Pharm D Course in India - Concluding Remarks

[Guest guest]

Dear Members:

WHO has specifically emphasized the contribution of pharmacists in the rational use of drugs by ensuring the pharmacist’s participation in ward rounds advising medicines to in-patients; monitoring prescription in OPD; running Drug Information Centres; in Drug and therapeutics Committee etc. Further WHO expects a pharmacist to be a caregiver, decision-maker, life-long learner, communicator, teacher, manager and leader. In order to shoulder these responsibilities, pharmacists in India need to be appropriately equipped through focussed and suitable training which has so far been lacking in many respects.

It was with these objectives in mind that the six year integrated PharmD course was conceived, designed, developed and notified by the Pharmacy Council of India under the leadership of its dynamic president, Dr. B. Suresh in May this year. The course aims at rigorously training aspiring candidates in clinical pharmacy practice with one full year of internship in medical as well as surgical speciality wards besides six month long project work and six month long clerkship in a 350 bedded hospital.

New course met with a lot of appreciation and criticism at the same time. Appreciation for taking concrete steps towards opening up new vistas in the practice of clinical, hospital and community pharmacy in India and criticism for high fee structure and fewer job opportunities within India. However President PCI, Dr. B. Suresh contends that the new course is actually aimed at opening up vast career opportunities for our pharmacy professional abroad who have so far been finding it difficult to get licences and practice pharmacy

outside India. Besides Dr. Suresh claims that the pass-outs of the new course shall find immense job prospects in fast expanding and flourishing Clinical Research Management Organizations within India.

Present discussion was taken up in the wake of steadily flowing queries from youngsters aspiring to pursue PharmD course as their career option but running from pillar to post in search of answers to their dilemmas and predicaments regarding the course. This discussion answered most of the commonly posed questions regarding the course. However still some queries remain unanswered that only time can answer. In nutshell, PharmD course is a step in the right direction and worth pursuing. It needs to be made affordable and available at govt. colleges/universities too. PCI needs to clarify whether PharmD candidates can apply for such government jobs as require B.Pharm/M.Pharm. as mandatory qualification. Greater job

avenues within India need to be created for such candidates. All stake-holders need to work in tandem to uplift pharmacy profession and foster the practice of clinical pharmacy in India. My sincere thanks to all learned members namely Dr. K. Srisailam, Dr. Santosh, Abdul Rehman Nagori, Shazia Jamshed, Pankaj Jain, Dr. Anupama Sukhlecha, Madam Kunda Gharpure, Dr. Smita Mali and above all Dr. Vijay Thawani for participating in the discussion and presenting their enriching views regarding the course.

With Kind Regards:

Dr. Geer M. Ishaq

Assistant Professor

Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences

University of Kashmir

Srinagar-190006 (J & K)

Ph: 9419970971, 9906673100

Website: http://ishaqgeer.googlepages.com

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