An MPowered battle with fear

MEDICAL DISPOSABLES and Supplies Limited (MDS) recently held its 5th Annual MPowered Continuing Education Seminar for Pharmacists under the theme ‘Fearless’. With the support of the wider Caribbean community of pharmacists, MDS is the first distributor in Jamaica to partner with the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists.

The virtually held conference was sponsored by the National Health Fund and recorded a total of 1,129 guests, the highest number of registrations in its five-year lifespan.

Hosted by George Davis and Dr Terri-Karelle Reid on day one and two, respectively, the conference featured six speakers who tackled a plethora of conditions that Jamaicans often neglect, resulting from fear. On day one of the conference, Dr Jennifer Mamby Alexander (medical practitioner, cytologist and hair loss specialist) and Dr Tyeesha Palmer Morgan (clinical pharmacist) discussed the topics of alopecia and skin bleaching that affect a wide section of the Jamaican populace.

In her presentation, Dr Palmer Morgan played the intro to Vybz Kartel’s Cake Soap song to emphasise some trends among influential celebrities and social media influencers, which has resulted in an uptick of skin lightening over the years.

“A survey done in December 2023 with 20 participants showed that 35 per cent of people who bleach, do so for acceptance. There was a 25 per cent tie with hyperpigmentation and even skin tone, with acne being the least common reason, at just 15 per cent,” Dr Palmer Morgan said.

Day two of the conference saw Dr Alfred Dawes (general, laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon), Dr Keisha Allen Dougan (clinical pharmacist), Ann-Merita Golding (speech language pathologist) and Dathan Henry (registered pharmacist and medical representative), tackling issues such as colorectal disorders, phobias and stuttering.

Dr Dawes, known for his witty debunks on social media, mapped out the dangers of colorectal diseases, placing special focus on haemorrhoids, diverticular disease, colon cancer and irritable bowel syndrome. “I chose these because the symptoms overlap so much, and what we want to do is recognise danger. You cannot be fearless by saying that you are not afraid of danger, you have to know what is dangerous and what is not,” Dr Dawes said.

In his presentation on stuttering, pharmacist Dathan Henry shared instances in his life in which he was discouraged from pursuing his career because he “could not speak properly”. Instead of allowing the negative connotations to take root, Henry used them as a fuel to achieve the goals he set out for himself despite his impediment, and is now seeking to become a speech pathologist. He lists excitement, tiredness, stress, people’s reactions and feeling pressured as some triggers for stuttering. However, contrary to popular belief, anxiety is not a cause of stuttering.

In-between presentations, icebreakers were thrown out to the online participants, who were able to win a number of gift baskets, courtesy of Beauty Brand by MDS; a spa treatment, courtesy of Body by TLS; and a Roast by Bresheh bag.

“God has been good to us, to say the least. It is our firm belief that the pharmacist should be elevated. We think pharmacists are unsung heroes, and what we try to do here at MPowered is to inspire and uplift a profession that’s deserving of more respect, and we do so with all fearlessness. This year, we welcome a partnership with the National Health Fun,” said Kurt Boothe, chief executive officer and director at Medical Disposable and Supplies Limited.

“For the past two years, our intention was to take this conference regional. It is never been done before, and so we welcome the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists; we welcome our Caribbean brothers and sisters,” Boothe added.

MDS remains committed to empowering the lives of its consumer and medical partners, as they continue to educate and shed light on illnesses that are often left unchecked.