The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER) has joined hands with the Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs (DSPRUD) for promoting rational use of drugs involving pharmacists. The department of pharmacy practice of NIPER has networked with three major hospitals in Chandigarh in this regard. The pharmacy practice students of NIPER, as part of the educational programme, would undergo clinical training at these hospitals. The hospitals are Fortis Healthcare, PGI and Government Medical College, Chandigarh.

Commenting on the collaboration, Dr. C L Kaul, director NIPER said that over 50 per cent of the medicines world over are prescribed or sold inappropriately and an equal number of patients fail to take them appropriately. The commonalities, the objectives of the institute and the DSPRUD in addressing such issues have led to this collaboration between the organizations, he said.

As part of joint initiative, NIPER, DSPRUD and the India-WHO Programme on Essential Drugs organized a seminar on "promoting rational use of drugs by involving the pharmacists" (PRUDIP) on December 26, 2003. Over 25 participants from various sections of the pharmacy profession attended the program, which included hospital pharmacists, community pharmacists, educators, and students.

According to Dr Kaul, the programme was meant for promoting safer and improved use of medicines. It focused on the role of the pharmacists to promote rational use of drugs and enabled the pharmacists to learn the practical approaches for studying and implementing the RUD key features including essential drug list, indicators of RUD, sources of drug information and proper interventions to change inappropriate pattern of drug use in the daily practice of health providers. The participants were allowed to study the ongoing activities at the pharmacy division of the Govt Medical College Hospital.