Patients in need of urgent medical care or medication outside of normal business hours are set to benefit from two significant expansions to healthcare access in Antigua and Barbuda — a planned round-the-clock pharmacy service at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, expected to launch on October 1, and extended evening hours already in effect at two community health centres across the island.
24-Hour Pharmacy at the SLBMC
Cabinet has been informed of plans to introduce a 24-hour pharmacy service at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, a change designed to close a longstanding gap in after-hours care that has left patients unable to fill prescriptions on-site when they need them most.
Under the current arrangement, patients requiring medication outside regular pharmacy hours have often been forced to wait until the following morning or seek supplies from private pharmacies — adding cost, inconvenience, and potential risk to those already dealing with medical emergencies or acute conditions.
The planned round-the-clock service would ensure that emergency, inpatient, and after-hours cases can all have medicines dispensed on-site at any hour. The change is expected to require additional staffing, training, and restructuring within the pharmacy department, though Cabinet did not disclose how many new workers may be hired or what the full cost of the expanded service will be.
The announcement forms part of a broader package of proposed health-sector changes at the SLBMC, which has also recently reconstituted its board of directors, launched an online appointment request system, and introduced mandatory Ebola preparedness training and medication safety refresher training for nursing staff.
Grays Farm and Clare Hall Health Centres: Open Until 9 p.m.
