Legal Powers to
Retail Pharmacist
“Pharmacist”
as a professional have vital role in an individual life and social health on
large. His role is not mere supply / trade of medicines but have to take responsibility
equal with prescriber especially for positive outcome from medicines. Though it
is happening in developed world, Indian Pharmacies have been grown as trade
centers. Most of the time fellow pharmacists deem that they are not provided
with sufficient regulatory support. Many pharmacies are run by non-qualified personnel
or many times a pharmacist has to dispense irrational drugs. Therefore, questions
come-
1)
Is pharmacist is legally required for retail pharmacies?
2)
Is it mandatory to dispense what doctor
prescribe?
3)
Is it mandatory to honour every prescription
written by a doctor?
4)
Should pharmacist re-dispense on old
prescription?
Answers to
these are Regulatory POWERS given by Drug & Cosmetic Act in 1940, that
before 80 years to immerge pharmacy as POWERFUL care-taker professional.
D&C act,
since 1940 when pharmacy profession was not visible, said that medicines must
be dispensed under direct supervision of registered pharmacist. Trade oriented
mindset of chemist’s organizations and poor implementation of the regulation had
been lead to running of pharmacy by unqualified person. Recently, also one of the biggest organization
requested central government to allow non-pharmacist to open retail pharmacy.
Pharmacist is
considered as ultimate health professional meeting with a patient before he consumes
medicine. Therefore, law says to get the
prescription corrected from the prescriber / reject prescription if it is irrational.
Similarly,
in many states only allopathic doctors (MBBS) are permitted to prescribe
allopathic medicines. In this case, if allopathic medicines are prescribed by
doctors from other pathy (BAMS/BHMS) pharmacist can dishonor the prescription.
But on business point of view all such prescriptions are honoured by a retailer.
After
dispensing of medicines on a prescription, it should be endorsed with stamp and
sign as dispensed/ supplied. Unless the prescription mentions about the REFILL
instructions, it should not be refilled. But
patient even gets medicines without prescription.
Thus,
underutilization of legal powers, trade oriented mindset and non-professional
attitude are major factors for poor development of pharmacy as a health care profession
in India. Introduction of Pharm.D. programme (2008) and Pharmacy Practice
Regulation (2015) improved positiveness about the development
of pharmacy practice in India.