Why the Pharmacy Education and Profession in India demands still more sacrifice, hard work and in resultant, we are not getting

Why the Pharmacy Education and Profession in India demands still more sacrifice, hard work and in resultant, we are not getting much respect, recognition and pays, what for most of us deserve?

The pharmacyprofession in India was marked by the first class of the chemist and druggist conducted at the Madras medical college in 1870s to train students, to gain skills in pharmacy practice. Pharmacy education pattern was based on the instructions provide by the pharmaceutical society of Great Britain.

The pharmacy profession entered India almost simultaneously with U.S but the growth in India remained very slow. For almost half a century not much progress was noticed, until B.Pharm course was started in 1937 at Banaras Hindu University and in 1944 at the Punjab University, Lahore.

Pharmacist is integral part of health care team without us (pharmacist) no others members      like doctors , nurses can perform well, but in India we are not given proper respect, recognition, only pharmacy books say about what we are, and what’s our scop in health care field, but in real it’s different.

Pharmaceutical science is a professional subject like medicine, engineering and architecture. apart from other basic subjects like agriculture, veterinary, engineering and medicine are included in the curriculum of civil services examination, but pharmaceutical science is not included. It is in fact, a kind of discrimination towards this noble profession and the subject by the government of India.

We (Pharmacist) are not given proper respect, recognition, attention, pays so to get rid off this discrimination      we have few issues enlist here, so please read it carefully, have a second thought and give your opinion in this regard so we draft our points in such a way so that it can be given to government bodies in regard to our demands and issues.

1.      There are several ministry in the government of India and state governments but pharmacy is still not consider a prime issue for its proper recognition by the governments Like Ministry of health there must be a separate  Ministry of Pharmacy both at central level and state level under this pharmaceutical industry , hospital and community pharmacist must come, it’s should not be like present situation , Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) under  Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India, because pharmaceutical products ( life saving  medicine, surgical products , cosmetics) and their procurement, formulation, manufacturing, quality analysis, labeling, dispensing  is never compare with the chemicals and fertilizers.

2.      B.Pharm must be preferential qualification for pharmacist but presently D.Pharm is the essential qualification. PCI said that B.Pharm should register under state pharmacy council and be a registered pharmacist as per certificate given by State Pharmacy Council but B.Pharm is not eligible for pharmacist post in health care centers. Why?

3.      Drug inspector must be at block / tehsil level apart from appointing at district or some time at region level for proper regulation,

4.      Pharmacist should be appointed at the PHC (Public Health Centre) at panchanyat level and CHC (Community Health Centre) block/tehsil level.

5.      For the proper health care of patient, pharmacists are important as well as doctors, so why there are only one – two pharmacists, so a team of 5-6 pharmacists must be appointed a CHC, PHC, level.

6.      There should be a Pharmacy officer at CHC and PHC level at the basis of medical officer.

7.      At the basis of CMO there should chief pharmacy officer (CPO) under which pharmacist should work.

8.      In NIPER as being a separate organization for pharmaceutical sciences, why for admission in post graduation as well in Ph.D , sciences graduate ,BAMS, veterinary graduate  and science post graduate are also eligible though for them, concern facility are available in there stream but in this, pharmacy students are not eligible.

9.      Pharmaceutical science is a professional subject like medicine, engineering, apart from other basic subjects like agriculture, veterinary, engineering and medicine are included in the curriculum of civil services examination (UPSC, State PSC). Pharmaceutical sciences must be included in civil service curriculum, Why not still it is.

10.  Pharmacy governing bodies like PCI and AICTE are now only approving more no. of college but these are not much concern about the quality of education, creating job opportunity for graduate pharmacist in industry and hospitals. 

11.  These governing bodies like PCI,AICTE and several association like IPA, IPGA, IPHA, ACPI, APTI should not only talk in conference about high fi things about pharmacy but  they must also think and do some  ground level  work and necessity issues like:

·         Proper respect and recognition of pharmacy teachers, pharmacist in hospitals and industries.

·          Creating more job opportunity at government level and private level in respect to annual pass-out graduates.

·         In pharmaceutical industry there must be proper recognition and preference of pharmacy graduates over sciences graduates.

·         The seniors of our pharmacy profession who are engaged in higher post in top organization like PCI, CDRI, NBRI, NIPER etc. must think and take up agitating            steps which provide the right of budding and youth batch of pharmacy.

12.  Now it’s time to fight for our rights which provide  health , wealth, recognition and respect of profession and all professionals, there is no option to change the profession (several doing B.Ed,BP.Ed,BTC) after a huge, research and technical study steps, which most of our budding pharmacy professionals are doing to get rid  off present system.

Please read it carefully, think over it and give your opinion as earlier as possible in this regard so we can draft our points in such a way so that it can be given to government bodies for consideration and implementation of   our demands and issues.

“We are waiting for your opinion and ready for our next steps”

With Regards: