Corona-A Blessing in Disguise

Ever since COVID-19-Coronavirus-Pandemic (call it in any way) broke up in the world, life stopped, paused, moved, again paused, again stopped, again moved, at times ran, and is still moving…

Folks, corona will definitely go some day-some time, but do mark my words… this TIME WOULD NEVER COME BACK!! I will elaborate on my thought now.

Go back to 2019. Try to recollect your memories in all previous years and tell me-

I. When was the last time you sat with your family for whole day, for more than a week?

In 2020-You sat with your near ones not just for a day, a week, but for months. Spent some really precious moments eating with them, watching favorite family series together, recollecting all old memories that almost vanished from your thoughts, and realized-I LOVE MY FAMILY!!

ii. When was the last time you looked at the sky, counted the stars or listened to your favorite music for hours?

In 2020-You did it not just once, but several times, sipped to the terrace and enjoyed the nature. I did it many times this year and do not remember when did I do this last?

iii. Cooking? Not my way!! You must have thought it since you grew up out of your teens… yeah?

In 2020-Many of you not just ate yummylicious food and desserts, but also tried your hands on it. Agree? Since I am married in 2008, I have never seen my husband entering kitchen area to do something else than eating, but this year was different. He asked me to sit for a while and he would be back from the kitchen. And after sometime, he brought in delicious semolina sandwich… my eyes could not believe it became his regular habit after sometime. I wish lockdown stays for more!! ï��

iv. No more seasonal illness. Wondering why? I have got reasons to tell…

COVID-19 definitely lead us all in a troublesome situation but I would definitely say what I saw in the last one year. My two children, one is 11 and the other one is 4 years were used to common seasonal flus at least twice a year since their birth. And then what? Rushing to doctors, loss of studies and mental trauma I had to go through to let them get back to good health again… I get cold shivers when I think of all this!!

By mid-year of 2019, I scrutinized the cause for less of sickness in the recent months (as I had enough time at home you know!) and finally, I realized how come my children weren’t caught up with seasonal flu this year. Sitting at home, my children were definitely least prone to allergies and common communicable illness they usually went through previously (like cold, viral, cough, etc.) when they moved out to school and play with the peers. Not just this, they were also protected against air pollution and other environmental flus while we all were at home and there was hardly any social interaction they went through. And now you know the secret too!! This pandemic is a havoc for everyone but no so much so if we are at home. I am thankful to God every day and wish they stay healthy always. Though I do not wish to hamper their friendships, I hope they play safe in the years to come and the environment is friendlier to them.

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Corona – The Predator and The Prey

It seems that the coronavirus, named Covid-19 has spooked the world. It has become the bogeyman of the 21st century. At first, it frightened the medical profession at the way it rapidly spread and killed people. They, in turn, spooked the governments all over the world to take drastic measures to go into various degrees of lockdown. It has been nothing but a socio-economic disaster for most countries. And the way the media continues to report this virus infection is causing further unnecessary panic, chaos and confusion among the public.

In my previous article titled “Corona- The Making of the Bogeyman”, I pointed out how a spooked mind is incapable of rational thinking. I also pointed out how a bureaucratic mind is also incapable of such thought. So it is clear to me that a frightened bureaucratic person would be doubly incapable of making any rational decision. This fact is evident from what we have seen in the bureaucratic action taken by governments all over the world.

What dismays and disappoints me most is the medical profession and the role it is playing. It is supposed to look after the physical and mental health of people yet is helping the government to create people’s life more miserable. They do not seem to appreciate the fact that saving lives at all cost is not the only thing that matters. One has to take into account the socio-economic costs into our decision making; otherwise, our actions become counterproductive and irresponsible. Millions of people have lost their jobs, and millions of businesses have gone out of business. How can we ignore the mental and physical side effects on the population of government bureaucratic action which creates poverty? Poverty becomes fertile ground for an increase in crime, violence, drug abuse and suicides etc. Please remember that the brunt of all these measures is born by private individuals, not government employees who are mostly financially unaffected.

In my mind, I regard the lockdown as an inhumane action. To lockup people living in tall towers for six weeks is like sentencing them to solitary confinement in their cells. Also, how can we justify locking up people on a cruise ship for days for no fault of their own, just because they have a case of coronavirus on board? Lockdown can only be justified if the measures we take kills or eliminates the virus; otherwise we are only grabbing the tiger by the tail.

If we examine all the measures we have taken so far, we will find that they are panic measures. They do not eliminate or kill the virus. The lockdown only slows down the spread of the virus. It is the nature of all virus infections to spread. So once we lift the lockdown, this virus is going to spread. The infection curve has to rise. We have to appreciate the fact that this coronavirus is here to stay, and we will have to learn to live with it in the same way as we are doing with the influenza virus.
So what does the future hold for us? Do we go into lockdown every time the infection curve rises? Do we shut down our schools and workplaces whenever someone is tested positive? Do we remain spooked and be subjected to some bureaucratic control until we find a cure?

It is easy for countries with a relatively small and sparse population like Australia and New Zealand to claim success in managing this virus with lockdown measures. However, in densely populated countries with large populations like India and Europe, it is undoubtedly not a practical proposition.

Thus there has to be a better way of managing this problem. If I found myself in an outback country town and a case of coronavirus presented to me for treatment, I ask myself, what would I do? Having no diagnostic facility available to me, I would have treated that patient, in the same way as I would have treated a case of influenza. Would this have resulted in any different outcome for my patient or me?
One can see that all this testing for the virus in the population may be academically desirable; however, the way the media reports it should be a matter of concern for all of us who are trying to improve our mental health. It is spooking the public and causing unnecessary anxiety and alarm.

Perhaps we can learn from our animal friends how they manage to live peacefully with all the predators around them since the beginning of time. If we look at the buffalos and the lions, we see that the lions spook the buffaloes by chasing them. Once the lions catch the weakest one, the buffaloes stop running. They start grazing in a relaxed way, knowing that the lions will not be attacking them until they are hungry again. They do not remain spooked.

I regard all the viruses lurking in our atmosphere as predators waiting to pounce on us like the hungry lions and tigers. Usually, a healthy individual will resist a virus infection depending on the strength of one’s immune system. But once any mental or physical factors weaken our immune system, we can become prey to any such virus. Thus the onus is on every individual in society to maintain a level of fitness which will protect the person.

However, we have do-gooders in society who want to save us from ourselves like the medical profession and the government. They want to show us and prove to us that they can save human lives, no matter what the cost. There is, of course, a political motive in all this. No one wants to die, so no one is going to object to someone who is going to protect us. How can anyone object to such a noble cause when one is saving lives? Politicians and the medical profession become our heroes, and they get our votes.

Yes, it is relatively easy to save lives and become heroes if we think in a bureaucratic way and ignore the negative consequences of our action. But there are higher responsibilities attached to the jobs of our medical and political leaders than just trying to save human lives if they cared to think about Suppose you are in charge of a rescue boat overloaded with people. You know that if you take one more person aboard, the boat is going to tip over and sink. There are people in the sea still begging to be rescued. Do you have a choice? Please think. Will you feel like a hero? Do you still believe in saving life at whatever the cost?

As I see it, we have to come to terms with the coronavirus and treat it in the same way as the influenza virus. The world cannot afford to remain spooked. In my mind, there is no such thing as the future. The future is what we create through the actions we take in the present. If we take no action now, our present becomes the future.

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Getting to Know the Features and Advantages of a Pharmacy Software

A pharmacy is a medical shop that provides medication to customers. Pharmacy software is a solution the shop utilises to ensure safe selling of the drugs to consumers and in an effective manner.

A drug store keeps in its inventory a large number and variety of medicines. Remembering the crucial details of each is not possible for human workers. Management software can store information like toxicity, side effects, potency, expiry date, etc. and make it easily accessible to the employee.

Some Features of a Medical Shop Software

Though a management software comes with countless characteristics, explained below are just few of the most important.

Loading of Data
The second the pharmacy begins operation there is a need to access and control a lot of data, i.e., information related to every medicine sold. This requires the mammoth task of manually filling in each detail of each inventory item. Even if the chore is given to a junior employee, it is vital to check their progress. Simply said, a lot of resources are put into just one job and a job that doesn’t guarantee to be 100% accurate because human-errors always happen.
A good medical software will come with the feature to extract data from a CSV or Excel file and load it onto the system. With this attribute, the time taken to complete the task is reduced, and there are no chances of errors occurring.

Management of Inventory
Inventory management makes the pharmacy more efficient and decreases operational costs by keeping track of the medicines sold. Out of all features of a billing system, this is the crucial one.
Using the software, the inventory of the pharmacy can be tracked automatically meaning an employee doesn’t need to perform the laborious task of handling and monitoring inventory. Their time can be utilised for more beneficial activities. This feature also controls access to the drugs in the store which improves security and enables accurate medicine dispensing.

Point of Sale Integration
The most practical application of a pharmacy solution is POS. The feature keeps a check on the cash flow on all floors of the pharmacy and other chains (if present).
Barcode Scanner
The barcode scanner allows verification of each drug that passes the POS and helps keep track of all sales. It also aids in
retrieval of refill information
verification of dispensed product
Advanced Reporting
Some pharmacy management systems come with a library of report templates. These built-in reports can be employed by workers to work faster. The process is easier for the employee and the information that needs to be tracked and reported is far more accurate.
E-Prescriptions
The application allows the pharmacy to receive new prescriptions from doctors or refill prescriptions directly. Electronic prescriptions make the process of getting the medicine to the patient faster.
e-Signature
The element saves time during the purchase of medicine because it allows the sale to be signed electronically. In one transaction, the employee can electronically track acknowledgment of each prescription sold.
Clinical Integration
Some pharmacies employ many clinical tools such as dosing guides, lab information, and drug interactions. The clinical integration allows the pharmacy software to be incorporated with the tools for better services.
Pill Imaging
The feature guarantees that no incorrect pill is dispensed. At the quality check, the pills are displayed and then compared with those being purchased. The comparison ensures that the right medicine is given. Pill imaging makes for a valuable tool to enhance the accuracy and quality of prescription filling.
The Paybacks of a Management Solution for a Pharmacy

When the right pharmacy software is employed, a medical shop delivers the best possible care to patients while increasing profit margins. It frees up precious time and resources which can then be focused on producing more business. A few essential benefits that come hand in hand with a pharmacy management solution are:

The cost of ownership is very low.
The applications of the system are wide-ranging and can be controlled by having different logins for the owner of the pharmacy and other employees.
Each user of the software can have diverse privileges by manually setting the rights of the user.
The software can be customised as per the needs of the shop making it as comprehensive or as narrow as required.
The productivity of the pharmacy increases which, in turn, amplifies profitability.
The sale procedure is considerably sped up through the Barcode scanner because it records details automatically.
More than just a front-end solution, a medical shop solution also takes care of the supply chain.
From alerting when the stock is low to informing the pending expiry date of medicines, the system comes with many useful features.
The analysis, information, and reports the software provides assist in better decision making for the business.
All data is stored in a centralised location and retrieving the data is easy with an interactive user interface.
A software is more than reliable. It is secure that safeguards the sensitive information of the medical shop completely.
A pharmacy management software can perform a range of functions starting from drug availability and inventory and ending with best practices that need compliance. But these are only possible when you buy a medical shop solution from a well-known place. Wondersoft is one of the rare few management software providers who offer a simple and efficient pharmacy system.

User-friendly with all the features a pharmacy may require, Wondersoft has the capability to customise the product as per your requirements. From a simple POS solution to more comprehensive software, they can install and implement it all. They have already successfully launched medical store and inventory management software for many pharmacies. Take a look here on how they can help you.

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Online Drug Stores – Advantages of Online Pharmacies

Most of the people around the world are making buying goods online as a common practice with the advent technology of the internet. There are so many advantages with this online pharmacy store, especially for those who are unable to depart from home, sick and aged people. You can purchase these online medicines from your comfortable home and the internet will allow you buy medicine and save you much needed time. And also for those people, who are sick with memory impediments are able to purchase a long term order. So they need not to worry about over look their regular health care needs.

And also there is another advantage with these online drug stores is you can purchase drugs for their ill family members or loved ones. If anyone is unable to use the laptop, you purchase from online pharmacies from your comfortable home instead of bringing medicines for that person. And also another advantage is you can obtain the price details of some branded name and generic drugs. Obviously, these generic drugs and prescribed drugs are available only after submitting the prescription from the reputed medical practitioner. However, in these online stores, if you are sending the prescription through the internet, then they are able to send drugs to your home. And also another advantage is depending upon your medical needs; you are able to modify your budget. And the price list of the medicines including delivery charges are displayed on the web site of the online pharmacy.

In these technology days, the online pharmacy business is growing rapid since from the past three years and soon the business will reach up to two billion dollar industry. The main reason for so many online pharmacies is providing some essential medicine at discounted price to their valuable clients. In these financial crisis days, so many people are interested to purchase these discounted medicines to save at least a bit of the amount. And also you can save income in other manners that you can purchase these medicines from the internet that means you saved amount on traveling charges from your home to drug stores. And also another thing is that these online drug stores are played a significant role when the natural disaster is happened across the country. Finally, there are some well established and experienced online pharmacies stores are providing their excellent customer services to their valuable clients. For more information and details, please visit their web site.

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What Is Corona Virus – Why People Call Chinese Virus?

This is Universal News 24×7

The novel corona virus has created a havoc all over the world. People have questions like -when is this pandemic going to end, is there a vaccine that can help to curb the spread and what can we do to protect ourselves and our family.

Well, firstly you don’t need to panic.

So, what is corona virus?

Well, it’s a whole family of viruses, SARS which first hit Hong Kong in 2002 was an outbreak which was caused by a type of corona virus.

The fact is that the common cold also belongs to the family of corona virus.

This virus is a whole new strain that was first discovered in Wuhan, China in 2019.

The disease you get when you catch the corona virus is called COVID-19.

For a long time the health officials did not even know what they were looking at.

They now suspect it was an animal virus which crossed over into human beings, potentially a live animal market.

We now know that the incubation period that is the time between when the person got infected and the time when he starts showing some symptoms can be as long as 14 days.

This is a dangerous thing because we can have infected people walking around and not even knowing they are spreading it to other people.

That’s why we see lockdowns all over the world.

Now the problem is that we see this virus starting from China, spreading into European countries and not even leaving the global superpower USA.

Now what happens to the patients of COVID-19.

Well, it’s a respiratory illness and looks like coughing, fever, headache and shortness of breath.

It spreads like other respiratory illness like sneezing or coughing on people.

It can even stay on hard surfaces for long time.

Its not a sudden death disease.

Sometimes, it may show mild symptoms and sometimes no symptoms at all.

For some, it may be like a very very bad cold and in severe cases it may lead to pneumonia. Some people may be hospitalized and put on respirators.

So, who is at risk?

Immunocompromised people, the elderly, people who have lung conditions or people who have chronic illnesses.

At present, we don’t have any vaccine.

Since this is a new strain of virus, scientists require time to develop the vaccine. To make sure its safe and effective, the vaccine will go through a lot of tests and trials.

As India enters lockdown 2.0, according to the health ministry, doubling rates of COVID-19 has reduced with the imposition of lockdown.

So, that one thing you can do to protect yourself from corona virus is

to stay home and follow safety measures like wearing a mask whenever you go out, washing your hands frequently with soap or use sanitizers. You should go out when its really very important.

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The Long-Term Effects of the Corona Virus

The long-term effects of the Covidvirus are becoming apparent. Those whom have been shielding are feeling vulnerable and afraid to go out into busy areas, especially now cases are rising again. Those whom have suffered from the virus, even those with mild attacks may have had recurring illnesses and post viral fatigue, with bronchial complications too. Strange symptoms such as tiredness persist and cough and breathing difficulties which may take months to heal, I know I have been weary for months, I have breathlessness and still have a persistent cough although they are improving.

My brother is now suffering from clinical depression, as I’m sure many others are too, following the strict isolation for months. Plus of course the depression caused by losing one’s family members and friends to the virus. This has happened to thousands of people both in this country and world-wide.

The numbers dying in care-homes was phenomenal in the early stages; hopefully lessons will have been learned should there be a second wave this winter. Families will have been torn apart where members have been lost to the virus, plus children will have lost parents and grandparents.

Of course the other cause of depression created by the virus is the financial havoc. The loss of jobs, thus the income they would have provided, and the fear and uncertainty. Despite the financial support the government has set up many have fallen through the cracks, not qualifying for the various schemes. This will inevitably cause a growth of homelessness.

These are not just statistics they are real people who have worked all their lives to provide for their families. Some will have built businesses and are fighting to keep them profitable. This distress is bound to end in suicide for many who cannot take the strain any longer. On a worldwide scale the financial crisis that could ensue is beyond anyone’s thinking.

Divorce rates are soaring as relationships that were a bit rocky have crumbled under the strain of lockdown and the financial hardship that is following. It is anticipated the numbers could grow four-fold over the coming months. Food-banks are struggling to cope with the ever-growing number of desperate people trying to feed their families.

On a medical note waiting lists for cancer treatments and other medical issues are growing daily as the hospitals have been taken over by Covid patients.

So what can we all do to help the spread of the virus and help prevent a second wave this winter? Take wearing masks seriously, hand washing and social distancing, abide by the rules and not behave selfishly as some are doing with raves and parties. The sooner we reduce the spread the sooner we can all benefit living the new norm.

The isolation and loneliness of the last few months has been a nightmare for many especially those alone and shielding, and those missing their loved ones in hospital and unable to visit. Let us stay vigilant and follow the rules and recommendations it is in our own and everyone’s interest.

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Online Drug Store – Easy to Purchase Prescription Drugs

From the past decade, the online technology has been shaking the world, and it has changed the way of shopping. However, most of the people around the world are interested to purchase product and important one is pharmacy through online only. The online drug pharmacy business is growing rapidly and with its nature and features is all set to revolutionize the whole drug market as it offers people the best way to avail all kinds of drugs through online shops.

You can purchase any kind of medicines of all ailments. And also you can purchase over the counter drugs and prescription drugs also. However, you need a prescription of a qualified doctor to purchase these prescription drugs, where you do not need to have a prescription to purchase these over the counter drugs. And also it is very much useful those people who are shy to share their internal problems with doctor. And some of the online pharmacy stores are providing online meeting with some esteemed doctor to create a privy environment between doctor and patient. With this help, everyone can get their medicine at their door steps.

And also some of the online drug store is offering some discounted generic drugs through online. When in comparison with rates in the market, you will get them cheaply from online. The online stores purchase their products directly from manufacturers and deliver them with their network. Most of the online drug stores are trying to sell their product at cheap rates because of competitive business.

And also some of the online stores are giving some special discount to their customers who will purchase medicines from their web site regularly. You need to consider so many things before purchasing these drugs through online, the main important one is careful about the unregistered pharmacies because these pharmacies are delivering unlicensed drugs to the customers. And also you need to check the payment mode, you need to check that this online store website must be having secured online transactions and having worldwide payment facilitators.

Most of the online stores are providing their customers at the convenience. Some of them are having their medical practitioners to advices and prescribes to suffering people. However, it is a best idea to consult any doctor before trying purchase medication from the first time. And also with the facility of purchasing through online might save you time and money also. And finally, there are some well established and well experienced online drug stores are having their websites providing their multiple services to their valuable clients.

Medfinder offers multiple options to best fit your needs of Prescription Drugs Online. To know more about how to find a reliable pharmacy, Please visit our website.

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Online Drug Stores

Drug stores are places where people get their medication. Originally, drug stores had doctors who conducted medical examinations, prescribed medicines, and also made those medicines. These days, drug stores are more or less just shops that dispense medications. Drug stores provide medications for all kinds of ailments. These can be prescription drugs or ‘over-the-counter’ drugs. Over-the-counter drugs do not need a prescription from a qualified doctor. There are many kinds of drug stores including community drug stores (includes a doctor as well as the pharmacist), hospital drug stores (attached to the hospital), and online drug stores.

Drug stores generally classify their medications into several categories including baby, child care, cosmetics, diet, nutrition, gifts, specialty, home medical supplies, household items, natural products, online exclusives, personal care, bath, sexual health, skin care, vitamins, and supplements. Many drug stores also provide valuable services such as lab services, medical clinics, health screenings, classes and events, and counseling by pharmacists.

Online drug stores, as opposed to traditional brick and mortar drug stores, are stores that enable one to shop for drugs over the internet. Many regular drug stores now have their own websites that enable online ordering of medicines. The procedure is also very easy as the drugs just have to be selected from a list, specifying strength, quantity, and form. A simple click of the button will confirm the order. Other ways to order drugs online are: mailing the prescription to the drug store, having the doctor call or fax the prescription directly to the drug store, or the drug store could call the doctor. Payment can be made by credit card or by insurance/discount card. The medicines will arrive within 14 days.

Online drug stores also provide other value added services like customized prescription records for insurance or tax records, information about drug recalls, as well as other safety notices, online counseling by pharmacists, and drug refill reminder services.

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Investing in Pharmacy Business in Uganda: Weep and Reap

Prior to putting pen to paper for this article I called up my mother. Shortly after exchanging Christmas holiday pleasantries, I quickly got down to business (she said she was playing Monopoly with the family and so needed to get back to Euston road), and asked her point blank:

“Is pharmacy business profitable?”

You see at one point of her entrepreneurial career she run a pharmacy and supported 7 children at the time. Drug names like Magnesium Tricilicate and Penicillin V therefore easily rolled off my tongue from early childhood. I therefore believed she would help me.

Her simple response (in my mother tongue):

“Yes, but the pharmacies are always playing cat and mouse with the authorities and you need to watch for theft of the drugs.”

In her simple lay person terms, and without a pharmacy degree or formal training, she had laid out the key risk factors to look out for if you are to invest in this business.

Why invest in the pharmacy business in Uganda?

The title of the article highlights the double jeopardy of this sector.

Cat and mouse: Government vs hospitals, where are the drugs?

You cry (or weep) for our beloved country because it would seem that many reports indicate that whereas the Government is constantly allocating money to hospitals for buying medication, when you get to the hospital the doctors tell you there are no drugs in stock and you will have to buy them from somewhere else.

Ugandan hospitals appear to have therefore been transitioned into diagnosis clinics identifying underlying health issues of patients and then sending them out to look for medication. The doctors claim there are no drugs in stock. It’s therefore common for patients in Uganda to go to government hospitals, receive diagnosis for their diseases and leave without even the basic medication of pain killers. The government claims they send the medicine to the hospitals but the hospitals claim they never receive the drugs so the big question is where do the drugs go?

The pharmacy sector: More weeping.

According to the Pharmaceutical society of Uganda, the body responsible for the sector, there are currently 465 qualified pharmacists, of whom 70 are abroad, leaving about 395 practicing within the country.

With a population of approximately 34 million people, this represents a pharmacist to population ratio of 1: 88,000 which is way below the recommended World Health Organisation (WHO) 1: 2,000 ratio.

The chronic shortage is being addressed by the pharmaceutical society in conjunction with Universities to among others increase the number of pharmacists being trained but in the meantime, illegal pharmacies continue coming up, the cat and mouse games with National Drug Authority (NDA), the regulator, continue and meanwhile the population suffers as a result of the imbalance.

This therefore presents an opportunity to invest, and hence reap (whilst weeping for the sad state of affairs).

When I further analysed the state of the pharmacy sector in Uganda, I noted a number of key aspects to consider:

1. Whilst many press report place the number of clinics in the country to over 10,000 there are only 414 registered pharmacies in Uganda (registered with the regulating body).

2. Of these 414 registered pharmacies, over 292 are located in Kampala, the capital and in the Central region. This is a huge imbalance considering Uganda’s population is almost equally distributed at 25% in all the four regions (Northern, Eastern, Western and Central).

3. The opportunity is therefore to invest in a franchise or network of pharmacies that target the up country towns.

Prior to investing, there are however a few key considerations:

1. Drug licence. You must have a licence and your approved pharmacist must be regulated by the pharmaceutical society.

2. Retail business considerations. As any retail outlet, you must consider retail business risks such as location and stock controls (as my mother alluded to). Many drugs come in tablet or pill form and as such the quantities can be hard to monitor. It is therefore important to first understand the drug classes (in Uganda, this is mostly class B and C) and then understand how to ensure proper controls are put in place.

3. Return on investment. From my estimates, the profitability from investing in this sector is a revenue of Shs. 187m and a Return on Investment (ROI) of only 0.87 months.

Final word

In a country characterized with limited availability of medicine in the government hospitals, more and more pharmacists and businessmen have seen an opportunity to open independent pharmacies. They do this because of the unsatisfied demand for medication by the patients who don’t get it in the hospitals.

It is a business where we all weep for the state of our country, and then those who see the opportunity to help create change (while making money) reap (perhaps with little gnashing of teeth).

For over 10 years I have worked with several clients providing audit, accounts, tax and advisory in sectors ranging from agriculture, mining, entertainment, financial services and technology.

My client portfolio in Uganda, The Bahamas and The Channel Islands, United Kingdom has equally been diverse and this experience has given me a “well rounded” view of business including several clients in this sector.

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How to Get Into a Pharmacy Program: 6 Things to Focus On

The healthcare industry is vast, i.e. there are many fields you can opt for if you want a career in healthcare. One such growing field is related to pharmacy. And there are a number of institutions that provide pharmacy programs.

Here is some important information on how you can enroll in a good pharmacy program.

1. There are colleges that offer courses right after high school. You can find out about these colleges and the courses from the internet and download application forms. If you are interested, you simple fill out the form and sent it by post to the concerned college before their deadline for their next academic term. The admission requirements vary for different colleges, so must ensure understand all the requirements before going ahead with the admission process. Generally, you are required to have a GPA of around or above 2.5. Many colleges will also want applicants to have passed the Pharmacy College Admissions Test before applying.

2. If you decide to enroll into the course directly after high school you must enroll in a pre-pharmacy course. The same college may offer these “pre-professional” programs and if you meet all their requirements it is not difficult to get in.

3. Some students may prefer to complete the pre-professional courses elsewhere and then transfer to a different college for the pharmacy program. The Doctor of Pharmacy program is a four years course. If you are going to be a transfer student you must make sure your GPA score meets the college requirements. The college may also conduct an interview before finally accepting the applicant into the program.

4. On completion of the pharmacy program you will be awarded the Pharm. D or Doctor of Pharmacy degree. If you include the first two years of pre-professional training, the entire course lasts for six years. While the first two years are a pre-pharmacy course the next four years focus on professional pharmaceutical training.

5. Professions with a Pharm. D degree can continue their career in various areas such as pharmacies, drug stores, medical facilities, hospitals, departmental stores, and even general stores. The six years of training will include important topics such as use of medicines, doses and times of administering them, prescription of drugs, over-the counter-drugs, side effects of drugs, and various combinations of medications.

6. Once you successfully complete the course and receive you Pharm. D degree, the next step is to apply for a license. You can schedule a date with the pharmacy licensing board for your examination. You need this license in order to get a job and practice pharmacy. This licensure exam is known as the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination or NAPLEX and is a mandatory requirement for all pharmacists in the U.S.

These are the most essential points for you to know if you are considering pharmacy as a career option. As you have read, it is fairly easy to get into a pharmacy program as long as you meet all the needed requirements. If you are looking for a career in the healthcare industry and are unsure of your options, the pharmaceutical line may be a very good choice for you.

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