Pharmacists want the government to introduce a curriculum in the country that is more oriented towards developing a strong work culture for pharmacist than being more industry oriented. They feel that as of now there is not enough sensitisation on the importance of pharmacists in the country. This needs to be changed so that the pharmacist can get recognition for the work they do towards the society.
According to Dr H G Koshia, president, IPA, Gujarat, there is a need to change the way the pharmacy education is being imparted in the country as today it is more focused towards the needs of the industry than to develop the role of pharmacists. He said, “Pharmacists play a very important role in the dispensing medicines to the patients. Thus it is essential that they should be trained accordingly. There is also a need to widen the scope of the profession so that they will be able to deliver the best in their capacity.”
In India, very few are aware about the concept of community pharmacist who plays a vital role in the society. He said, “There is a general demand for qualified pharmacists in the country but, very few opt for it since they are not aware of the different work profiles included in this job. Developing this concept will not only give more credibility to this profession but will also highlight and develop the role of pharmacists.”
Dr Koshia further stressed that though a pharmacist is expected to conduct many duties, they are hardly documented, however with the practice of establishing the culture of community pharmacists’ it will lead to system that will help in documenting the community pharmacist's role in ensuring safe medication use.
Pharmacists in community pharmacies is responsible for dispensing medications, counselling patients on the use of prescription and over-the-counter medications, and advising physicians about medication therapy, advising patients about general health topics, such as diet, exercise, and stress management, and provide information on products, such as durable medical equipment or home healthcare supplies etc.
In addition, they often complete third-party insurance forms and other paperwork. Those who own or manage community pharmacies may sell non-health-related merchandise, hire and supervise personnel, and oversee the general operation of the pharmacy. Some community pharmacists provide specialized services to help patients with conditions such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure. Some pharmacists are trained to administer vaccinations.
Dr Koshia stressed that seeing the nature of this job it is also important that the government should undertake special training sessions for these pharmacists on the latest trends and the changes that are being done so that they can sensitise on the same. “There is a general misconception among the public that a role of the pharmacist is to only dispense medicine which needs to be changed. There is lot of other important aspects to this profession which needs to be developed and used appropriately, for this we need to not only sensitise the people but also the pharmacists so that they know how to deliver their duties appropriately,” he said.
Usually a pharmacist is expected to dispense medicines and advise the medical staff on the selection and effects of drugs. But it must be noted that among the many responsibilities pharmacists are expected to counsel hospitalized patients on the use of drugs before the patients are discharged, counsel them when needed and also to plan, monitor, and evaluate drug programs or regimens as when needed.