Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) and universities conducting pharmacy courses must give special significance to forensic pharmacy as the subject is the study of laws and regulations governing the profession of pharmacy, according to Dr Guru Prasad Mohanta, Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu.

Nowadays, revolutionary changes are taken place in pharmacy profession worldwide. So, the pharmacists as well as the drug regulatory officials must understand various aspects of forensic pharmacy as it helps them to comply with the regulations, he added.

The pharmacists whether they work in industry or contract research organizations or self employed in retail pharmacies need to comply with the regulatory provisions of various legislation in the interest of profession and public safety. Similarly, it is the duty of the regulatory officers to ensure adherence by professionals, said the professor while speaking to Pharmabiz in a telephonic interview.

The subject is an essential component of all pharmacy programmes like diploma in pharmacy, bachelor of pharmacy, master of pharmacy and doctor of pharmacy.  But it is one of the neglected subjects and no one gives much importance. For all other subjects, considerable importance is given in the PG programmes. So, the Pharmacy Council of India and universities should give special significance to forensic pharmacy in the syllabus of all pharmacy courses.

He said every pharmacist, either working in the industry or doing pharmacy services in hospitals or community levels or as regulatory officers must have the knowledge about various legislation also. The most important legislation that govern the pharmacy profession include Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Rules, Pharmacy Act, Pharmacy Education and Teachers’ Regulations,  Narcotic Drugs & Cosmetics Act and the Rules, Patent Act, Medicinal and Toilet Preparations Act, Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, and the Drugs Price Control Order.

“Pharmacy profession deals with medicines and the medicines are regulated substances. They are regulated from development of new medicines to manufacturing, and to distribution and sale. The pharmacists are also regulatory officers who have the task of ensuring the compliance of regulatory provisions by all stake holders such as manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, contract research organizations, and others”, he pointed out.

The professor of pharmacy said, teaching forensic pharmacy is not an easy job. It is not just telling the rules and regulations but to make the students learn the need of these regulations and how they are affecting the health and society. The teachers need to actually uncover the intent of the legislation with various case studies.