Karnataka State Pharmacy Council (KSPC) now approaching Print & TV advt campaign to highlight the dangers of selling drugs by unqualified persons at drug stores. Public awareness is necessary and electronic media is the best way to spread awareness. This step has been taken by KSPC and to educate people on the importance of qualified pharmacist presence at the drugstore. A pharmacist should accept the prescriptions and handover the appropriate medicines to the buyer.
Public appreciated the effort, that is first-of-its-kind in the country and council received a positive response. All the efforts and marketing campaign is being taken care by KSPC to adhere to Section 34 and Section 42 of Pharmacy Act 1948. Section 34 provides the authority to directs annual renewal of registration, failing which the State Pharmacy Council could remove the name of the defaulter from its rolls”. While Section 42 makes it mandatory to have well qualified registered pharmacists to sell medicines on the prescription of medical practitioners.
March 31, 2018, is the extended date for late comers for the annual renewal of qualified pharmacists registration to the Council rolls and the last date was December 31, 2017. State also sent messages(Short Message Service (SMS)) to all Registered Pharmacists. And if after all these efforts, people not get registered then their registration will be canceled. Besides that their names will be displayed on the KSPC website and will be shared with Drugs Control Department for further actions.
KSPC president Gangadhar V Yavagal told that “The Pharmacy Act” states If people failed to follow provisions then this is punishable with imprisonment for a term or with fine. And this move is complying with the act and registration is compulsory for doctors nurses and lawyers to the respective councils.
This act will help the state in multiple ways like the state can track qualified pharmacy workforce and also important to assess the unemployment status in this sector. State authority also knows that there are few pharmacy professionals in the state who work elsewhere but lend their certificates for a meager sum to run pharmacy outlets. And the provision to have a compulsory pharmacist will give an opportunity to work for a qualified registered pharmacist whose presence in the chemist outlet would benefit a patient. The whole movement will automatically create job openings in the pharmacy trade sector as outlets will need to hire a qualified pharmacist to manage the business.
Presently, the state has 28,000 outlets and around 2,000 new registrations to the Council annually. This indicates the number of qualified and registered candidates available to track their career chart.
