Coming down heavily on the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) for its proposal for a short term course for medical store employees by claiming shortage of registered pharmacists, the Rajasthan State Pharmacist Association (RSPA) has written to the Pharmacy Council of India that the trade body has submitted incorrect information to the government about the number of qualified and registered pharmacists in the country, so steps should be taken with the government to get their proposal rejected.
The association has said that AIOCD’s intention is against public health, as they are led by business interest only.
The letter, written by Sarwesh Gaur, the president of RSPA, says that the statement given to the Union government by AIOCD is baseless. It is ridiculous to note that AIOCD’s claim of shortage of registered pharmacists comes at a time when 63621 qualified pharmacists come out every year from various institutions in the country after passing the courses of D Pharm, B. Pharm and Pharm D. Unfortunately, these pharmacists remain unemployed for years, he said in the letter.
In an online survey conducted by RSPA, it has found that various courses of pharmacy are conducted in 1216 pharmacy colleges in India. Diploma course is taught in 544 colleges, degree in 458 colleges and the Pharm D program in 214 institutions. Every year the country produces 63621 pharmacists and all of them get registered with various state pharmacy councils.
Criticizing the PCI for attending the meeting to support the AIOCD proposal, Sarwesh said both the Drug Act and the Pharmacy Act mandate a qualified pharmacist to dispense the medicines in the retail shops/community pharmacies, and it is a compulsory in foreign countries to dispense allopathic drugs. The pharmacist community in India is vigorously demanding for the strict implementation of the Act. PCI should advise the government to instruct AIOCD to appoint full time pharmacists in their retail outlets.
RSPA has sent the letter to the Pharmacy Council of India at a time when it has made its stand clear that it will not support the proposal of the trade body and will stand by the law of the land. The president of the pharmacy council, Dr. B. Suresh has categorically denied support to the government for amending D&C and Pharmacy Acts to bring in new law so as to give way for unqualified persons to dispense the drugs.
RSPA said the Union health ministry’s move to amend these Acts to substitute registered pharmacists and to help the traders is a retrograde step from the government and the association will fight such move.