India will be a goldmine for pharmacy practitioners if they learn to monitor the patients and advise them in their recovery, said Dr Krishna Kumar, Professor of Biopharmaceuticals and Pharmacokinetics, College of Pharmacy, Harvard University, Washington.

Delivering the key-note address at the “Quality Pharmacy Practice Module Advanced Learning Series” at Sri Ramachandra University here, he said the pharmacists can make the lives of patients all the more better.

Participating in the lecture series, Prof. Lisa Whittington Goldstone, Professor, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, said pharmacists can play an important link role in healthcare delivery system by talking to the doctors and the patients.

Inaugurating the workshop organised by the Faculty of Pharmacy at the SRU, Dr B Suresh, president, Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), said the role of pharmacists is changing fast in India like in western countries where they supplement the physicians apart from engaging in clinical trials. This experiment has been tried in some leading hospitals in Coimbatore and has yielded very good results. Pharm D course which was started on an experimental basis a few years ago has taken firm roots and is now available in over 100 institutions, he added.

Speaking on the occasion Dr J S N Murthy, vice chancellor, Sri Ramachandra University said after the accreditation of Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre by Joint Commission International, USA, prescription error has been reduced drastically because of prescription audit. The role of pharmacists is fast changing from mere dispensing medicine to close coordination with clinicians in recommending the correct medicine and dosage, he added.