The pharmacy profession in India has attained remarkable growth during the last few decades. This rapid growth can be attributed to the technological advancement and increased globalization. The impact of this growth is reflected in the country's pharmacy practice and pharma professionals are keen on maintaining the growth curve and necessary standards. The pace and the revolving wheel of progress have also altered the concept, role and significance of the three Ps, i.e. product, practice and patient with respect to pharma professionals.
People are now assigning new dimensions to these three key words in the changing scenario and it is very much justified on part of the responsible and vigilant pharma professionals to pay attention to this transformation process. There is a need to carry out a futuristic analysis in this regard, so that the significant developments and new horizons being achieved and likely to be achieved can be identified. In this context, it is really a matter of great pleasure that organisers of 59th Indian pharmaceutical congress (IPC) have decided to select such a theme, which encompasses issues related to product, patient and practice and their future scenario.
Product, patient & practice: The future
It is axiomatic that product is the prime focus of attraction in the pharma world. The future demands developments and utilization of innovative newer drug delivery systems (NDDS), so that the drawbacks and shortcomings associated with the conventional drug delivery systems may be minimized. The government can play a vital role in making the product a central focal point from the pharma industry's point of view. Raising funds for research and development (R&D) activities and constant motivation to get the product patented may also prove significant.
The implementation of proposed General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GAAT) amalgamated with the impacts of globalisation may bring all together a different picture of what we call as product today. In the coming years, each pharma company has to put efforts in developing lead molecules, so that they may be converted into suitable potential therapeutically active drugs. Increased views of information technology and advanced techniques may be employed wherever required.
Apart from this, the task of searching new chemical entities and drug delivery systems (DDS) may be accomplished successfully by giving more emphasis on industry-academia network. The future problems, which may probably be encountered, include insufficient exploitation of available scholastic wisdom, rigid and non-favourable government rules and regulations, lack of proper motivation among researchers and improper utilization of allied branches like biotechnology, bioinformatics etc.
One highly potential area which may exert massive impact on the product aspect in future is the establishment of multinational companies' (MNCs) units in India. Also, growing collaborations and joint ventures with foreign investors in the pharmaceutical field would have an impact on the future product aspect. Fortunately, presently the picture is not that much gloomy in this regard. It is the right time for private giants to come forward and help in raising sufficient funds for research and development efforts both at micro and macro level.
The proposed strategies for future product regime are:
■ Efforts should be made to offer excellent opportunities to the researchers and scientists to motivate them to move in the specified direction, i.e., to develop a therapeutically active product with desirable characteristics. This may help in preventing the existing brain drain in the country
■ Relevant global information regarding recent trends and technological advancement should be made available and furnished at the earliest to the concerned persons. To serve the purpose, research labs, both in private and public sectors, should be well equipped with state-of-the-art technologies
■ As part of globalization, collaborations and mutual exchange programs in terms of technology and human resource at global level should be promoted whenever possible
■ A well formulated and planned SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis should be carried out by the pharmaceutical industrial unit to find out existing problems and possible rectifications
■ There is an utmost need to make the consumers familiarised with the salient features of finished form of the product with particular emphasis on newer drug delivery systems (NDDS). Pharmacists should come forward and shoulder this responsibility
Patient
Patients can be regarded as a soul, if we consider the pharma field as a body. The activities of a pharma professional revolve around the patient and the future scenario presents ample opportunities for pharma professionals to redefine and rebuild their relationship with patients. Patients are now more aware and concerned about their health. And in future, innovative and effective methodologies should be employed to impart the relevant drug information and knowledge to patients, so that compliance may be increased and newer drug delivery systems may be executed with ease. Increased patient care using modern technology coupled with applications of personal management principles may help in achieving this target.
Proper patient counselling is an integral component of pharmaceutical ethics. A pharmacist in totality cannot be regarded as a pharmacist until or unless he follows healthy pharmacy practices, including appropriate pharmaceutical care for the patients. As India is rapidly crossing the barriers of illiteracy, people are becoming more aware and conscious and at the same time more critical also in their approach. Gone are the days, when mere compounding of formulation was considered enough .The future expects a completely transformed image of a pharmacist, who not only has in-depth subject knowledge but also ability to apply the principles of management and psychology successfully, when it comes to the relationship of a pharmacist and patient.
Strategies for future patient care may include:
■ In future, the major thrust area, which has to be taken in consideration by the vigil pharma professionals, is the world of over the counter (OTC) products, where there are probable chances of misuse of drugs by the patients. The increasing tendency of self-care and self-medication though seems convenient, they are highly prone to incompatibilities and harmful undesirable toxic effects of the drugs.
■ There is an immense need to introduce the concept of family pharmacist, which is a more specific and focused form of community pharmacist to serve the patients effectively
■ To remain in the race, pharmacists have to constantly upgrade their subject knowledge both at national and international level
Practice
Last but not the least, pharmacy practice is equally important and vital ingredient of pharma world, as it involves direct interaction between pharma professionals and ultimate user of drugs. In future, in order to remain in the race, new dimensions are to be added to the prevailing pattern of pharma practice. This can be achieved by adopting certain long-term strategies like redefining the role of community pharmacist by adopting the concepts like antibiotic pharmacist; clinical pharmacist, community pharmacist etc. Also, establishment of modern and up-to-date drug information centres coupled with advance technology, the quality of pharmacy practice can be improved. The experts should inculcate necessary knowledge and skills in the pharmacy practice field by conducting sessions.
Strategies suggested to make pharmacy practice more penetrating and effective include:
■ The government should pay attention to formulate policies, which may motivate the pharmacists to redefine the meaning of pharma practice in future. Such policies may include providing funds for rural and backward areas, where pharmacist is the prime source of relevant drug information, public awareness programmes and expeditions to spread the knowledge of NDDS and strict application of pharmaceutical ethics and moral principles at least in government dispensaries and hospitals
■ Establishment of ultra modern pharmaceutical information centres across the country. Documentation centres making the relevant literature available may expedite the process of transformation of old and rigid form of pharma practice into a more flexible patient oriented approach
■ Special training sessions and orientation programs should be organized on regular intervals to make the pharmacist updated and informed about the recent developments in pharma practice patterns all over the world
It is obvious that the target has already been set and the only thing lacking is the sincere, honest and dedicated efforts. In future, we have to adopt new approaches and methodologies to redefine the relevance of product, patient and practice. The time frame mentioned in the 59th IPC theme is a considerable period. We should try our level best to mould our present knowledge, skills and experiences and expertise in the pharma field to ensure the proper and judicious use of forthcoming 15 years. The mission may be expedited by taking maximum advantage of high technological advancement of the present era. The task is difficult but a broad vision with regard to the futuristic scenario of three Ps - product, practice and patient is must to convert this mega dream into a reality.
(The authors are with D. J. College of Pharmacy)