The Hindu Business Line : Govt urged to provide critical infrastructure for pharmacists

The point was raised at the 56th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress in Kolkata before Dr A. Ramdoss, Union Health Minister, and Dr Suryakanta Mishra, Minister, Health & Family Welfare, West Bengal Government.

Arguing that pharmacists are a vital link between doctors and patients, the industry, in a presentation, underlined the relationship that exists between prescribers and users of medicines. Such a link, which is expected to become stronger in the years ahead, is said to define many aspects of their relationship.

India, one of the largest producers of pharmaceutical goods, has a strong base for distribution and dispensing. The scenario has spawned a new breed of pharmacists who serve both doctors and patients with efficiency and professionalism, it was pointed out.

The frontline pharma sector provides information (say, with regard to minor illnesses). It is also familiar with pricing structures and helps in quality control. The advent of personalised medicines will require expert advisors. In fact, the industry will soon need more educated people; so the existing educational infrastructure will have to improve, industry experts contended.

The Government has provided critical inputs to promote IITs and IIMs. This should be repeated in the pharma sphere too.

There is, therefore, a case for setting up national institutions and the industry is willing to partner with the authorities on this front. The idea simply is to ensure that the present level of pharmacy evolves into the next level.

The industry has also referred to the menace of spurious and sub-standard drugs, one that is undermining the good work done by many quarters.

There are overlapping areas of control as well as inadequate infrastructure in terms of efficient manpower.

A set of clearly defined policies, to be followed by the Centre and the various State Governments, is considered significant in this context. Continuous training programmes aimed at drug controllers must be evolved, it was further added.

Automation is important, but there is no substitute for manpower to detect spurious drugs, it was felt.