Respected Friends
I on behalf of working Pharmacists under west Bengal Health Department wants to share and exchange views regarding professional development and future action regarding in service various problems of the Pharmacists of West Bengal presently facing. This profession in Bengal has no role except cutting and giving strips of medicines to the patients. The previous Left Front Government made this profession just in the condition of COMA. So, I like my other fellow members want a strong bonding and time to time coordination with all the Pharmacists Associations all over the Country to more strongly and unitedly to raise our voice and demand for our real professional Role in Health Care, Industry, Regulating Authority, Education, Administration and R &D along with other fields under one Ministry both in Central and State for justice which are being time to time raised by different international bodies like WHO and others.
Please send me some guidelines if any regarding the Diploma Holders those who are working in Govt. Hospitals in other states of India regarding their promotions, CMU, ACP and others related to development . As the basic or minimum Educational Qualification should be and must be B.Pharma for the interest of this profession then what should be the best proposals for those Pharmacists basically who are having few years for retirement and got no benefits from this service and those who will not be interested for further higher qualifications and the periods for completion of higher degrees .
In West Bengal the Hospital Pharmacists are Group C staffs. Even after the sixth Pay Commission the Salaries of Pharmacists in Bengal kept low and at per with the clerical staffs though the Diploma Holders are having the Technical Degree( 10+2+2) and are registered from Pharmacy council of India( PCI) like Doctors and Nurses. While the Diploma Engineers( 10+3) are promoted upto Gazetted ranks but the Diploma Holders are kept as Group c staff. The Degree and Post Graduate Holders those who have entered to this service are also getting the same salaries. Therefore the qualified persons are not coming to this Profession as a result this Profession in Bengal looks poor and unnecessary in the society. If any one can have the ability to read English can easily serve the prescriptions so for that there is no demand for Pharmacists.
“The drug control department has a sanctioned strength of 164 drug inspectors. Out of this, 82 posts have been filled up and some of those inspectors are in the ranks of senior drug inspectors. Four seats of the total 36 assistant drug controller posts are lying vacant. One post of additional director and one post of deputy director are also not filled,” Dr Ghosh said.
Compared to other states in the southern and western parts of the country, West Bengal is facing severe shortage of qualified pharmacists and even majority of the working pharmacists in the private institutions and pharmacies are D category pharmacists.
In the whole of the state there are over 44000 retail pharmacies and in most of these drug stores, the medicine is dispensed by D category pharmacists.
Based on the provisions of Pharmacy Council of India, (PCI) the West Bengal Pharmacy Council had given D category certificates to Class VIII passed people of those migrated from Bangladesh and Myanmar after Bengal division in 1905 on consideration of livelihood. About one lakh D category certificate holders secured jobs in private pharmacies and hospitals by using these certificates till 1978. Even now most of the retail pharmacies in West Bengal are managed by these D category pharmacists and the certificates were issued only till 1978. Currently their number is 77234 and all are aged, said the director.
The D category certificate is valid according to PCI norms, “As per Section 31 of the Pharmacy Act 1948, there are four categories of pharmacists and based on this Act, the WBPC had issued the certificates till 1978,”
All the Drug stores including Central( Main) and District Main Drug store under Government of West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department run by all unqualified Group D Clerical Staffs not the Pharmacists. The Left Front supported Employees Association Supported those Group D staff to retain to those post even after the last year’s Govt. Order to vacate those posts to Pharmacists after a long period of delay to understand the importance of Drug Storage. Still it is not implemented after change of Government. Our so respected and beloved Didi is still taking time to understand the importance of Pharmacist in Health care services.
So, friends I urge before all of you to spread this news to all over the India to know the pathetic conditions of this profession in Bengal. There are more stories to share but I would like to be more positive and optimistic and hope we will be able to bring the Golden periods in this profession what is required is organizing of more awareness programmes regarding Pharmacy Profession and Pharmacy Practice to the society as well as representation to the Assembly and Parliament to clearly describe the Big Picture of this Profession to the whole Nation including the whole world.
Hope we will be keep in touch with various matters concerned to our Profession and upgrade each other through correspondence and mail.
Thanking you.
With regards
Debasish Bhattacharjee
e-mail ID: deb_pharmahealthcare@yahoo.com
Mobile: 09830028157.
Recent Comments