[india-drug] Drug information centers in india

["kspcdic" <kspcdic@blr.vsnl.net.in>]

Drug information centers in india
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Dear all, 

Kindly have a look of following info. Published in FIP news letter
by Mr.Graeme Vernon.

Regards

P.K.Lakshmi
Director-Drug Information center
Karnataka State Pharmacy Council;
Banglaore
kspcdic@gmail.com
sureshlakshmi6@yahoo.com

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Developing Drug Information Centers in India

By Graeme Vernon, Asia-Pacific Representative, FIP Pharmacy Information
Section

A unique training workshop was held in Bangalore December 11-25, 2006. Ten participants, mainly from northern India, were provided with an introduction to drug information practice and rational drug use. The course was a part of a program to expand the influence of the drug information centers and clinical pharmacy training programs which have developed in the south of India over the last ten years. The current program is being coordinated by the Karnataka State Pharmacy Council (KSPC) and is funded by WHO (India Office). KSPC established a drug information centre in 1997 and also works
with hospital-based clinical pharmacy training programs in Bangalore. Other departments of pharmacy practice in south India include drug information training in their clinical programs and offer independent information to clinicians within their institutions. The sites selected for development of regional services are located in Haryana (Sirsa), Chhattisgarh (Raipur), Rajasthan (Jaipur), Assam (Dibrugarh), and Goa (Panaji). The centers will provide information to healthcare professionals and the public, and will collect reports of suspected adverse drug reactions. Limited funding will be provided to purchase information resources but long-term support will be required at the state level. The program was planned and implemented by Ms PK Lakshmi, Director of Drug Information, KSPC. It included presentations by Dr. SD Rajendran (JSS College of Pharmacy, Ootacamund), Dr. G Parthasarathi (Dept of Pharmacy Practice, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysore) and Mr Graeme Vernon (Austin Health Drug Information, Melbourne, Australia).
The workshop covered the basic elements to establish a drug information centre. Much work and enthusiasm will be required by the participants to establish successful services in their regions. India has considerable challenges to enhance rational drug use and this program represents an excellent opportunity to tackle a significant public health issue. PK
Lakshmi and her colleagues at KSPC have shown how a regional pharmacy organisation can take a lead to improve the quality of pharmacotherapy nationally.

FIP pharmacy information section newsletter- March 2007 www.fip.org