‘Allow pharmacists to treat minor ailmentsto boost healthcare’
| Date :21-Jan-2023 |
By Vikas Vaidya
allow pharmacists to treat minor ailments to ease load on healthcare system and see the system improve to a large extent, opined Dr Dominique Jordan, President of International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
“Indians may find it unusual as the idea of being treated by pharmacists may be new in the country. But in most developed countries, it has been accepted and practised successfully,” he said.
FIP is the global federation of national associations of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. It gathers 127 member organisations and represents three million practitioners and scientists around the world. When its head says something it carries weight.
Dr Dominique Jordan is in Nagpur to attend the 72nd Indian Pharmaceuticals Congress (IPC). The FIP chief looked cheerful and fresh even after being on the dais for three hours. Dr Dominique, while talking to ‘The Hitavada’, expressed the need of change in approach as far as Indian healthcare system was concerned.
“In Switzerland, we have made an Act including pharmacists in healthcare system. They are not mere drug-sellers in Switzerland. There is a protocol according to which pharmacists handle some diseases and for remaining, patients have to approach doctors. In most developed countries this has become a regular practice because of which the quality of medical treatment has improved drastically,” pointed out Dr Jordan.
There are some 20-plus diseases, which are treated by pharmacists directly in Switzerland, and patients don’t have to go to doctors. The insurance policy too has molded in that manner. Dr Jordan feels emergency, doctor’s office and pharmacy are the three pillars of healthcare system and there is a huge potential in pharmacists which should be utlised.
Dr Jordan is the first such President of FIP who advocated the need of aggressive collaboration and proper connect of pharmacy education, practice, workforce and science. But he has regret that it is not taking place the way it should have been. “This is one such sector where under one roof all these four forces can work. The coordination among these four is lacking all over the world. As you asked about India, here the quantum is huge and maintaining that coordination among all the four components is very difficult,” felt Dr Jordan. Students taking pharmacy education
In India there is Pharmacy Council, university, departments working at State and Central level. If Pharmacy Council introduces changes in curriculum are not incorporated by universities concerned promptly. Dr Jordan feels the educators must have freedom, if it it not there then the education is imparted to students would miss something. The students, the future pharmacists need to be practiced so that science, education, practice and workforce development would go hand in hand, added Dr Jordan. Ultimately the aim is to have better patient healthcare, Dr Jordan makes it clear. Under the leadership of Dr Jordan FIP is mulling to prepare a strategy to reduce the gaps in pharmaceutical science, practice and education between different regions of the world.
Most people feel coronavirus pandemic has taught world to have high preparedness is case such crisis occurs. Now the healthcare system world over is maintaining it. This what is general belief. But Dr Jordan disagree with it. “Coronavirus pandemic taught us several things. There were many things new to us and we prepared ourselves. As far as maintaining high preparedness in case of such pandemic sounds difficult. The system, the people, the policymakers forget it immediately. Some strategic planning should be made in such a way that we should have that preparedness permanently, it should become a part of our system,” suggested Dr Jordan. FIP’s Working Group is working on that aspect.