Welcoming the recent initiative taken by the DCGI in issuing ‘guidelines on I V fluid’s storage, distribution and administration in hospitals’, the hospital pharmacy division of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) has urged the union health ministry to implement hospital pharmacy services as per NHRC 1999 guidelines in all hospitals for proper handling and use of I V Fluids. The guidelines which have become effective from August 11 this year were framed on the basis of NHRC Report 1999.

In a letter to the Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, the chairman of the hospital pharmacy division of the IPA, Dr R N Gupta has said that the NHRC Report of 1999 suggested for engagement of graduates and post graduates in pharmacy and set up of hospital pharmacy in each hospital. He said the NHRC report was corroborating to the similar recommendations of Hathi Committee, submitted in 1975.

According to him the guidelines issued recently by the DCGI will definitely help in improving the conditions of hospitals for better healthcare by the use of proper medicines, but for the implementation of work it needs qualified persons. Unfortunately, the present guidelines do not state provisions of qualified pharmacists in hospitals.

“The Hathi Committee had recommended for full-fledged hospital Pharmacy services in 1975. But it was implemented partly in a few hospitals though qualified pharmacists are available to take up the job for better support in health care of patients. But, in the present guidelines issued by the DCGI, there is no role for qualified pharmacists in hospitals. Without pharmacists, how can the guidelines be properly implemented,” he asked.

Dr Gupta wanted that the government should instruct all the state governments to appoint adequate number of qualified pharmacists in each hospital and steps should be taken to set up hospital pharmacies. Otherwise, the guidelines of the DCGI will not bring the desired result. He maintained that pharmacists with qualifications such as Ph.D, Pharm. D, M. Pharm, B. Pharm and D. Pharm are available for pharmacy services. A Pharmacist has the knowledge of drug molecule, research, manufacture, testing, drug action (pharmacology), storage, use, dispensing, distribution, regulatory affairs etc.

The hospital Pharmacy services are not limited to mere dispensing of drugs, it covers the services like drug store inventory management, hospital formulary and drug procurement, indoor and outdoor dispensing, clinical pharmacy, patient counselling, quality assurance of medicines, nuclear pharmacy, manufacture of sterile and non sterile medicines, drug information centre and pharmacovigilance, Dr Gupta said in his letter.