winds of change

WINDS OF CHANGE

 

Dr.M.Surulivelrajan,

Associate Professor,

Department of Pharmacy Practice,Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

Pharmacy profession in India is experiencing a phase of metamorphosis. Indian pharmaceutical market is ranked third in terms of volume and thirteenth in terms of value of the global pharmaceutical supply. India is envisaged to rank amongst the top three pharmaceutical markets in terms of incremental growth by 2020, with a revenue yield of USD 55 billion.The industry not only caters to desideratum of domestic markets; but foreign markets as well. Fifteen years ago,initial faction of clinically trained pharmacists emerged fromIndian institutions and were contemplating for opportunities in the health care system to contribute as a team member. However, a multitude of these graduates migrated overseas in search of greener pastures. With a vision to integrate pharmacists as a vital part of interdisciplinary health-care team, the course of Pharm.D was initiated in the country less than a decade ago. The initial batches of this new breed of clinical pharmacist has already emerged out of the educational pipeline. Though people were sceptic about the prospects of this course, things are changing for good.

As an outcome of changes transpiring in the health care settings in terms of consolidation and accreditation processes, numerous hospitals are taking strides to obtain national and international accreditations. Pre-requisites for the accreditation by most agencies give precedence to patient safety, with practice of medication safety being the most vital subset. Since clinical pharmacists provide substantial inputs towards realization of the former, hospitals in India have now started recruiting clinical pharmacists. However, the roles of clinical pharmacists are still ambiguously demarcated and fluctuate as per institutional requisites. Therefore, there is a need to consolidate on the same to ensure optimal progress of the profession.

Pharmaceutical industries also require graduates with expertise in the areas of pharmacovigilance, clinical trials, medical writing and regulatory affairs. Clinically trained pharmacists, due to their academic coverage on the same, are well-poised to seize such opportunities. In the long run, well defined, patient-oriented roles will emerge and pharmacists should look for avenues to expand their roles. Health care is rapidly undergoing transition and specialization will become the norm for every professional including clinical pharmacists. Specialities which include the likes of oncology, cardiology, infectious disease, paediatrics might emerge in the coming years and there is a need to focus on building capabilities in these areas. Pharmacy operations are going to be another important area of change, as health care settings are anticipated to enrol highly qualified professionals for managing their operations which are being technologically revamped. New generation pharmacists should not miss this avenue of growth as well.  Many of these changes are not going to be mellow and needs focus and homogeneous effort from all professional stakeholders. Looking at all these changes ahead, one can perceive the winds of change in our profession. Pharmacy profession is poised for an exciting phase of transformation and the years to come will tell us whether we are going to use this opportunity.