In order to create awareness about pharmacists' role in healthcare, the Delhi-based pharma advocacy group Udyog Development Foundation (UDF) has launched India Pharmacists Abhiyan in Varanasi recently. The 5-year long programme, which will cover all states from Kashmir to Kanyakumari between 2015 and 2020, aims at sensitising policy makers towards patient safety. The event also marked the submission of a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office.

Representatives of India Pharmacists Abhiyan also met the health ministry officials during the event and appealed them to consider their demands in the interest of patient safety.

Pharmacists associated with the Udyog Development Foundation, New Delhi had toured the country under an India Pharmacists Revolutionary Yatra (IPR) from Kashmir to Kanyakumari from January 2013 to December 2013 to study and understand the scenario in pharma sector and found that many areas in the pharma sector like academia, regulatory authority, health service, industry and business or retail segment are functioning with outdated and obsolete concepts and laws. During the course of the yatra, a study regarding hygiene and cleanliness around the premises of drugs warehouses, stocking premises and their maintenance found that it was managed by non-professionals or non-pharmacy professionals.

Informed Amitav Joyprakash Choudhury, Convener, India Pharmacists Abhiyan, "Crores of rupees worth of medicines are getting wasted due to unprofessional management. There is a need for empowerment of the pharmacists as a remedial measure. Our profession was created and established to ensure safety of the patients. But, because of these issues, qualified pharmacists are groping in dark to find an opportunity to deliver their professional services and employed pharmacists are feeling deprived of professional avenues. There is a need for reforms in all the relevant sectors so that the professional service of the pharmacists could be made available to the clinical system and to the patients."

Among other demands submitted by the pharmacists include establishment of pharma education under the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on par with medical and nursing courses. It was suggested to amend Food Safety and Standards Act 2011 (FSSA) to add pharmacy as a subject of academic qualification for the post of Food Safety Officer.

Other recommendations include formation of Ministry of Pharmaceuticals, specify pharmacists role in health policy,   reforms in drug regulatory system and establishment of drug testing laboratory in districts. It also includes pharmacy to be a subject in UPSC, creation of Indian Pharmaceutical Services, creation of Pharmacy Cadre in central and state health ministry, prescription writing of some essential drugs for pharmacists working in hospital in the absence of doctor. Opening generic medicine store (Jan Aushadhi stores) up to village level in the country by  pharmacists and inclusion of pharmacists as healthcare provider role in national health policy document.

Minimum wages for pharmacists in industry and trade along with reform in pharma education was also proposed. Establishment of pharma education in premier medical centers like AIIMS and implementation of D&C Act, Pharmacy Act, Pharmacy Practice Regulation in Country was also recommended among others.