INDIAN PHARMACIST ASSOCIATION

One in three adults suffers from high blood pressure, a key trigger of heart disease, health experts said on Wednesday while underlining the growing number of cases in developing countries.

Canada and the United States have the fewest patients, at less than 20 percent of adults, but in some African countries the estimated figure is closer to 50 percent, the World Health Organization said.

Increased life expectancy and changes in lifestyle mean that chronic conditions once associated with wealthier nations are now affecting lower income countries.”We are being successful in reducing the impact of infectious diseases and child mortality is coming down — that means more people are surviving to advanced ages when non-communicable diseases develop,” said Colin Mathers, coordinator of the WHO’s mortality and burden of disease unit”As people live longer, they are more prone to chronic diseases.”

Mathers also pointed to increasing risk factors in lower-income countries such as obesity and smoking.”As populations become better off, incomes are rising, and the calories available are increasing.” he said.”The spread of fast food, processed food, salt added in manufacturing, is all contributing to cardiovascular and cancer risks.”

In many developed countries like Australia, where the incidence of heart problems peaked in the 1960s and 70s, people are diagnosed and given treatment.But those treatments are not generally available in African countries, said Mathers.In Niger 50.3 percent of men suffer from high blood pressure, with Malawi and Mozambique not far behind at 44.5 and 46.3 percent respectively.

The WHO World Health Statistics report published on Tuesday includes for the first time figures on raised blood pressure and raised blood glucose levels, associated with diabetes, for the first time.

One in 10 people are estimated to have diabetes, rising to up to one third in Pacific Island countries.”This report is further evidence of the dramatic increase in the conditions that trigger heart disease and other chronic illnesses, particularly in low and middle-income countries,” said WHO director general Margaret Chan.

The report also said obesity levels doubled across the world between 1980 and 2008 and half a billion people or 12 percent of the world’s populations are now considered obese.

The Americas have the highest instance, at 26 percent of adults, and south-east Asia the lowest obesity levels at three percent.

The WHO said deaths in children aged under five years dropped from almost 10 million in 2000 to 7.6 million a decade later, with the decline in deaths from measles and diarrhoea-related disease “particularly striking.”

The World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the WHO, will meet in Geneva from May 21-26 where members will discuss new targets on cutting the cases of heart and lung disease, diabetes and cancer.

Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) is preparing to submit the Education Regulation (ER) 2012, meant to update the syllabus of Diploma in Pharmacy programme, to the Ministry of Health Family & Welfare in July, said the Council president, Dr B Suresh.
It is after 20 years the PCI is revising the ER for the D Pharm course and is hoped that it could be implemented in the next academic year.
The president of the PCI said the new regulation is more robust than the existing one which was drafted in 1987 and implemented in 1991. Made up of a panel of experts, the new ER is meant to bring the primary level pharmacy education also on par with international standards.

D Pharm, which has been in the pharmacy academic arena for years, has to be upgraded as still the demand for diploma holders is increasing both from industry and from trade sector. The pharmacy council in its bid to modernize the standard of pharmacy education introduced the comprehensive pharmacy academic program, Pharm D, a reverse nomenclature of D Pharm, in 2008. According to the Council president, the new ER will bring an overall change in the conduct of D Pharm course besides updating the syllabus and infrastructural requirements.

The new regulation will lay emphasis on the practice of pharmacy issues including subjects like pharmaco-therapeutics, social pharmacy, patient counselling, pharmaco-vigilance, community pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical jurisprudence. Further, the course will equip the pharmacist to practice profession of pharmacy in community as well as hospital pharmacy settings. The pharmacist will be more equipped to manage and provide pharmaceutical care at optimum levels.

Before the final draft of the ER comes out, the PCI will finalize the duration of the course, training program of students and any new paper is to be included in the syllabus. Presently, after the completion of the two year programme, the students are undergoing 500 hours training in some industry or medical stores or clinical labs or in CROs. When ER 81 was running the course duration was only one year and the training period was 750 hours. It was restructured when ER 91 was introduced raising the duration from one year to 2 years and reducing the training time from 750 hours to 500 hours.

Recently academic experts from several pharmacy colleges have criticized the PCI for not revising the curriculum and syllabus of the D Pharm programme.

Congratulation to all pharmacist- community in India , for getting a milestone decision in the history of the Delhi govt. with the blesses of God ,encouragement of of friends and with sincere, rational , and committed efforts & the will power of PGWA- the Pharmacy Graduates Welfare Association, we have won the court case in the CAT, regarding the creation of promotion channels for Pharmacists in delhi govt. The court directed the delhi govt. to frame the same for us in a fixed period of time. Hence lets enjoy this moment and be optimistic for the future … Pharmacist is the future of tomorrow … jai hind Ramesh Kumar General Secretary Pharmacy Graduates Welfare Association Delhi

Changing pillow covers every week, rubbing and polishing every corner till it was spotlessly dust-free, wearing masks while travel and a host of other things were a part of homemaker Swati Bodhe’s routine for her son Aarav’s (name changed) protection against asthma attack.

Her six-year-old son who was suffering from childhood asthma was prone to asthma attacks quite often. Swati couldn’t fathom the reason till a detailed history taking by her doctor revealed that preservatives in junk food and soft drinks consumed by her son were to blame.

Asthma experts say most people depend heavily on medication and do not follow simple easy to do things and techniques to ensure protection against asthma.

“Fifty per cent of asthma attacks are triggered by dust mite allergies which are avoidable to great extent. Just keeping house dust free, ensuring no fungus on damp walls, keeping bed sheets and pillow covers in sunlight once a week to kill dust mites, good ventilation can help in protecting against asthma attacks,’’ said Dr Vijay Warad, allergist and pediatric pulmonologist. Following a healthy lifestyle by eating right foods and exercising regularly is equally important in asthma control, say doctors.

“Innumerable studies across the world have proved correlation between junk food and rising asthma. Frequent consumption of junk food leads to lowering of basic immunity levels among kids, which, in turn, makes sensitivity to various allergies sharper. Besides that junk food, soft drinks contain preservatives that can be allergents,’’ said Dr Sundeep Salvi, director, Chest Research Foundation (CRF). Besides good food, ensuring no deficiency of vital nutrients such as Vitamin D and Vitamin C can help in better asthma control.

Pediatrician Dr Barnali Bhattacharya said while asthma is genetically-linked ailment, there were a few measures one could take to ensure protection against asthma.

“It is a known fact that women, who abstain from smoking during pregnancy, do exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months give their children better chances of protection against asthma,’’
she said.

Source: DNA

India on Wednesday launched its first indigenously launched anti-malaria new-age drug ‘Synriam’. The drug, produced by Ranbaxy Laboratories, was formally introduced for marketing here.

The drug, launched by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in the presence of Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, has been developed by the company in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology and supported by the Indian Council for Medical Research.

Malaria claims half a million lives every year globally and India contributes to 77 per cent malaria cases of the 2.5 million cases of malaria reported annually from South East Asia.
The dual-molecule combination drug conforms to the recommendations of World Health Organisation (WHO) and will be required to be taken only once a day for three days.

The drug Synriam is to be used to treat uncomplicated “Plasmodium falciparum” malaria in adults. It provides relief from most malaria-related symptoms, including fever, and has a high cure rate of over 95 per cent.
“Today, India joins the elite club of the countries to have developed a new drug indigenously for malaria on the occasion of World Malaria Day,” Ranbaxy Laboratories CEO and MD Arun Sawhney said.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Azad said the drug should be made accessible and affordable so that poor and needy can purchase it as they are the ones who are most exposed to malaria.

After commencing research on the drug in 2003, the company received the Drug Controller General of India’s (DCGI) approval in 2011 to manufacture and market it in India.

The drug is efficacious and has the advantage of “compliance and convenience” as it can be taken at any time before or after meals. The course is one tablet a day for three days. Unlike artemisinin-based drugs, it has a synthetic source, the production of which can be scaled up whenever required and a consistent supply of the drug can be maintained at low cost.

The company has spent close to $ 30 million on research and development of the drug, of which the Government of India contributed a total of Rs. 5 crore.

The company also plans to introduce the drug in African countries once the clinical trials are completed and the necessary regulatory approvals are received.

Company’s President (R&D) Sudershan Arora said the clinical trials in Africa will be over by the first quarter of 2013 and the drug could be introduced in the same year after getting the necessary approvals there.

Source: The Hindu

By Satyendra Tripathi,President U.P.Diploma Pharmacist Association (Prision Branch)

The Drugs Controller General of India has asked the manufacturers to add “box warning” on its label, suggesting that its use to be restricted to 10 days.  If longer clinical use is necessary then liver function test should be assessed periodically.

Manufacturers are directed to incorporate the said box warning in a conspicuous manner on label, carton, package insert and other promotional literature of the drug.