The Hospital Pharmacy Division of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) has urged the Chief Minister of Rajasthan to set up full-fledged hospital pharmacy departments in all the government hospitals as recommended by the Hathi Committee in 1975 and National Human Rights Commission in 1999.

IPA's appeal is in the wake of the death of 15 pregnant women and three children at Umaid Hospital in Jodhpur three weeks ago due to the administration of contaminated IV fluid.

The hospital pharmacy division will approach the central health ministry as well as the state healthcare managers of all states requesting them to put up hospital pharmacies in all the urban and rural healthcare institutions.

Dr R N Gupta, chairman of the Hospital Pharmacy Division in his letter to Ashokh Ghelot, the Chief Minister, stated that the tragedy would have been averted had the hospital pharmacy was functioned in the hospital. Expressing regret over the incident, he said IPA would voluntarily support and provide all assistance to the government in establishing the full fledged pharmacy department in every district and Taluk hospitals. He informed the chief minister that the efficiency and services of the highly qualified pharmacists in the state can be utilized for establishing a strong healthcare system in the state of Rajasthan.
 
He said if the drugs and other healthcare products pass through the hands of pharmacists, they will check and test the quality, sterility, expiry date, contamination, etc before passing them into the hands of patients. According to Gupta, the reason for the terrible incident is the lack of efficient pharmacists in the hospital. He appealed to the healthcare managers of other states to be wary of such incidents and take precautionary measures.
 
According to reports, it was because of the administration of contaminated IV fluid that led to the tragedy in which 15 pregnant women and three new-borns died. Following the incident, the government registered a case against the drug company, Parental Surgical India Pvt. Ltd which allegedly supplied the contaminated glucose and arrested its manager, Sanjay Shah.
 
The Hathi Committee Report of 1975 says that the duties of a hospital pharmacy department is to verify and check up thoroughly the drug formulations available for the use of patients, and make close surveillance with a view to ensuring that patients in hospitals receive quality drugs. It will also monitor the functioning of the drug stores in the hospitals.
 
Dr Gupta said the National Human Rights Commission Report suggests for urgent need to set up hospital pharmacies under a chief pharmacist who should be at least a post graduate in hospital pharmacy. The report says that the department of hospital pharmacy must develop policies and procedures for procurement of multi-source medical items and their inventory control, receipts handling, storage, quality control, distribution, dispensing etc. The hospital pharmacy should review the purchase of medical supplies from intermediaries like Medical Supply Division and private agencies.
 
While emphasizing the need for hospital pharmacy division, Dr Gupta, who is also a Professor of Pharmaceuticals Sciences, said the hospital pharmacy with the help of hospital’s Therapeutics Committee should develop a hospital formulary for IV fluids, selection and distribution of drugs, safe administration of drugs, rational use of drugs and reporting of drug product defects.
 
The department will take initiative to furnish a warehousing facility in the hospital under proper environmental control and lay down guidelines for the Good Warehousing Practices.