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Although Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Pharmacy Act are there to regulate sale of medicines and practice of pharmacy profession in the country, the provisions of these drug laws are not properly followed in Jammu & Kashmir in running of pharmacies and in practicing pharmacy profession, according to Tufail Bazaz, president of J&K Government Pharmacists Association (JKGPA).
Discussing the issues in the pharma trade and pharmacy practice sector in the northernmost state in the country over telephone from Srinagar, Tufail said even though the D&C Act mandates diploma in pharmacy is the minimum educational qualification to get a drug licence for running a retail pharmacy, the state government prefers ‘C-category’ licence holders to issue drug licenses. All over J&K, more than 35,000 medical shops are functioning at present, but most of these shops are run by unqualified people. The number of drug licence holders of registered pharmacists comes around one hundred only, said the government healthcare pharmacist.
“It was in 2002, the then government had issued 27,000 C-category drug licences to run medical shops in the three provinces of J&K. It happened through a cabinet order, so it still continues. As per the order, the minimum qualification for applying for C-category licence is matriculation. Even today, when there are thousands of diploma and degree holders looking for jobs, the state health department is constantly issuing C-category licences. Our association has represented the government several times on this issue, but no positive action is coming out towards pharmacists and pharmacy profession. Except government hospital pharmacies, all other pharmacies and drug sales are managed by unqualified people,” said Tufail.
Considering the initiatives of Pharmacy Council of India, JKGPA has now put forward one suggestion to the government that it should bring another order to equip these unqualified drug licence holders and dispensing men (C-category) for pharmacy profession through a bridge course. Taking their experience in the community pharmacies, they should be allowed to do a six-month bridge course in pharmacy, and with that background their certificates can be given legal validity. Once this program starts, the government can stop further issuing of this type of licences because today pharmacy education in India has grown in a remarkable way with doctoral and post-doctoral programmes.
With respect to recognition for pharmacists working in government services, Tufail said he is working as junior pharmacist in a PHC for the last 25 years without any promotion or increment. The situation of government pharmacists in J&K is the worst in the entire part of the country. “No promotional cadre system has been established in the department despite repeated requests from the pharmacist community. No new appointment is done, no job is given to the unemployed qualified pharmacists. The situation is grave,” he said.
Regarding pharmacy courses and colleges in J&K, he said there is only one recognized institute for pharmacy education in the state, and that is the department of pharmaceutical sciences at the university of Kashmir in Srinagar. But the state has more than 26 colleges conducting diploma and degree courses which are not recognized by PCI or AICTE. These colleges are attached to technical institutes working under the government. The certificates for the courses are issued by the Directorate of Health Services. But the certificate has validity within the jurisdiction of J&K only. Those who possess these certificates cannot work as pharmacists in any other state in India or in foreign countries, Tufail told Pharmabiz.
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