A Visit to Jolly's Pharmacy

Friday morning we made the trip to Roseau to visit Jolly's Pharmacy, a private pharmacy similar to a mom and pop drugstore in the U.S. The manager, Orrin, gave us the grand tour and described many of the differences between pharmacy practice in the U.S. and Dominica. Having studied in Seattle, he is familiar with U.S. standards and understands the distinctions.

Orrin explained that there are no laws regulating the practice of pharmacy in Dominica - quite different from the strict rules we follow at home. Pharmacists do not even need to be licensed to work here! Instead, their clinical judgment and ethics guide their practice. The inventory  at Jolly's was impressive, as they stocked several medications in the pharmacy and kept extra in storage. Orrin explained that they use more than five suppliers in multiple countries to maintain stock. The orders take at least seven days to arrive, with many taking up to two weeks. That process was much different from our single wholesaler agreements that deliver medications the next morning. It really made me appreciate the accessibility to medications that we are all so accustomed to. It is hard to imagine waiting more than a week to receive the medication that you need.

While we were at Jolly's, I couldn't help but think of the rural clinics that we visited in southeastern Dominica. The public health care system struggles to maintain their stock at these clinics, often limiting therapeutic options for patients. Luckily, patients can purchase prescriptions from private businesses like Jolly's if they are not available for free through their clinics. Other major differences exist with their computer system (or lack there of) and the size of their staffs. Record keeping is done by hand at the rural clinics, with a single pharmacist managing a district of five villages.

The visit to Jolly's was very insightful. I'm glad I got the opportunity to meet such an inspiring pharmacist. He has great ideas on improving pharmacy in Dominica. Learning from him was definitely a great addition to this rotation and strengthened my understanding of pharmacy practice in Dominica.

Bridget Sterling