Aimed at creating awareness about the proper functioning of pharmacies in private and public sector and the need for rational use of medicines, India Pharma Revolution (IPR), a Delhi-based Group of Pharmacists reached Goa and met state government health officials on November 18 after touring 25 states.

In order to sensitise patients towards health safety, pharmacists through the IPR yatra advocated the need of common man to access knowledge on Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR), rationale use of medicines, drug interactions, side effects and toxicity through the establishment of drug information centres and pharmacovigilance centre in the Goa state.

Among the other demands IPR yatra pursued were setting up of warehouses for stocking all lifesaving drugs and creation of medical supply depot for storage of generic drugs. "State government should take the initiative on this front as central government will readily support such a system. Besides this, quacks should also not be allowed to practice medicine and the state government should take this aspect seriously," members of the yatra said. Other demands included creation of separate directorate of pharmacy in the state and also restructuring of pharmacists cadre.

Reiterating the fact that pharmacy sector at the government level needs a revamp to provide better services to the public, Yatra convenor Amitav Joyprakash Choudhury pointed that modernization of drug testing labs in the state, appointment of drug analysts and technical manpower need to be met urgently by the concerned authorities for better patient safety.

As per the agenda of IPR, the pharmacists from across the country have also demanded that the government should recognise professionals with Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D) as primary healthcare providers in the state. Professionals holding Pharm D degrees are not recognised as primary healthcare providers, while they have all the knowledge about the drug information and can treat basic illness.

Among other demands, the pharmacists have proposed the state government to create a separate Directorate of Pharmacy in the medical and health department and designate Pharmacists as Director Pharmacy, Deputy Director (Admin), Deputy Director (purchase), officer in charge pharmacy and chief pharmacists in each hospital in every district.