Saturday 30 July 2016

Legal Powers to Retail Pharmacist

Legal Powers to Retail Pharmacist
“Pharmacist” as a professional have vital role in an individual life and social health on large. His role is not mere supply / trade of medicines but have to take responsibility equal with prescriber especially for positive outcome from medicines. Though it is happening in developed world, Indian Pharmacies have been grown as trade centers. Most of the time fellow pharmacists deem that they are not provided with sufficient regulatory support.   Many pharmacies are run by non-qualified personnel or many times a pharmacist has to dispense irrational drugs. Therefore, questions come-
1)      Is pharmacist is legally required for retail pharmacies?
2)      Is it mandatory to dispense what doctor prescribe?
3)      Is it mandatory to honour every prescription written by a doctor?
4)      Should pharmacist re-dispense on old prescription?
Answers to these are Regulatory POWERS given by Drug & Cosmetic Act in 1940, that before 80 years to immerge pharmacy as POWERFUL care-taker professional.
D&C act, since 1940 when pharmacy profession was not visible, said that medicines must be dispensed under direct supervision of registered pharmacist. Trade oriented mindset of chemist’s organizations and poor implementation of the regulation had been lead to running of pharmacy by unqualified person.  Recently, also one of the biggest organization requested central government to allow non-pharmacist to open retail pharmacy.   
Pharmacist is considered as ultimate health professional meeting with a patient before he consumes medicine.  Therefore, law says to get the prescription corrected from the prescriber / reject prescription if it is irrational.   Similarly, in many states only allopathic doctors (MBBS) are permitted to prescribe allopathic medicines. In this case, if allopathic medicines are prescribed by doctors from other pathy (BAMS/BHMS) pharmacist can dishonor the prescription. But on business point of view all such prescriptions are honoured by a retailer.
After dispensing of medicines on a prescription, it should be endorsed with stamp and sign as dispensed/ supplied. Unless the prescription mentions about the REFILL instructions, it should not be refilled.   But patient even gets medicines without prescription.

Thus, underutilization of legal powers, trade oriented mindset and non-professional attitude are major factors for poor development of pharmacy as a health care profession in India. Introduction of Pharm.D. programme (2008) and Pharmacy Practice Regulation (2015) improved positiveness about the   development of pharmacy practice in India.