'Pharmaceutical policy a must'

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 13: The pharmaceutical industry and health care sectors in India have a grim picture – with a pharmacy catering to the medicil needs of 925 patients against the intertiol standard of one pharmacy against 500 patients. India also lags far behind the intertiol standard of one pharmacist against 10-15 beds. Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) president Dr. Rao Vadlamudi informed the media of this at a press meet at Girijanda Chowdhury Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (GIPS) at Azara on the outskirts of Guwahati where the iugural ceremony of IPA-Students’ Forum (SF) was formed on Friday.   Dr. Vadlamudi said: “Though India is the third largest exporter of pharmaceutical products doing business with around 200 countries involving a business of around Rs 2 lakh crore, the country is still to have a pharmaceutical policy of its own. Even pharmacies have not been involved in the health policies of the health departments.” Dr.  Vadlamudi said: “So long pharmacists are not made available in the right number it won’t be possible to ensure the right medicine in right time for the right patient.” The meeting was also attended by Prof. TV rayan, Assam Science and Technology University vice chancellor Dr. Dhiraj Bora, GIPS Principal Prof. Suvakanta Dash and others.