The Tamil Nadu government will be taking necessary action to fill up the pharmacist vacancies in the State. This action would be undertaken through various employment exchanges in the State, said Tamil Nadu Health and Welfare Minister K K S S R Ramachandran.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the 45th National Pharmacy Week celebrations held in Chennai two days back, the Minister said that the current State government was keen on encouraging pharma industries to set up manufacturing units in Tami Nadu and to achieve that end he assured that he would arrange a meeting between the pharma industrialists and chief minister M Karunanidhi so that the benefits the industries expect to set up facilities can be discussed.

He said that the government was also keen on encouraging pharmacy education and providing more employment opportunities. The minister also urged the pharmaceutical students to take up research work.

President of the Pharmacy Council of India, Dr B Suresh urged the health minister to take necessary measures to prevent pharma industries from moving to the Northern States. "Because the governments of the Northern States are giving lot of benefits to pharma industries, many from Tamil Nadu are going there. Steps should be taken to retain them in our State itself," he said. He also requested the government to encourage the pharma profession, education and research and development activities.

Suresh stated that 60 per cent of the US generic drug market was covered by the Indian industries. He said that in India, the National Health Policies had failed to recognize the contribution of the pharmacists of the country.

Governor of Tamil Nadu, Surjit Singh Barnala who was the chief guest of the function pointed out the need to ensure that drugs of the widest need are produced in largest quantities at the lowest possible prices while adhering to strict standards of production. He said that the profit margins of life saving drugs should be reduced.

Stating that the Indian pharmacists had to be trained to handle newer challenges in their profession, he said that pharmacy education in the country had to be upgraded with the syllabus modified periodically to cater to new challenges in the field.

National President of Indian Pharmaceutical Association, Subodh Priolkar said that the community pharmacies have to be upgraded, as they are an important link between the doctors and the patients. Addressing the pharmaceutical students he said with the setting up of more manufacturing units and the development of R&D facilities there would be more employment opportunities in the future.

Managing director of Orchid Chemicals, K. Raghavendra Rao said that with the pharma industry expected to grow from US$ 6 billion to $25 billion within a few more years, there would be a bright future for pharma students.

During the occasion, M M Yusuf, additional director of drug control was conferred with the Best Pharmacist Award.