Experts in pharmacy profession, education and industry have once again
raised a long standing demand of the pharmaceutical sector for an
exclusive ministry for pharmaceuticals by integrating various
departments which are now scattered under three ministries.
Currently, the profession of pharmacy practice is governed by the ministry of health & family welfare through PCI, the education sector is regulated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development through AICTE and the industry is controlled by the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.
If an integration of all these departments is made under a single ministry, the policy matters related to pharmacy practice, education and industry can be coordinated by a single agency, say the professionals who have started the initiative for a second attempt. The demand is raised for the second time when the government has already materialized the demand for a separate ministry for Ayush.
According to them, they will seek support of all stakeholders’ associations, especially students’ organizations, from across the country, to approach the union government with a submission to consider the matter seriously.
Dr. K. G. Revi Kumar, academic expert from Kerala, N Ulaganathan, president of Pondicherry Government Pharmacists Association (PGPA) and J Jayaseelan, chairman of Tamil Nadu chapter of the Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (TN IDMA) are the pharmacy professionals who coordinate the efforts for support of institutions, practice centres and industry sector. Sources close to the team informed Pharmabiz that the effort was aimed to strengthen the demand once again by apprising the Union government of the factors of necessity for a single ministry to govern the pharmacy profession, education and industry which are now scattered under three ministries.
“In the last 70 years India witnessed a phenomenal growth in all aspects of the pharmaceutical sector, especially in its three main areas like industry, education and practice. During the time of independence (1947) India had only five pharmacy colleges. The number has now crossed 1,600. The country was then manufacturing pharmaceuticals worth Rs. 10 crore, which has now increased to Rs. 1.5 lakh crore. Today India is the third largest country in the production of drugs and other pharma products. The number of registered pharmacists with diploma qualification was only near about two hundred in 1947. Today, more than16 lakh pharmacists are working in hospital and community pharmacies all over India. The job of hospital trained compounders of those years is converted into pharmacy practice by qualified persons. This is a great achievement, but these various professions are governed by different ministries. This has to be integrated,” Dr Revikumar said.
N Ulaganathan, pharmacist at the government hospital at Karakkal in Pondicherry territory, said, “we have more than 10 lakh community pharmacies and five lakh hospital pharmacies in government and private sectors. No proper regulation is taken place in this area anywhere in the country. This can be brought under control if all the areas of the sector brought under one umbrella.”
J Jayaseelan, chairman of TN IDMA, said, “pharmacy education, pharmacy practice and pharma manufacturing are homogeneous, and one of them cannot be separated from the other. The management, regulation and policy matters should be carried out by one single ministry. Lack of integration, there is no job orientation for the course, no practice orientation for the profession, no skill development for industry orientation, no industry-academic training and no residential training”.
While talking to Pharmabiz, Dr. Revikumar said, if one single ministry is taking care of all the areas of pharmacy, the pharmacy practice regulations (PPR 2015) notified by the Pharmacy Council of India will become a global concept. Besides, the integration of scattered departments will help for strengthening generic prescription as desired by the government.
Currently, the profession of pharmacy practice is governed by the ministry of health & family welfare through PCI, the education sector is regulated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development through AICTE and the industry is controlled by the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.
If an integration of all these departments is made under a single ministry, the policy matters related to pharmacy practice, education and industry can be coordinated by a single agency, say the professionals who have started the initiative for a second attempt. The demand is raised for the second time when the government has already materialized the demand for a separate ministry for Ayush.
According to them, they will seek support of all stakeholders’ associations, especially students’ organizations, from across the country, to approach the union government with a submission to consider the matter seriously.
Dr. K. G. Revi Kumar, academic expert from Kerala, N Ulaganathan, president of Pondicherry Government Pharmacists Association (PGPA) and J Jayaseelan, chairman of Tamil Nadu chapter of the Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (TN IDMA) are the pharmacy professionals who coordinate the efforts for support of institutions, practice centres and industry sector. Sources close to the team informed Pharmabiz that the effort was aimed to strengthen the demand once again by apprising the Union government of the factors of necessity for a single ministry to govern the pharmacy profession, education and industry which are now scattered under three ministries.
“In the last 70 years India witnessed a phenomenal growth in all aspects of the pharmaceutical sector, especially in its three main areas like industry, education and practice. During the time of independence (1947) India had only five pharmacy colleges. The number has now crossed 1,600. The country was then manufacturing pharmaceuticals worth Rs. 10 crore, which has now increased to Rs. 1.5 lakh crore. Today India is the third largest country in the production of drugs and other pharma products. The number of registered pharmacists with diploma qualification was only near about two hundred in 1947. Today, more than16 lakh pharmacists are working in hospital and community pharmacies all over India. The job of hospital trained compounders of those years is converted into pharmacy practice by qualified persons. This is a great achievement, but these various professions are governed by different ministries. This has to be integrated,” Dr Revikumar said.
N Ulaganathan, pharmacist at the government hospital at Karakkal in Pondicherry territory, said, “we have more than 10 lakh community pharmacies and five lakh hospital pharmacies in government and private sectors. No proper regulation is taken place in this area anywhere in the country. This can be brought under control if all the areas of the sector brought under one umbrella.”
J Jayaseelan, chairman of TN IDMA, said, “pharmacy education, pharmacy practice and pharma manufacturing are homogeneous, and one of them cannot be separated from the other. The management, regulation and policy matters should be carried out by one single ministry. Lack of integration, there is no job orientation for the course, no practice orientation for the profession, no skill development for industry orientation, no industry-academic training and no residential training”.
While talking to Pharmabiz, Dr. Revikumar said, if one single ministry is taking care of all the areas of pharmacy, the pharmacy practice regulations (PPR 2015) notified by the Pharmacy Council of India will become a global concept. Besides, the integration of scattered departments will help for strengthening generic prescription as desired by the government.
via
No comments:
Post a Comment