The healthcare services undertaken by the central and state governments may remain futile unless the governments try for a facelift to the pharmacy profession for a perfect healthcare delivery.
 
Establishment of a Directorate of Pharmacy will provide appropriate solution to all the issues in the area of pharmacy services, opined Dr R S Thakur, president of the Federation of Indian Pharmacists Organisations (FIPO).

In his message to various pharmacist associations in the country, he said in India pharmacy services are put on back burner and they are not given due importance under health departments. Consequently, patients are not getting full benefits of modern medicines and exposed to avoidable adverse drug reactions leading to morbidity and mortality.

Dr Thakur’s message has come in the wake of the Pharmacists Day celebrations in the country held on September 25.

The western world who propounded the allopathic system of medicines gives equal importance to pharmacy profession along with doctors. It helps to ensure that patients receive full benefit of the therapy and not exposed to therapy related complications. Whereas, in India which depends very much on modern system of medicines, ample support or due significance is not given to the pharmacy services in order to ensure safe and effective medication to all and build a healthy India.

As the doctor is expert in diagnosis and treatment of diseases, so is pharmacist expert in ensuring and maintaining the quality of medicines, medical devices and therapy. All over the world, the pharmacy education alone trains in preparation, analysis, testing of drugs, preservation of potency and maintaining quality of medicines to ensure efficacy of therapy and safety from toxicities.

In India, in purchase planning, drug product selection and procurement, pharmacists are not involved at all. It happens because a Directorate of Pharmacy does not exist under the health departments, either at centre or in states.  Once such a directorate is set up, it will help reorganise the pharmacy services in India to make best quality medicines available at all times to all patients, Dr Thakur said.