Afghanistan: an assessment of the status of health care and pharmacy mentoring efforts in an Afghan National Army hospital.
BACKGROUND
The United States and Coalition countries initiated mentoring in Afghanistan as a means of training the Afghan people for independence, to include democratic self-governance and national defense. Several medical Embedded Training Teams are executing the medical component of the mentoring mission at Afghan Army hospitals around the country.


OBJECTIVE
To provide a brief synopsis of Afghanistan history, review the status of Afghanistan health care, and provide an overview of pharmacy mentoring efforts by an Air Force pharmacist and pharmacy technician at Kandahar Regional Military Hospital.


CONCLUSIONS
Afghanistan health care has suffered from neglect, and improving health care in the country is an important part of bolstering their military and the country as a whole. Afghanistan is rebounding from decades of civil war and occupation from a number of oppressive regimes, and the Afghan military faces considerable challenges. Challenges specific to military pharmacy include lack of established policies and procedures, medication shortages, medication quality issues, and lack of basic equipment, supplies, and training.


CONCLUSIONS
Through ingenuity and determination, Afghan and Coalition pharmacists are working together to make progress in advancing the practice of pharmacy in Afghanistan.
Wright
Kevin
K
Afghan National Army at Kandahar Regional Military Hospital, Camp Shirzai, Afghanistan. kevin.wright@patrick.af.mil
D000346:Afghanistan; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D008611:Mentors; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000379:methods*; D024382:Professional Role; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States