Pharmacists are relatively more accessible than other healthcare professionals in South Africa. (Photo: Shutterstock)Comment & Analysis
11th November 2025 | Vincent Tlala
Medicines are among the most powerful tools in healthcare, but they also come with risks. As we mark #MedSafetyWeek, Mr Vincent Tlala, registrar and CEO of the South African Pharmacy Council, argues that the safe use of medicines is a shared responsibility, and is not only up to pharmacists.
We rely on medicines to prevent illness, manage chronic conditions, or save lives in emergencies.
However, medicines can cause harm when they are not used as prescribed, when their side effects go unnoticed, when patients stay silent on using other treatments or when they are abused. Thus, the safe use of medicines must be a joint effort where regulators, scientists, healthcare professionals and patients work together.
Every interaction around medicine is an opportunity to make healthcare safer. Since pharmacists are relatively more accessible than other healthcare professionals in South Africa and often also serve as the link between patients and prescribers, they are uniquely positioned to identify risks, detect side effects early and educate patients about the safe use of medicine.
When a pharmacist advises a patient how to take medicines correctly, checks for potential drug interactions in medicines used, or explains why a herbal supplement may interfere with a patient’s treatment, that act of care protects the patient and strengthens the entire healthcare system.
Why disclosure is essential
Many patients use a combination of prescribed medicines, traditional remedies, complementary medicines and over-the-counter medicines. These may interact in harmful ways, therefore it is vital for users to tell their pharmacist or healthcare practitioners about all the medicines and products they are taking. Even common painkillers, herbal tonics, or supplements can affect how prescribed medicines work.
MONDAY MUST READ | Pharmacists with the required training will need special permits to dispense antiretrovirals without a doctor’s script. Spotlight reports that they may be able to start applying for these permits as soon as next month.
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Equally important is reporting side effects or unexpected reactions. What may seem like a mild rash or dizziness could be an early warning sign of a serious adverse drug reaction. Reporting helps pharmacists, medicine manufacturers and the medicine regulatory authority to identify potential risks early and take corrective action.
What to do
As we marked #MedSafetyWeek in the beginning of November, the regulator of the pharmacy profession in the country, the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC), is urging pharmacists along with all healthcare professionals and traditional health practitioners to make medicines safety a visible and sustained priority.
Healthcare professionals can help by encouraging openness with patients and creating an environment where people feel comfortable discussing all the medicines they use, including traditional or alternative remedies. They can also make every patient interaction an opportunity to educate by explaining how and when to take medicines, why treatment adherence matters, and what side effects to watch for.
Equally vital is the need for healthcare professionals to report suspected adverse drug reactions to the manufacturer and the country’s medicines regulatory authority, which is the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). Among others, adverse drug reactions can be reported by the public, pharmacists, or other healthcare workers through SAHPRA’s Med Safety App.
Every report matters because it contributes to our national safety surveillance, helping to detect patterns and improve public protection. Collaboration across disciplines is also key because when healthcare workers share information, patients receive safer and more coordinated care.
Pharmacists, in particular, are the custodians of rational medicine use. The SAPC continues to uphold this standard through education, regulation and advocacy. But it is only through collaboration between professionals and with the public that we can create a true culture of medicines safety.
With rising chronic disease burdens, increased self-medication, and the coexistence of traditional and modern healthcare systems, the potential for medicine misuse or interaction grows.
From reactive to proactive
To take medicines safety seriously, we must make a shift from only responding when harm occurs to actively preventing it. This can be done through communication, training and vigilance.
All this begins with trust though. When patients trust pharmacists, they disclose more. When healthcare professionals trust one another, they share knowledge more freely. And when the public trusts the system, they participate in it by reporting side effects, asking questions and using medicines responsibly.
Whether you are a pharmacist dispensing treatment, a nurse administering a dose, a doctor prescribing therapy, or a patient taking a pill, you play a role in medicines safety. Together, we can build a healthcare culture where disclosure is encouraged, vigilance is normal, and patient safety is non-negotiable.
*Mr Tlala is the registrar and CEO of the South African Pharmacy Council.
Note: Spotlight aims to deepen public understanding of important health issues by publishing a variety of views on its opinion pages. The views expressed in this article are not necessarily shared by the Spotlight editors.
