The availability of medicine in time to all patients is generally what we strive to achieve. Pharmacy section over the years has tremendously contributed to the cancer treatment service at Ocean Road Cancer Institute, in the past three years, the section has managed to maintain 100% medicine availability both from MSD and using its Community pharmacy initiative.

The community pharmacy offers medicine to all insured patients using varieties of health insuring scheme in Tanzania. This approach has in fact stabilized the availability of medicine in the Institute. This Section led by a Manager, has the following responsibility:

1. Provide advice on the dosage of prescribed medicines and the most appropriate form of medication to doctors and patients or patients’ relatives;
2. Dispense medicine to the patients according to prescription;
3. Store medicines;
4. Undertake clinical trial research and prepare report;
5. Prepare guidelines for drug use;
6. Keep records and stock of medications and provide a list of stock to prescribers;
7. Record and alert all adverse effects as reported to the pharmacy by prescribers and patients; and
8. Update expiring record of all medicines stocked and provide report to the management.

Ocean Road Community Pharmacy

The Ocean Road Community Pharmacy (OCP) started to operate in December 2016 as a standalone pharmacy. Currently, the OCP has increased the accessibility of cancer and non- cancer medicine to patients visiting the facility and patients admitted at ORCI. Also, OCP has resulted in increased visits from NHIF health insurance beneficiaries and other private insurance beneficiary including Strategies and Jubilee. During the period from December, 2016 to August, 2019 OCP has served more than 45,204 patients.

OCP Overall Objective

The Ocean Road Community Pharmacy (OCP) overall objective is to have improved cancer treatment. To achieve objectives, the following are set of targets that we strives to accomplish;

1. Ensuring availability of medicines and medical supplies for patients,
2. Ensuring all daily pharmaceuticals are properly recorded and distributed,
3. Increasing the variety of medications, we serve,
4. Adopting measure on reducing expiry of medicines under storage while ensuring no out of stock,
5. Improving laboratory services and setting up to date radiology and imaging services

Products and Services

The ORCI Community Pharmacy offers the following services to our customers: –

1. Cancer medicine education and management –Pills education and management
2. Community consultation services – working with patients attending the clinic in order to build customer relations and
3. Immunization services