Shekhar Nayak, a retail pharmacist from Margão says, ‘we live in 21st century and yet the concept of ‘compounder’ has not faded off the minds of people in our own houses and society. Lack of Basic skills such as (identifying the pulse/ injecting insulin to a family member) is yet another important factor that keeps the pharmacist away from the areas of clinical practice’. Further he explains, ‘In my view , the role of the Pharmacists in HealthCare in Goa/India is not recognized. And it is high time that the policy makers, stakeholders and government unite together and address this issue. Policy makers usually see pharmacies as commercial enterprises and pharmacists as business people. Policy makers should view pharmacies as part of the health care sector and pharmacists as healthcare professionals providing health care services and focus on them as they do with other health care professionals’.
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Pharmacists are integral to our health-care systems, often being the first point of contact for health advice and primary health care, as well as addressing the health needs of our populations in many varied ways, such as ensuring access to and providing guidance on essential medicines and medical devices, including diagnostic tests and assistive products, they provide expertise for patient care and public health, promoting disease prevention, such as by administering vaccines, conducting health screening, educating patients, and helping to improve health literacy; Pharmacists support public health campaigns by participating in the research and development of new medicines. They play an important role in pharmacovigilance, for instance, ensuring the safety and efficacy of antibiotics and other medicines. Undoubtedly, as have demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacists are at the forefront of addressing regional and global health crises.
.‘Deservingly termed as the ‘Pharmacy of the World,’ the Indian pharmaceutical industry is made up of more than 3,000 pharmaceutical companies backed by over 10,500 manufacturing facilities which together contribute to above 50% of vaccine demand around the globe, meets 40% generics requirement in the US and caters to 25% need of all medicines in the UK. India exports 60,000 generic drugs to over 220 countries across 60 therapeutic areas. It caters above 80% of the global antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV AIDS’, mentions PhD scholar Amol Adkonkar, from Raibandar.
