Former president of the Guyana Pharmacists Association (GPA) Cecil Jacques was among three Guyanese pharmacists rewarded for their outstanding performance at the 28th annual Conference of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists (CAP) held in Trinidad.

Cecil Jacques

According to a press release Jacques was elected second vice president of the CAP. He will hold the position for two years. Jacques has been a registered pharmacist for over 15 years and had previously served on the CAP executive for a two-year term as an Executive Council Member from 2004-2006. He has also served the local association for 15 years and was a three-term president from 2001-2004. Currently Jacques is the Regional Representative of the Americas for the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association and has been an executive council member for that body since August 2007.

Meanwhile, immediate past president of the GPA Lonette Samuels won the Caribbean Community Pharmacist of Distinction 2008 award at the August 11-16 conference. Samuels has been a registered pharmacist for nine years, all of which she spent in community service.

She currently operates her own pharmacy – the Right Health Pharmacy- and is a member of the Pharmacy Council of Guyana which is the body responsible for registering local pharmacists and regulating the standard of practice for the profession.

Additionally, current GPA executive committee member Zobaida Sakoor won the Pharmacist fair play award – the Pedro Roberts Award. Named after an illustrious Bahamian and Caribbean pharmacist it is awarded to a CAP member who has displayed conduct that conforms to the highest ethical and humanitarian standards.

Sakoor has been a registered pharmacist for six years and has worked in the public and private hospital sector; community pharmacy practice and is currently engaged in warehousing and distribution with the health ministry.

The release said 11 local pharmacists attended the conference. It was hosted at the Hyatt Regency.