The 53rd Indian Pharmaceutical Congress, scheduled at New Delhi on December 21-23, 2001 will have "Harmonization of Pharmaceutical Education: Preparing A Future Pharmacist" as its theme. The local organizing committee has announced the tentative programme schedule that includes two pre-conference workshops, symbosia and several lectures. The workshops will be on "receptors and signal transduction" and "liposome drug delivery".

Organised by the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPCA), the confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), Indian Hospital Pharmacists Association (IHPA), Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association, Association of Pharmacy Teachers of India (APTI) and All India Drugs Control Officers Confederation (AIDCOC), the event is most important annual programme of the pharmacy professionals in India.

The 53 IPC is to address the key issues like the relevance of current pharmacy education in the changing global context and ways and means to prepare Indian future pharmacists in meeting the needs of the society. It is to attempt to improve the self-actualization and social worth of the practitioners of pharmacy and "leverage on the existing pool of pharmacists to capture ideas quickly and ensure that the profession becomes socially relevant and visible in so far as delivery of patient-care is concerned".

Commenting on the theme of 53 IPC, Ashwini Kumar, chairman, Local Organising Committee, said that the theme is relevant in the present context. He hoped that the congress would find an answer to the question of translating their strategies into meaningful action to achieve the desired perception by the society.

"Efforts of research scientists and pharmaceutical industry have led to the availability of highly potent and diseases specific drugs. Strategic alliances, tie-ups, understanding and exchange of information and technology have almost completed the country's integration with the international scenario. Three years later - the implementation of GATT will further hasten the easy advent of new technologies in India. But the individual pharmacist - who finally deliver these products to the patients, needs to be suitably empowered by training", he felt.

According to him, the IPC will not only strive to provide the answers but will also raise further questions. "Existing professional models that we understand and build our plans on will be substantially different in the new emerging scenario. This would mean new winners and losers and opportunities for those who recognize early, that a point of inflection is upon us. When we meet at the IPC - asking right questions will be more important than believing that we have all the answers", he said.

For detailed programmes as well as online registration log on to www.indianpharmaceuticalcongress.com.

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