The All India Organisation for Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) is planning to soon introduce a continuous training programme for enhancing the skills of pharmacists in retail and wholesale trade in the country. The structure and schedule of implementation of the programme is being finalised.

The main aim is to educate the pharmacy trade representatives to regularly update their knowledge of pharmacy practices on par with the developed countries. AIOCD will call upon all Pharma industry associations in the country to collaborate with them to provide the training programmes in pharmacy practice for the pharmacists in retail stores.

"The present and future business environment in pharmacy practice is tough and knowledge-driven. Unless chemists change their outlook in practice, it would be difficult to survive," JS Shinde, said at the session titled 'Community Pharmacy in India - Only a buzz word or a reality' at 55th IPC in Chennai on Saturday.

In his topic 'Community Pharmacy Practice -Concept to Implementation' Shinde asserted that competition for pharmacists is now a reality, they must wake or otherwise they could become extinct."

The trend worldwide is that pharmacy profession is moving towards a patient-friendly era. In India, chemists have a major task on hand to increase their knowledge skills, modernize their stores, become well conversant about the use of medicines both prescription and over the counter (OTC) and about the adverse drug reactions. Customers are educated with an increased awareness and therefore pharmacists have a major role to play in community healthcare programmes.

Although, there are 5 lakh retail and wholesale outlets in the country, there is an improper distribution of chemist shops in the country. AIOCD has observed that the number of outlets in northern India is comparatively lower than southern India. The same mismatch is found in the rural and urban sectors.

The profession of pharmacy (retail and hospital) has changed with time, pointed out Shinde. The role of chemists in India is not much different than what it was 50 years ago. "We are still traders with inadequate knowledge, having no orientation towards modern methods of drug dispensation and are far from being recognised as healthcare professionals."

The main reasons for the present situation are that chemists are insensitive to change. There are weak law enforcements and no leadership qualities. There is also no mention on the role of pharmacists in the National Health Policy.

Today, implementation of community pharmacy is a major problem because of a lack of initiative among the chemists fraternity. There are no training programmes to update knowledge-skills. In addition, with the increased number of customers, chemists are unable to provide the personalized attention.

Another issue affecting chemists is the financial constraints preventing them to install air conditioners and computers. This is augmented by the fact that the expenditure on medicines per person per annum is very low and there is also no provision to levy fees to provide patient services, he indicated.

Chemists must have a broader outlook towards their profession to operate. The recent entry of private pharmacy chains has increased the competition. Their plush premises cannot be compared the existing chemists outlets.

Highlighting some of the possible threats to the pharmacy trade practice, Shinde said that the Standing Committee Report of the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers, government of India has already threatened our position with the announcement that pharmacists need not be at the counters as chemists mostly sell medicines in sealed packs. But the reality is that by 2005, in all likelihood B Pharm and not D Pharm will be minimum qualification to enter pharmacy trade.

He advised the chemists that the only way to face the situation is to hire pharmacists at their counters right through the day, wear white aprons to have distinct identity, become computer literate, modernize shops with air conditioners & computers, provide patient information leaflets and ready references of CIMS, MIMS, Drug Today to provide patient more information on the drugs and disease conditions.

Though pharmacy practice in India is nowhere comparable to the West, the positive feature about India is that pharmacists are quite accessible to patients. Chemists have the experience to sell drugs and all that is required is to improve facilities in the stores, increase knowledge about medicines and organize seminars for customers so that constant interactions with customers will improve business prospects.