[india-drug] Training Programme on Rational Use of Medicines for Pharmacists (1)

["DSPRUD" <dsprud2005@yahoo.com>]

Training Programme on Rational Use of Medicines for Pharmacists (1)
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A Two-day Workshop for Pharmacists on Rational Use of Medicines was organized by the Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs (DSPRUD), jointly with the Directorate of Health Services on March 25 ? 26, 2008, at the Institute of Human Behavior & Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi. 
   
The course was appropriately enough inaugurated by Dr. S.S. Agrawal, Principal of Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (DIPSAR), New Delhi.  Although workshops for pharmacists had been held earlier, this was the first workshop with primary focus on sensitizing pharmacists to rational use of medicines.  
   
Inaugurating the workshop, Dr.Agrawal highlighted how pharmacists can play an important role in the safe use of medicines, in patient medication counseling, preventing drug interactions and in identifying prescription errors.  
   
  The topics covered in the workshop included the role of pharmacists in 
  a) Promoting rational use of drugs;
  b) procurement process;
  c) quantification of drug needs;
  d) drug interactions and ADR monitoring; and
  e) managing drug stores.

The workshop was interactive and there were group exercises.  32 pharmacists attended the workshop from different hospital and dispensaries of the Government of NCT of Delhi.  
   
In the post workshop evaluation, the participants welcomed this training programme both as recognition of the importance of in-service training programme for pharmacists and their role in promoting rational use of medicines.  They suggested that more such programmes should be organized so as to cover larger number of pharmacists.  
   
   
 R. Parameswar
 President
 Delhi Society For Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs
 Vasundhara Enclave
 Delhi - 110 096