Pharm D sprouted out separately from the field of Medicine in 19th century as compounders, is now being recognized as Doctors currently.
The field of pharmacy has witnessed a remarkable evolution in the past decades across the globe. Industrial revolution has contributed majorly for the boom in pharmaceutical industry. The profession of Pharm D has witnessed a paradigm shift from compounding to manufacturing pharmaceutical products and dispensing.
In the recent years, profession of pharmacy in the western world has shifted from product oriented to patient oriented.
Although the Pharm D in India is still more focused just about the supply of medicines and on patient care perspective has to improve.
Pharm D is undoubtedly an attempt for a revolutionize the healthcare sector, introduced by the PCI back in 2008 with the objective of giving an opportunity to the Pharmacists to work more prominently in Indian health care system.
Pharm D is typically a patient-centered curriculum; therefore, patients will be benefited the most. The patients would be able to derive the information about their disease, drugs and lifestyle modifications for the disease in future which would definitely increase prognosis of the patients.
In India a significantly huge gap that exists in terms of the number of doctors Available to the population of the country, government data shows that there is just 1 doctor available for around 11,082 people across the country, a figure more than 10 times the recommended ratio of 1:1000 as compared to the doctor patient ratio of 2.3:1000 in the United States.
The clinical pharmacy services by the pharm D graduates may remarkably contribute to minimize the work-load of physicians as well as decrease the load on the Indian health-care system.
Thus from the above statistics practically a country like India would require more number of clinical pharmacists working with the other healthcare professionals
This is one of the vital issues to be addressed in our country. A professional rapport between the pharmacist and the physicians and other medical professionals is of prime importance. Unfortunately, the acceptance level of Clinical Pharmacists by the
Physicians is pretty low in our country and yet a few physicians are still unaware of the course and the concept of pharm D itself. Insecurity among physicians may possibly be one of the causes of rejection. This misconception can be rectified by tutoring the Medical professionals on what Pharm D actually is and shedding light on how the clinical pharmacists can reduce their work burden. It should be made clear that the Medical Practioners are the master of diagnosis and they can never be replaced. A clinical pharmacist shall be confined only to his duties and be vested with the role of conducting patient’s medication history review, medication order review, patient counselling, adverse drug reaction monitoring, therapeutic drug monitoring, ward rounds and providing drug information center etc.
Besides, efforts by the government PCI and NMC to make arrangements for teaching
Pharm D course in compulsory in every hospital will certainly lead to a better insight of the medical professional about the share of clinical pharmacists in the healthcare system as they have an opportunity to learn and practice together.
These can majorly contribute to a better and a pleasant healthcare setting and a magnanimous acceptance by other healthcare providers.
Now arises the next question that are the pharm d graduates well equipped to carry out the profession?
Pharm D candidates have to create the need of clinical pharmacy services in amongst the patients and prove its importance. The essential requirements from a capable Pharm D graduate include:
Provide patient care. Includes:
Provide patient-centered care.
Promote health and wellness.
Provide population-based care.
Apply medical and therapeutic knowledge to pharmacy practice. Includes:
Develop, integrate, and apply knowledge from the foundational sciences (Scientist).
Evaluate the scientific literature.
Explain drug action.
Solve therapeutic problems.
Advance population health and patient-centered care.
Demonstrate a comprehensive approach to practice and care. Includes:
Problem Solving (Problem Solver).
Educator (Educator).
Patient Advocacy (Advocate).
Inter and Intra professional collaboration (Collaborator).
Cultural sensitivity (Enabler).
Communication (Communicator).
Demonstrate professional behavior which Includes:
Exhibit behaviors and values that are consistent with the trust given to the profession.
Professionalism in interactions with patients.
Professionalism in interactions with other healthcare providers.
Professionalism in interactions with society.
Manage and Use the Resources of the Health-Care System. Includes:
Optimize safety and efficacy of medication use systems leading to its better management.
Human resources.
Financial resources.
Technological resources.
Physical resources.
Engage in Personal and Professional Development. Includes:
Self-awareness
Leadership (Leader)
Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Innovator)
Research, Pharmacovigilance, Research & Development, Medical Writing, Product Managers, Regulatory affairs, Community pharmacy ,Governmental agencies,pharmacometrics etc. So it is essential that every student is made aware of the vast career opportunities instead of being dispirited stating that the scopes are crippled in the nation.
Though Pharm D was introduced way back in 1950 in the United States it took numerous years for the complete establishment of the course. With brief years of introduction of the course in India, If the country’s government renders an helping hand, just like how the national policies knitted by the government led to an exponential growth of Indian pharma industries, proudly standing as the largest producer of generic drugs today, the pharm D concept will also boom by shifting the policy’s emphasis towards public health and patient care by designing public health policies and common insurance programs. And most vitally, with an optimistic view of the course and the right path with motivation we will surely succeed in instituting a demarcated place for the Pharm D students in the Indian health care system.