Union and state governments will require a dedicated department of pharmacy to maximize the cost-effective medication therapy. A stand-alone department of pharmacy will enable pharmacoeconomic evaluation of health plan spending and clinical outreach programmes, said Dr DA Gundu Rao, president, Karnataka Pharmacy Council.
 
Utilizing Prime Minister Modi’s Digital India campaign, the government needs to prepare a format on pattern of disease prevalence in each district to ensure appropriate drugs are made available for each treatment. It needs to make certain the last mile connectivity for drug distribution and access, he said.
 
Karnataka government too will now need to give a fillip to the profession of pharmacists. It will need to maximize the benefits of computerization, set up drug information centres across 30 districts, ensure logistics in drug supplies and appoint right qualified professionals: D Pharm, B Pharm and M Pharm degree holders in the related departments. These measures will not have much financial implications for the government, he said.

Pharmacy profession is crucial component in the healthcare system in Karnataka. But the state government has totally neglected pharmacists' working in the sector. “While the D Pharm candidates are now permitted to upgrade their qualification and provide a lateral entry to higher posts, we still see the M Pharm professionals employed in the pharmacist cadre when the post needs only a diploma holder. Therefore the M Pharm candidate service is underutilized,” Dr Rao told Pharmabiz.
 
The reality is that pharmacy course is receiving a step motherly treatment. There is need for a separate department of pharmacy in the ministry of health and family welfare and also in the state directorate of health and family welfare. This will help to address the needs of this profession and maximize the available talent to create a right medication practices among the patient community, he said.
 
“Recently Karnataka government has made a move to appoint and also promote the B Pharma and M Pharm within the departments of drug logistics and warehousing, besides drugs control and other related openings in the directorate of health and family welfare. Nevertheless qualified and registered pharmacy candidates need to be judiciously recruited to serve the public appropriately. The D Pharm candidates should man pharmacy outlets across primary health centres and government-taluk hospitals, Dr Rao said at the meet organised by the Karnataka Government Pharmacists Association led by BS Desai its president where all southern states participated.
 
“There should be a strict implementation of the Section 42 of the Pharmacy Act 1948 and the Pharmacy Practice Regulations 2015 which insists on handling of drugs only by registered pharmacists. There should also have efforts to unify the pay scales of pharmacists throughout the country.
 
Pharma industry is registering a healthy growth but when it comes to growth of pharmacists in government services the development in the sector is lagging. There is need for exchange of know-how on good distribution practices and exposure to value-addition with computerization. All records across primary health centre pharmacies need to be updated providing details of drugs dispensed and the shortfall. This would enable right quantity of sourcing of the required drugs thus preventing underutilization of medicines, he noted.