So many regulatory bodies and governing bodies in pharmacy education: whims of my mind

PCI(Pharmacy Council Of India) and AICTE(All India Council for technical education) are the governing bodies in the pharmacy education , keeping in mind the compounding and dispensing as well as the technical aspects involved in Pharmaceutical Engineering .

Now with the advent of Pharm D course in pharmacy, which is clinically oriented 6 years course in pharmacy and the syllabus is designed such as  first 3 years are same as B.Pharm ( compounding and dispensing oriented) and next 2 years are same as MD Pharmacology (medically and clinically oriented) and 1 year of internship in an attached (minimum- 300 beded) hospital , one may expect MCI (medical council of India) to get into the thick of the things/matters.

As it requires an affiliation with a  hospital( minimum 300 beded), to get approval for an pharmaceutical institute from PCI to conduct the course , one must expect MCI(medical council of India) also to get involved as a regulatory and governing body.

PCI governs courses like : D.Pharm
                                         B.Pharm
                                        Pharm D and Pharm D(PB)

AICTE governs courses like : B.Pharm( jointly with PCI)
                                              M.Pharm

Now one must expect AICTE,PCI and MCI may jointly govern : Pharm D and Pharm D(PB)

But no, its not a rational thinking on my part. MCI will get involve only when the course is a medical one or may be when the professional doctor is dealing with a body part.
So, its fair enough that MCI is not involved into these matters.

                                             

PHARMACIST IN HEALTHCARE/PHARMACARE

PHARMACIST IN HEALTHCARE.

Unless Indian healthcare service and infrastructure is made inclusive of pharmacy and pharmacists service, there is no scope for pharmacist in healthcare

High-Risk Drugs

High-Risk Drugs

"High risk medicines are those medicines that have a high risk of causing significant patient harm or death when used in error.- Google search

Although errors may or may not be more common than with other medicines, the consequences of errors with these medicines can be more devastating" - Google search.

"A – Antimicrobials

P – Potassium and other electrolytes, psychotropic medications

I – Insulin

N – Narcotics, opioids and sedatives

C – Chemotherapeutic agents

H – Heparin and other anticoagulants

S – Safer systems (e.g. safe administration of liquid medications using oral syringes)

Methods to reduce error include strategies such as:

👉 improving access to information about these drugs

👉 limiting access to high risk medications

👉 using Tallman* lettering to differentiate high risk medications

using auxiliary labels and automated alerts

👉 standardising the prescription, storage, preparation, and administration of these products."

------------

*Tallman lettering:

1.acetaZOLAMIDE vs. acetoHEXAMIDE.

2. buPROPion vs. busPIRone.

3.chlorproMAZINE vs. chlorproPAMIDE.

5.clomiPHENE vs. clomiPRAMINE.

6. cycloSERINE vs. cycloSPORINE."

- Google search.

Pharmacists should recollect their lessons on Routes of Administration, Times of Administration, LASA drug names and Importance of Administration by Medical attendant or under Medical supervision.

Identifying and self regulating them by Retail Pharmacists looks highly imminent Now in Public Interest.

Attn. #Pharmacists &

          #DrugsInspectors

DTAB proposed to GoI an amendment to Sch K to circumvent all such judicial orders. Our representatives from PCI and IPA (Big) agreed to it for a cup of Tea!

DTAB proposed to GoI an amendment to Sch K to circumvent all such judicial orders.

Our representatives from PCI and IPA (Big) agreed to it for a cup of Tea!

Dispensing Of Medicines Under Doctor Without Pharmacist: High Court Stays Government Order

By Farhat NasimPublished On 15 Dec 2019 3:28 PM  |  Updated On 15 Dec 2019 3:28 PM

The court, subsequently held that the orders were unsustainable under the law and ordered the government to ensure that medicines were dispensed through qualified pharmacists

Kochi: The Kerala Government's order that approved dispensing of drugs under the supervision of medical practitioner in the absence of pharmacists at the government hospital pharmacies has come to a halt as the High Court recently issued a stay order.

The stay order was issued by Justice P B Suresh following a petition filed by All Kerala Pharmacists Union (AKPU), who submitted that only a registered pharmacist shall dispense any medicine as per Section 42 of Pharmacy Act, 1948.

The pharmacists union saw red after the state government issued an order that empowered the doctors/medical officers to dispense medicines under his/her direct supervision in case the pharmacist is absent from the hospital pharmacy or if he leaves the pharmacy. This was issued by the government in complying with the verdict passed by the high court in 2017. The 2017 case related to a statement by the Director of Health Services (DHS) allowing distribution of medicines through unqualified pharmacists.

As per a recent TOI report, the petitioner contended that in 2013, DHS had issued a circular pointing out that unqualified persons performing duties of pharmacists in government hospitals are in violation of the law. When Pharmacy Practice Regulations, 2015 came into being, the government issued a circular for its strict implementation and to prevent dispensing of medicines by unqualified persons.

However, in 2016, the DHS issued 2 orders for distributing medicines for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to sub-centre clinics and allowing junior public health nurses to dispense NCD medicines, the petitioner added.

After hearing the entire case, the court subsequently held that the orders were unsustainable under the law and ordered the government to ensure that medicines were dispensed through qualified pharmacists, reports TOI.

Colleges against PHARMA D under AICTE purview and tight teacher-student ratio

A different POV:Empowering current PHARMACY Education in INDIA. The pharmacy education in the country is a total disconnect between learning, training, and healthcare needs of the society.

The pharmacy education in the country is a total disconnect between learning, training, and healthcare needs of the society. The profession of pharmacists goes well beyond mere drug dispensing to participate at all levels of the public health system. A roadmap needs to be chalked out to ensure a transformation in the profession of the pharmacist to shun the old and unproductive mindset and overhaul education, training and research approaches. There is need to harmonize pharmaceutical education with global standards where it is a recognised, critical and indispensable clinical profession. Unlike doctors, dentists and nurses, pharmacists are not considered as service cadre. General perception is that they are medicine traders. Moreover, the  pharmacists are not seen in any uniform or white aprons either at chemist outlets or in hospitals. The faculty at pharmacy colleges do not interact with doctors. Pharmacists are not part of the decision making process to select the  right medicines or in committees working on costing of drugs purchase. The current curricula is broadly industry oriented and has not changed in 80 years including the diploma course which was revised during the Education Regulation of 1991.They are still struggling for the recognition of their role that can help improve the health care system. Changes are required in quality pharmaceutical education meets the challenges and needs of the nation in the 21st century. The country failed to gain societal recognition of the pharmacy profession. The need of the hour is to ensure that quality of education is not sacrificed at the cost of quantity. Changes in the legislative framework that improve and maintain the high standards of the pharmacy profession in both educational and practice settings are lacking.

The profession of pharmacy is at a significant crossroads between its conventional drug-dispensing identity and a pioneering clinical role with health care provider status. Though a growing clinical pharmacy education system has been established in India, the developing pace is very slow. The main barriers facing clinical pharmacy education in India  exist in the undergraduate educational system. First, the curriculum structure and content in clinical pharmacy programs needs to be improved to make it more practical and systematic.For example, courses are too elaborate and lack coherence and integrity from course to course and do not truly help students obtain practical clinical skills. Students lack sufficient opportunity to consolidate their theoretical knowledge in the earlier stages and find it difficult to adjust when they enter practice. There are still no well-designed assessment criteria for clinical pharmacy practice and little effective supervision when students are practicing in hospitals or other institutions. The more urgent need for pharmacy graduates is appropriate knowledge and skills in patient care. The demand for clinically trained pharmacists is therefore urgent. Cooperation between pharmacy colleges and hospitals must be strengthened, more faculty members with a clinical pharmacy background must be recruited, and hospital pharmacists must be involved in teaching college courses.

Federal legislation for pharmacy provider status is not a want, but a need for the reimbursement of patient care services that will not only demonstrate the importance of our profession but also provide financial benefits. With the snowballing demand for health care services by the increasing population and shortage of physicians, something will have to change. Pharmacists could be that defining factor for many companies and patients; however, we need to make our services and value known. Pharmacist provider status is just 1 piece of the colossal health care delivery system change puzzle. How will pharmacy practice evolve to meet the needs of the 21st-century health care system? That is up to us, and if we don’t take measures to define it in our terms, somebody may define it for us. The first step is the passage of federal provider status legislation.

#Acceptable Pharmacist - PharmD

#AcceptablePharmacist - PharmD

Pharmacy profession becomes competent in Health Sector only when Clinical Pharmacy Service is accepted by Indian Healthcare System.

Does the above statement holds value?

Then what's the role of M.D Pharmacologist? 

Pharm D professionals used only for clerical jobs in Indian Healthcare System eg Bedside strip cutting.