By: Rai Wiguna)*
The government’s commitment to expanding access to health services to remote villages is now increasingly concrete through the presence of the Village Pharmacy program. This initiative is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s grand vision in strengthening the economic independence and health of villages through the Red and White Cooperative, which will be formed in 80,000 locations throughout Indonesia. This program not only answers the urgent need for fair and affordable drug distribution, but also shows the state’s commitment to rural communities who have often been left behind in pharmaceutical services.
The government understands that access to safe and affordable drugs is a basic need that cannot be ignored. Therefore, in the development of the Red and White Cooperative, a structure was built that is more than just a village economic institution. This cooperative will become the center of important activities, starting from the distribution of subsidized fertilizers, provision of harvest transport trucks, cold storage, to the existence of Village Pharmacies.
This step also shows the government’s seriousness in responding to the disparity in drug prices between urban and rural areas. By utilizing the cooperative scheme, the community not only gets easy access to quality generic drugs at much lower prices, but also gets a guarantee of quality services from competent health workers.
Professional organizations such as the United Indonesian Farmers (FIB) welcome this step as a real form of the state’s role in realizing fair and equitable pharmaceutical services. They see Village Pharmacies not only as drug distribution points, but also as health education spaces that are greatly needed by rural communities. The FIB National Presidium, Ismail, stated that the placement of pharmacists in every pharmacy is an absolute requirement to ensure rational and appropriate drug use, while preventing medical risks due to the use of drugs through incorrect self-medication.
Moreover, the presence of pharmacists in villages is a great opportunity to empower more than 160 thousand active pharmacists in Indonesia and absorb new graduates who reach tens of thousands each year. This potential not only provides a solution for educated unemployment, but also improves the quality of national health services. In this case, the Village Pharmacy program is the answer to two problems at once: equal distribution of services and absorption of professional workers.
Ismail also emphasized that ideal pharmaceutical services are not merely technical matters, but reflect ethical and professional responsibilities in the public service system. The government has taken major steps, and support from stakeholders, including professional organizations, is an important part of ensuring that this program does not just stop at the concept, but runs effectively and sustainably.
Support also came from the Indonesian Pharmacists Association (IAI), through the General Chairperson of PP-IAI Noffendri Roestam. He considered that optimizing existing health facilities, such as community health centers and integrated health posts, could be the basis for developing Village Pharmacies. Without having to build new infrastructure from scratch, the integration of existing facilities is seen as an efficient and solution-oriented approach, in line with the direction of the Minister of Health. This shows that the government prioritizes the principle of sustainability in implementing the program, maximizing existing potential without burdening the budget unnecessarily.
In responding to the challenges of implementation in the field, IAI emphasized the importance of the government establishing regulations that support the existence of pharmacists as the main person in charge of pharmaceutical services in villages. This is important considering the complexity of pharmacists’ tasks which include therapy evaluation, drug management, and community education. In the context of community health centers that have become regional public service bodies (BLUD), for example, the managerial skills of pharmacists are an important factor that cannot be replaced by other technical personnel.
The Chairperson of the PP-IAI Public Health Pharmacy Seminary Association, Maria Ulfah, added that the challenges in implementing this program also come from the aspect of human resources. She highlighted the need for specific skills, such as financial management, drug procurement through the latest version of the e-catalog system, to efficient logistics management. According to her, these skills are only possessed by professional pharmacists, and cannot be completely replaced by pharmacy vocational personnel. Therefore, she emphasized that each Village Pharmacy should be managed directly by pharmacists with technical support from vocational personnel.
To strengthen the sustainability of the program, IAI also provided strategic recommendations such as the preparation of ASN formations based on village names, special task programs for new graduate pharmacists, and collaboration with assistant community health centers. Integration of Primary Services (ILP) was also proposedas a systemic approach that allows for more equitable pharmaceutical services and is no longer centralized in the sub-district. In addition, the involvement of BPJS and the support of the POM Agency in ensuring the quality and availability of drugs are also inseparable parts of the program’s success.
Within the framework of national health development, the Village Pharmacy which is present through the Red and White Cooperative is proof that the state is present in a concrete way for the people. This program not only offers the availability of cheap drugs, but also ensures that services are carried out by professional personnel with high standards. That way, the service gap between cities and villages will be increasingly narrow, along with the growing public trust in an inclusive and equitable health system.
When the state succeeds in making villages the center of health and economic growth, then the great ideal of creating a healthy, independent, and prosperous society is no longer just discourse. The Village Pharmacy is a strategic and measurable step forward in realizing this goal.
)* Public Policy Analysis
