|
TN govt violates Sec 42 of Pharmacy Act by allowing nurses to dispense drugs in public health centres
|
|
Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
November 14 , 2017
|
|
|
Shortage of pharmacists in government hospitals all over Tamil Nadu is
badly affecting the public health services in the state. Drugs are
dispensed to the patients in many health centres by staff nurses or
clerical staff.
According to health experts, this is violation of
Section 42 of the Pharmacy Act by the government itself. Authorities,
who are bound to comply the laws, are allowing non-pharmacist persons to
dispense drugs from pharmacies to the patients. Chances are there for
occurrence of adverse reactions, misuse of drugs and over dose of
antibiotics, due to lack of monitoring by qualified parsons.
“In
several of the hospitals, from PHCs to Medical College Hospitals, the
drugs are dispensed to the patients either by nurses or clerical staffs.
In very few centres, the pharmacies are managed by pharmacists. This is
a violation of Section 42 of the Pharmacy Act by the government
itself”, said Tamil Vendan, president of Tamil Nadu Pharmacists Welfare
Association (TNPWA), a body of private pharmacists in the state.
Although
the authorities were reminded of the grave situation prevailing in the
hospitals for the last several years, no step has been taken so far by
the government to recruit sufficient pharmacists to address the manpower
shortage in the pharmacies. This is affecting the smooth functioning of
drug dispensing system through government institutions. All the
pharmacies are understaffed or overworked by the existing staff.
While
briefing Pharmabiz about the soon-to-be-conducted agitations, Vendan
said the government is not only apathetic in filling up the existing
vacancies of 700 posts, but also not increasing the number of
pharmacists in the government hospitals despite the huge growth in the
number of patients over the years. As per WHO norms, every hospital
should appoint pharmacists at a ratio of one pharmacist for 50
patients. But in India, various state governments have different
policies in fixing a ratio for out-patients. In the case of in-patients,
the general principle is that one pharmacist should be in service for
75 patients in the ward.
In a recent survey conducted by TNPWA,
it has been found that all the District TB Centres in Tamil Nadu are
operating without the services of pharmacists. Similarly, in the
district offices of the public health department, from where drugs and
vaccines are supplied to the hospitals and PHCs, no pharmacist has been
appointed.
The Family Welfare Offices working in the district
headquarters do keep huge quantities of drugs, but they are functioning
without pharmacists.
Usually the vaccines have to be maintained
in correct temperature in cold boxes, and qualified and experienced
persons need to take care of it. But the district administration of the
health department lacks pharmacists to assign for these jobs. Management
and delivery of medicines are looked after by unqualified people,
sometimes by the class four employees, said Vendan, who was previously
working with the health department. He said all the financial allotments
through central pool for various health programmes and projects are
going waste in the state.
Government has stopped recruitment of
pharmacists following a petition by unemployed pharmacists demanding
recruitment through employment exchanges. The case is pending with the
High Court.
The healthcare institutions in the government sector
in Tamil Nadu are managed by three authorities under the health
secretary. They are the Directorate of Medical Education, Directorate of
Medical and Rural Health Services, and Directorate of Public Health.
There is a vacancy of 4,000 pharmacists in all the institutions under
these directorates.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOPICS
|
That foods might provide therapeutic benefits is clearly not a new concept. ...
|
|
|
|
|