[india-drug] Pharmacist and Doctor: Important Link (10)

["Geeta Pradeep" <geeta_pradeep@hotmail.com>]

Pharmacist and Doctor: Important Link (10)
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Dear All,

Nice to see the debate really picking up. I agree that doctors would  really  welcome our hands and drug expertise once they begin believing  that  we  are  capable of delivering the goods so to  speak! I feel  that  until  we work upon the image of the pharmacist  existing  now  in  the  minds of our prescribers we will not really be able to start building a bridge between our professionals needs. And for  that, I  feel  that regulatory agencies concerned really need to take  a  stand  and  enforce regulations such that the aura of "trade" associated  with  our  profession  is  modified  to  take  on  a  more professional  role. I think this would also go a long way in fostering the  interest  among  our  students  to  look  upon  practice oriented activities as an avenue to a rewarding career on par with any industry job.

We should also make a move to make the necessary changes within the syllabus so that our students are more aware of the pharmacy practice stream.  While this is being done at a postgraduate level in the form of M.Pharm in Pharmacy Practice, it is true that it is those students who already have a foot overseas that really prefer taking up this stream.  How  can  we  further  the  cause if all our students take up pharmacy  practice  only to go abroad or to join clinical research (as is  the  latest trend I see!)??? If these topics (Pharmacotherapeutics and clinical pharmacy to go hand in hand with Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology) are introduced in the graduate level itself, I feel more of our students would feel surer of themselves if required to co-ordinate with prescribers.  Also, these subjects are of no use without practical training in a healthcare facility. If this can be arranged on a continuous basis, our students will be there with the interns etc helping them out and gaining their confidence which I think will increase the acceptability and scope for our graduates too.

As  Dr. Tiwari put it, we are definitely on the right track but if all our  think tanks  and administrative heads put their heads together and enforce regulations, maybe we will be able to make Pharmacy Practice a reality  and  a  Clinical  Pharmacist  in every healthcare facility an invariable part of the healthcare team much faster.


Regards,

Ms. Geeta Pradeep, M.Pharm.
Lecturer- Dept. of Pharmacy Practice
Al-Ameen College of Pharmacy, Bangalore.