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REASON FOR INTRODUCTION OF SEPARATE DIRECTORATE FOR PHARMACISTS:

The necessity to create separate Pharmacy Directorate is to ensure the 'right drug to the right patient in the right dose at the right time through the right route in the right way'. This is hardly so in Poschimbanga as the condition is worst and poor since inception.

Drug and Medicines are the most important and valuable Pillar in any Health Care System whether in Poschimbanga or in any part of the Country or World. As billions and trillions of dollars are being invested in this regard. India's total expenditure on health as percentage of GDP is 5.1 % of which drugs and Pharmaceuticals account for almost 15% to 20% of total health care expenditure and in the 12th Plan it will increase by 2.3% more from the existing percentage. Similarly, in case of State, improper procurement and misuse of Drugs, Medicines, Reagents and Equipments will also effects the State Gross Domestic Product (SGDP) and this is happening in Poschimbanga in by and large due to completely non utilization of qualified Pharmacists in this regard. From Drug manufacturing, standerdisation, proper storage and distribution of medicines and providing them to patient with proper guidance and direction the person involved to this whole system is none other than the Pharmacist but there job is being confined and limited upto indenting and wrongfully dispensing of such Drugs and Medicines whose standards, quality and efficacy are completely suspicious and unknown by the Pharmacists as they are not being involved in any activities and committees at any level related to Drug, Medicines, Reagents and Equipments. Due to position and rank in the Govt. and Public administration people are being involved though they are unaware and not having that much of expert knowledges which ought to have regarding those chemicals procurement and all sorts of activities as these are having several toxic and adverse effects meant for Drugs and Medicines and applied on common people.

The whole Pharmacy System is divided into three wings mainly: 1. Pharmacy Education System 2. Industrial Pharmacy & Drug Regulatory Authority. 3. Pharmacy under Health Services System. As we consider and strongly believe that the crores of rupees are incurred as expenditure from Public revenue regarding drugs, medicines, reagents and equipments and these must be utilized in Public interest. It is only possible and can be efficiently managed and controlled only the above mentioned three wings are being amalgamated in a Directorate that is pharmacy Directorate. Patients in Poschimbanga moves between health services at different levels (Primary, secondary and Tertiary Health Care System) always face unnecessary risks because correct information about the medicines they are taking often doesnt transfer with them due to absence and improper utilization of qualified and well trained Pharmacists. When a patients medicines are incorrect, their health suffers, leading to the need for further treatment. More than 80% of the errors involved medicines used to manage serious long-term conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma and Parkinsons. Patients with these conditions are often the most vulnerable to medication errors such as missed or wrong doses. In Poschimbanga still there is no standard procedure or specific accountability for communicating medicines information when the patient is discharged or moves places, or any agreed set of information which must be transferred about medicines to the Patients come for treatment under Health Services.

Pharmacists are uniquely qualified because:

They understand the principles of quality assurance as they are applied to medicines; They appreciate the intricacies of the distribution chain and the principles of efficient stock-keeping and stock turnover; They are familiar with the pricing structures applied to medicinal products that obtain within the markets in which they operate;

They are the custodians of much technical information on the products available on their domestic market in compare to Doctors and other staffs; They are able to provide informed advice to patients with minor illnesses and often to those with more chronic conditions, who are on established maintenance therapy, And not least, they provide an interface between the duties of prescribing and selling medicines and, in so doing; they dispose of any perceived or potential conflict of interest between these two functions.

In support of Separate Pharmacy Directorate we the West Bengal Progressive Pharmacist Association strongly recommend the following points:
1. To delineate the body of knowledge and expertise upon which the contribution of pharmacists to health care is based; 2. To review the contributions of pharmacists to the acquisition, control, distribution and rational use of drugs, and other health-related functions of pharmacists;

3. To formulate proposals regarding;

I. Necessary developments in undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education of pharmacists, and in the training of supportive staff; II. Action that is necessary to optimize the use of pharmacists in health care systems;
III.

Arrangements for monitoring the above developments and action.

IV. To establish a proper and strong Drug Regulatory Authority. 4. The duty of Pharmacist under the present Health Service System is at variance with the education he has been trained.

5.

The scientific Drug procurement and Storage is an essential part in providing quality Drugs and Medicines to the patients. Unfortunately and ridiculously by employing unqualified and non technical persons (i.e. Store Keeper), as a result of these crores of Public Money is being misused every year. There are instances of Separate Directorate in force for Cadre with lesser number of employees than Pharmacists like Ayurvedic and Homeopathy.

6.

7. Over the past 50 years, various Committees [ ex- The Pharmaceutical Enquiry Committee (1954) under the chairmanship of Gen. S.L. Bhatia, known as Bhatia Committee; the Expert Committee on Hospital Pharmacy (1967) under the chairmanship of Dr. H.S. Sastry in Mysore, known as Mysore Expert Committee); the Hospital Review Committee Delhi (1968); the Committee on National Drug Policy, known as the 'Hathi Committee (1975); the Bajaj Committee (1980); the Lentin Commission (1987); and the National Human Rights Commission's Report on Large Volume Parenterals (1999) ] constituted by the Central and/or State Governments and almost all the abovementioned committees have recommended for introduction of Separate Pharmacy Directorate to improve pharmacy services for Public interests
8.

The Pharmacist are mainly meant for providing Pharmaceutical Services which is an important part of health service but at present the system of this service is regulated by superior personnel other than Pharmacists as a result the Pharmacists are not able to perform their actual duties. Only the Separate directorate can promote them to render the actual Pharmaceutical Services for the Public interest.

9. A separate Directorate for nursing already exists. As a result they are capable to perform and manage their own professional aspects in Public interests.
10. The

National Human Rights Commission Report 1999 suggests for urgent need to set up hospital pharmacies under a chief pharmacist who should be at least a post graduate in Pharmacy to develop policies and procedures for procurement of multi-source medical items and their inventory control, receipts handling, storage, quality control, distribution, dispensing etc. The hospital pharmacy should review the purchase of medical supplies from intermediaries like Medical Supply Division and

private agencies. To properly render this service a separate Pharmacy Directorate is very much needed.
11. There

has been a wide-ranging national concern about spurious / counterfeit/ substandard drugs. The Supreme Court of India, the National Human Rights Commission and the Members of Parliament have time and again expressed a deep concern about improving the drug regulatory system in the country. The Drugs and Cosmetics Act has not been reviewed in a comprehensive manner since its inception although the Rules have been amended from time to time. The Government of India, in the past, had constituted several Committees, which had examined the issues and had made many recommendations. These recommendations have been implemented by the Government to some extent, but the core issues have remained unresolved due to lack of interest and unawareness regarding the effect of spurious / counterfeit/ substandard drugs on common innocent people and in West Bengal the previous Govt. has done nothing in this part. Therefore to implement a strong Pharmaceutical Services in this State for the public interest a Separate Pharmacy Directorate is very much essential and need of the present time.

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