educator Program for its pharmacists which is a certificate course on delivering patient education to asthmatic patients. The pilot batch of selected pharmacists from different Watsons branches nationwide went through the three-day intensive training facilitated by experts from PPhA and PCCP last October 28 to 30, 2019.

“The Asthma Educator Program aims to provide Watsons pharmacists with basic knowledge, attitudes, and skills on asthma diagnosis and treatment. The program will also help them better educate Watsons customers who are asthmatic patients as well,” added Chiong.

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