INDIAN PHARMACIST ASSOCIATION

In a move that may bring a major change in the overall performances of the working pharmacists in the state, the Kerala State Pharmacy Council (KSPC) is gearing up to strictly enforce section 46 of the Pharmacy Act 1948 from January 2012 onwards, under which no pharmacy outlet will be allowed to work without registered pharmacists dressed in uniforms.

As per the Act, every working pharmacist, whether in government sector or private sector, has to follow the code of conduct prescribed in the act, said K C Ajith Kumar, president, KSPC. He said this is in addition to the reform being implemented by the council by enforcing section 42.

With the implementation of section 46, uniform for pharmacists working in the pharmacies of hospitals and medical shops will become mandatory. No pharmacy outlet will be allowed to work without registered pharmacists dressed in uniforms.

“We have started the programme in certain areas of some districts tentatively, and it will be implemented in all the 14 districts from January onwards. Notices were already issued to all the hospitals, clinics and medical shops. Practical training has also been given to 17000 working pharmacists in a period of 10 months. The state drugs control department has also agreed to co-operate with this mission of the pharmacy council. Soon Kerala will become the first state in the country with all working pharmacists clad in uniforms,” Ajith Kumar told Pharmabiz.

He said the pharmacy council has chalked out a training programme for registered pharmacists and it will commence from March onwards. All the employed and unemployed pharmacists can join the three months program which will provide practical training classes for managing a drug store, retail dispensary, billing and management of clinical pharmacy. All graduates and diploma holders of pharmacy can enrol for the course with a nominal fee.

“The fresh graduates of pharmacy are not efficient to run a pharmacy or retail shop without training. Our advanced training programme will equip them to manage a store and provide the technical know-how required for better clinical and store practices. The first batch of the program will comprise 50 pharmacists and the duration of the course is three months,” the president of the pharmacy council said.

With this goal in view, the pharmacy council has established an institute for advanced training course, and in the end of the course a certificate will be issued to the participants.