Newindpress

Mangalore, Aug 14: A slew of recommendations submitted to the centre aims at ushering professionalism and reviving the role of Pharmacists, Experts stressed at a Continuing Education Programme (CEP) on Good Dispensing Practices held at the Karavali College of Pharmacy on Sunday.

‘Though there are eight lakh pharmacists in India, they have failed to have any sort of impact on public and the government’, Indian Pharmacist Association Secretary (Education) D Satyanarayana regretted at the CEP organised by the Karnataka State Pharmacy Council, Karavali College of Pharmacy and SK district Chemists and Druggists Association.

Addressing the hospital, community pharmacist and pharmacy, Satyanar ayana recollected that the 2005 public health plan of the centre which had envisaged a role for everyone including lab technicians had made no mention of their role in public health.

The public, he explained, had labled them as a ‘traders’ because of a severe lack of value added services. The Pharmacy Act of 1948 was outdated as it do not define who is a pharmacist. There were 625 institutions imparting B Pharma degree with syllabus drafted in 1991 to the needs of industry, he added.

Today factors like India being fourth largest supplier of pharmaceuticals, the enormous value of business estimated at $25 billion by 2010 and a requirement of five lakh pharmacist professionals, were driving force behind the changes sought into Pharmacy Act, he said.

PCI member Prof Chinnaswamy said after a decade-long efforts, a proposal for amendments to the Pharma Act had been submitted to the Union Health Minister. Highlighting some of the salient features in the proposal, Chinnaswamy said the proposal ensured that pharmacy assistants had a diploma degree and prevent individuals who had no knowledge of drugs. The council also had submitted another proposal to the Centre on starting a doctorate in pharmacy course. This programme, already introduced in Pakistan.