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Pharmacists in India who are registered with their respective State Pharmacy Councils need to take up patient counselling too as it is their expertise. With their detailed knowledge of medicine, pharmacists have the ability to relate unexpected symptoms experienced by patients to possible adverse drug reaction and food-drug interaction and provides them another opportunity for remuneration. The pharmacists are the only professionals in the healthcare milieu to chip in with this expertise, said Dr Montu Patel, president, Pharmacy Council of India.
Pharmacy curriculum focuses on carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids which are the key macro nutrients among others present in the body. Their interaction with the medicines are best understood by the pharmacist alone, pointed out Dr Patel who was the chief guest at the inaugural of the 4th International Conference Krupacon Pharma 2022 hosted by Krupanidhi College of Pharmacy.
Dr Patel pointed out that the recognition of professional capability of a pharmacist is found lacking in India unlike in the other developed countries, where the physicians and patients acknowledged the pharmacists expertise on medicines. Only pharmacists have the wherewithal about formulations and their active ingredients to advise patients on possible interactions.
Therefore we are looking to ensure pharmacists are compensated monetarily for patient counselling. In this regard, PCI is proposing to the Union government to approve a professional fee format. Our plan is to focus on the affordable patients who suffer from chronic conditions and could encounter food-drug interactions which are widely prevalent. Also just like the qualified doctor’s signature, pharmacists too need to certify patient counselling among other services rendered in patient care. This could be among key efforts from PCI to garner professional recognition for pharmacists, said Dr Patel.
Noting that pharmacists per se lack the recognition as professionals, but then Indian pharma industry is acclaimed as the third largest manufacturer of medicines globally. Hence, it is high time to bring in sweeping changes and PCI is on the job in an aggressive manner. We need to focus on the profession’s capability. It is here pharmacists need to be positioned as the fulcrum of the healthcare service, he said.
In this regard, the syllabus revamp which in its revised form is presented to the Union government for approval. The image of pharmacists as traders need to be done away with. We need to put in our best efforts as pharmacists to ensure that we are the strong backbone of medicine dispensing with patient counselling on adverse drug reaction to improve health outcomes from the treatment protocol prescribed by the medical specialists, Dr Patel told Pharmabiz at the sidelines of the two day event Krupacon Pharma 2022.
Pharmacy students should think out the box and move from mere generic manufacture to take on development of active pharmaceutical ingredients following the Union government Atmanirbhar programme of self-reliance. There are also promising avenues in consultancy entrepreneurship for guidance on global and Indian regulatory compliance. Here M Pharm candidates specialized in regulatory affairs can look beyond working in an industry. PCI too has also recommended for the commencement of Pharmacy MBA and an Pharma Technology subject in sync with the advances digitization, he noted.
The PCI job portal which will be up and ready in a few months, will open up access to employment vacancies anywhere in India across pharma companies, drug research centres and pharmacy colleges for the qualified candidates. The need of the hour is a mindset change among pharmacy professionals to present themselves as educated and skilled professionals, said Dr Patel.
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