Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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PHARMACEUTICAL ETHICS IN CRISIS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE PREPAREDNESS IN ROMANIA AND SIMILAR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS

LUCIA MARIA RUS 1, SIMONA CODRUȚA HEGHEȘ 1*, ADELA CACOVEAN 2, LIGIA-ANCUȚA HUI 3, ALINA UIFĂLEAN 1, CRISTINA ADELA IUGA 1,4, HORAȚIU COLOSI ⁵

¹ Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy,
40 0349, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2 Ducfarm SRL Pharmacy, 400276, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3 ICU Department, University Clinical Municipal Hospital, 400139, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
4 Department of Personalized Medicine and Rare Diseases, MedFuture – Institute for Biomedical Research, “Iuliu Hațieganu”
University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
5 Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and
Pharmacy, 400349, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

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The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical role of pharmacists in ensuring access to medicines and continuity of pharmaceutical care. Pharmacists were also among the most accessible healthcare professionals and faced medication shortages, increased workloads, occupational risks, and rapidly changing clinical information. This perspective article discusses the lessons learned from the pandemic, analysed through the ethical framework proposed by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, which is based on the principles of non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, beneficence, truthfulness, and solidarity. The discussion is structured around the major professional responsibilities, which include clinical evaluation, preparation and dispensing, counselling and advising, and monitoring and pharmacovigilance. The article covers challenges related to medicine shortages, patient counselling, vaccination activities, pharmacovigilance, digital health solutions, and workforce resilience, based on the Romanian experience and international literature. The pandemic has highlighted the need for better integration of pharmacists into healthcare systems and emergency preparedness planning. Future work will focus on enhancing pharmaceutical services, increasing supply chain resilience, supporting pharmacovigilance activities, expanding digital pharmaceutical care, and protecting the well-being of pharmacy staff.