E-drug: Course "Managing drug supply" (cont'd)
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Dear e-druggers,
This is in response to the announcement of Managing Drug Supply
in Primary Care Course in Amsterdam, Netherlands by WHO. I was
just wondering as to why courses of this nature are not being
organized in developing countries which in my humble opinion
really need such courses.
I am a lecturer and clinical pharmacist in a reputed pharmacy
college of India. I handle the subject of Hospital and Community
Pharmacy for post graduate students of Pharmacy Practice. Sad to
say, but the plight of pharmacy profession in India is pitiable
indeed. Of course, a major part of it is attributable to pharmacy and
pharmacist being considered as a trade/business rather than a
profession capable of providing so much service in the area of
patient care, along with the corruption and anarchy existing in the
political system. As everyone is aware, anything to do with drugs
spell money and that too, lots of it.
In fact, the specialty of Pharmacy Practice has been existent in
India only since this last decade and still is in its infancy while this
aspect is very much advanced in many other developing nations. If
WHO could organize such programmes in countries where they
could really do good if implemented, I feel it would be a step in the
right direction. As of now, we are aware of all these matters as they
are present in textbooks (again a rare commodity! My heartfelt
thanks go out to WHO and MSH who sent me a copy each of
Managing Drug Supply, 2nd edition which now is a valuable part of
our library and to e-drug which has served as a conduit for this). If
these matters are shown practically to us in a workshop, maybe we
could start off at least in part some of the procedures, which would
assure better drug supply systems and save the health facilities a
lot of money.
Another point I would like to make is regarding the venue. Since
the venues for such meets are almost always in Europe or
Americas, it is quite unthinkable for delegates belonging to
developing nations to attend the same. Even, if they get a
grant/reduction for the course fee and stay, the travel expenses
itself are quite high. This makes it impossible for junior people in
the system who actually are in charge, for all practical purposes, to
attend. I strongly feel that WHO must make it mandatory for all the
senior professionals it sponsors for such courses, that some form
of checking is in place so that once back in their home country,
they conduct small workshops where all that they have learnt is
passed down to their juniors.
Although the efforts of organizations like WHO and MSH is
laudable, maybe it will be more practical in future to organize
smaller workshops in a more economical manner so that it is
possible to reach out to a larger audience and that too at a level
where they can actually put into execution what knowledge they
have received anew.
Regards,
Ms.Geeta Pradeep, M.Pharm
Lecturer and Clinical Pharmacist
Al-Ameen College of Pharmacy
Bangalore, India.
e-mail: geeta_pradeep@hotmail.com
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