In India, there is no meaning to be a pharmacist. No career, No job, No secure future. Pharmacist has no individual identity. People do pharmacy to get only drug license.
In papers pharmacy profession is one of the growing profession but at ground level, every pharmacist is struggling to make living for himself. Read Related: Who is a Pharmacist? How to become a Registered Pharmacist? Qualification, Procedure, Documentation etc
In medical and healthcare sector, everyone i.e. doctors, pharma companies, chemists and wholesalers is earning huge income except pharmacist. Pharmacist work is done by all professionals here in India. A doctor can tell you dosages, dosages timing, interval between dosages etc to a patient along with prescribing the medicine, no matter it’s his work or not. Doctor’s work is only to diagnose disease and prescribe medicine to a patient. He is not educated or trained to fix dose or advice about medicine to patient. It is the work of a pharmacist. But who one cares about this. Doctors are self declared pharmacist also in India.
This is one of the main reason of increasing case of drug interactions and toxicity of drugs in India. For proper utilization of healthcare facilities in India, we have to develop stronger pharmacy act by providing responsibilities to Pharmacists.
Now talk about Chemists, you will find a 12th pass or simple graduated person siting at pharmacy or chemist shop. He also consider himself doctor and pharmacist both. He can give you complete description about drug or medicine to you. He will have a rented license from a registered pharmacist. He will have no respect toward pharmacist. Regardless of knowledge about pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, drug interactions, side effects of medicines, he will concentrate to dispense as possible as medicine to patient to earn more. He is earning lakhs from a rented license but will give lot of excuses to pay three to four thousand to a pharmacist.
We always feel, who one started this rented license system which is spoiling life of thousands of pharmacist. Why our government don’t make compulsory to sit a registered pharmacist in a medical shop. This step can provide quick recovery to pharmacist reputations.
In pharmaceutical sector, same situation continue. There is no separate jobs or responsibilities mentioned. Bachelor in sciences is considered same as to Bachelor in pharmacy as per qualification and job responsibilities in pharmaceutical sector irrespective of whether they have any knowledge about drugs or medicine or not. Main reason for that our drug department provide approval to simple science graduate as manufacturing chemist.
If we compare Indian pharmacy profession to European or American pharmacy professionals then we find complete difference. In developed countries, Pharmacist is a most important part of healthcare system. Doctor’s will only diagnose the disease and prescribe the medicine. After that its pharmacist’s duty to check for dose of medicine to patient (Effective dose/Toxic Dose), time interval between dosing, any interaction between prescribing medicines, precautions while taking medicine, any drug history etc. Its not a simple task. Pharmacist is equally responsible for patient’s health as of Doctor. Why can’t we develop this type of culture in India.
What could be the benefits for society if Pharmacist do his own work and gets his respect back:
- Self medication could be avoided as common people will not aware about actual dose of medicine because pharmacist will dispense dose as per patients need and will vary person to person. Second, Pharmacist can educate patients about adverse effects of self medications.
- Antibiotic Resistance could be avoided. Resistance toward antibiotics in India is becoming major problem. Main reason is easy availability and self medication of antibiotics. Prescribing of higher antibiotics and irrational combinations of antibiotics also lead to drug resistance in body. Only Pharmacist can restrict this unethical delivery of medicine by cross checking of doctor’s prescription and avoiding self medication.
- Black money laundering in pharma supply chain is restricted only by entering of Pharma Professionals who have dedication and responsibilities toward professions. Persons who have only interest in money can’t think about health and life of others.
- Implementations of all schedules and act at ground level could be possible only when Government expel all non pharma professionals from pharma sectors. All ethic code and policies will be implemented very easily at ground level.
- Side effects and adverse reactions of medicines could be avoided as Pharmacist will educate persons about excessive use of medications and will check the history of patient related to any adverse reaction and allergies from any medicine.
- Drug Interactions is major problem for decreasing health in general public. Number of patients doesn’t get proper effect of medication due to drug interactions. Only pharmacist can fulfill this gap between doctors and patient to avoid any drug interaction and adverse reactions due to this interaction.
- Food and Drug Interactions is also severe problem which is under estimated during treatment. Most of foods and food supplements interact with drug molecules and alter their effects. Prescribing and advising any foods or food supplement can produce more harm than benefit to patient if not check at pharmacist level. It can be done only by an educated pharma professional i.e. Pharmacist.
Our motive is to provide best healthcare system to society. Its a small step to aware all pharmacists toward their responsibilities and to aware our Health department and Government to make strict rules and regulation to prevent patient’s from avoidable adverse effects. If any how we hurt someones feeling, we felt sorry toward them.
Until non professionals are in pharma sector, we can’t build stronger and healthier India.
Hope above information was useful to you…
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