As a prelude to the forthcoming Indian Pharmaceutical Congress, the Indian Hospital Pharmacists Association will organize a workshop on "Emerging Trends in Pharmacy Practice” on December 15 at Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal.

The main objective of the workshop is to critically analyze and evaluate the pharmacy practice systems at the hospital and community levels in India and suggest measures for developing an action plan for the next 10 years, Said Dr K G Revikumar, the coordinator of the workshop and principal, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Kochi.

Further it will conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) of the Indian pharmacy practice and education scenario of the country. The workshop would evolve guidelines to integrate, associate and co-ordinate the stake holders of pharmacy practice like teachers, pharmacists, students and research scholars in India to be aware of their strengths and weakness and to organize them to develop the pharmacy practice area in the country to higher levels.

The participants will also contemplate on how to develop strategies for enriching the Indian Pharmacy Practice and education scenario to international levels and standards. The target group of the workshop includes working pharmacists in pharmacy practice area, undergraduate, post-graduate, Pharm D & Research students and Teachers of Pharmacy Practice institutions engaged in Pharmacy Practice educations.

S.L Nasa, president, IPC 2010 & president IHPA, New Delhi, Dr N Udupa, chief coordinator- LOC 62nd IPC & editor IJHP, Dr T KRavi, treasurer, Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association, Dr K G Revikumar, Principal, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita University, Kochi, Dr M K Unnikrishnan,  Prof & Head, Dept of Pharmacy practice, MCOPS, Manipal, Dr P K Manna, Prof & Head, Pharmacy Practice, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, Dr V Sankar, Prof & Head, Dept of Pharmacy Practice, PSG College of Pharmacy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Prof Ganachari, Prof & Head, Dept of Pharmacy Practice, KLE College of Pharmacy, Belgaum, Karnataka, HariBabu, Head, Dept of Pharmacy Practice, PRRM College of Pharmacy, Kadappa, A P, Dixon Tomas, Associate Prof & Head, Pharmacy Practice, RIPER, Anantapur, A P, M Surulivel Rajan, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal, Dr B J Mahendrakumar, Prof& Head, SAC College of Pharmacy, BG Nagara, Karnataka, Dr Saraswathy, Principal Alshifa College of Pharmacy, Perinthalmanna, Kerala and Dr S Sri Ram, Prof & Head, Pharmacy Practice, SRIPS, Coimbatore, T N are the coordinators of the workshop.

Dr KG Revikumar will present a paper on “Indian Pharm D and M.Pharm Pharmacy Practice programs: Didactic, Practical and Training components - Preparing for Dual and Innovative programmes”.

And Dr R Saraswathy, Principal, Alshifa College of Pharmacy, Perinthalmanna, Kerala will initiate the discussion.

Dr Guru Prasad Mohanta of Annamala University will speak on “Research Areas in Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacoeconomics - Guidelines and Protocols”.

Delegates and non-delegates of IPC can take part in the workshop and they will be encouraged to present their suggestions and ideas.