With the object of generating more employment opportunities for the registered unemployed pharmacists in the country, the Madhya Pradesh branch of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (MP IPA) has urged the Union government to sanction post of pharmacists under the National Health Mission (NHM) scheme, previously the NRHM, in the country.

The demand was put to the government through a memorandum which says that the quality of healthcare being provided to the patients today at the primary and community health centres in rural areas can be improved so much by establishing the role of a pharmacist. For the overall management of the healthcare system at the health mission centres, it is necessary to have a registered pharmacist in the healthcare providers’ group.

The IPA- MP branch further wants the government to quash the BSc Community Health programme and introduce a short term upgradation course for the pharmacy graduates in place, and appoint them as the healthcare providers in rural areas. The signatories of the memorandum claim that, over the years, the pharmacists have proven that they are far better than the present community health workers. IPA has wanted the Pharmacy Council of India to intervene in this matter and take necessary steps with the government.

Another demand is that government should approve pharmacy graduation as the only basic qualification to become a manufacturing/analytical chemist and remove the qualifications of
BSc and MSc in chemistry from the Drugs Act through an amendment. Similarly, amendment should also be made in the provision of Rule 64 of D&C Rules for grant of licence for wholesale of drugs only to registered pharmacists. Currently, the matriculates with five years experience in drug sales or graduate with one year experience are eligible to acquire the wholesale licence. The eligibility of non-pharmacists should be banned.

According to them, government should ensure services of pharmacists in all the IP wards of the government and private hospitals in order to prevent errors in dispensing and to comply with the norms of Drugs And Cosmetics Act and Pharmacy Act. In the memorandum, it is said that a registered pharmacist is a qualified person who practices in pharmacy focusing on safe and effective medication use. He is trained for dispensing and knows every aspect of medicine, its storage condition, drug interaction, side effects, drug-food interaction, bioavailability etc.

A special cadre in bureaucracy for the administration of pharma sector should be formed as a new service category as, Indian Pharmaceutical Service (IPhS). Specialized services pertaining to regulations, academics and industry such as director of drugs control, DCGI, director of NIPER, director of CDL etc should be reserved for these cadres.

IPA also wants the government to give prescription rights to the pharmacists like what is happening in US. To this demand of the IPA, the president of Kerala Pharmacy Council, B. Rajan said the Act does not allow the pharmacist to prescribe medicines, but he can advise the doctor in prescribing medications.