Speech by Her Excellency the President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil at the Inauguration of the National Seminar on Recent Trends in Pharmacy Education and Practice

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am happy to inaugurate the National Seminar on "Recent Trends in Pharmacy Education and Practice." As a regulator of pharmacy education and practice, the Pharmacy Council of India will have an important role in shaping the growth of the pharmacy profession in the country.

The dictionary meaning of pharmacy is the science or practice of preparing and dispensing medical drugs. Ancient Indian texts such as the Atharva Veda as well as the Sushruta Samhita and the Charak Samhita, contain invaluable information on both these aspects. They include details about medicinal plants, preparation of medicines from these, as also from mineral sources and how to administer them. Knowledge about the properties of medicine is therefore, not new to India, though earlier there were no separate professions of a doctor and a pharmacist. The introduction of complex compounds into medicines, particularly in the last two Centuries, resulted in pharmacy becoming a specialized work. The 21st Century with rapid advances in medicines, makes the management of medicines of a patient a far more complex task.

The pharmacist in the contemporary template is one who provides a vital connect between the health sciences and the pharmaceutical world. Their work in the medical field has become multifaceted, extending from the manufacturing of quality medicines, to the delivery of pharmaceutical care to patients. Hence, a pharmacist's work is linked with the pharmaceutical and the health sectors - both these in India are fast growing.

The Indian pharmaceutical industry has a wide range of capabilities and is ranked amongst one of the foremost industries of the country. It has grown from a meager turnover of US $ 0.32 billion in 1980 to about US $ 21.3 billion in 2009-10 and it is poised to grow at compounded annual growth rate of 19 percent. India globally ranks 3rd in terms of volume of production and 13th by value of production. Our pharma companies meet a large part of the domestic requirements of medicine, which by 2020 are expected to rise to approximately US $50 billion. It is also noteworthy that Indian companies are amongst the world leaders in the production of generics. Future opportunities are numerous. Price Water House Coopers in its recent report has estimated that around US $70 billion worth of drugs are expected to go off patent in the United States, over the next three years. India is capable of taking a substantial share of the resulting generics opportunities.

The pharma industry also has to respond to the emerging patterns of diseases and to growing concerns about disease causing agents becoming resistant to existing drugs. This necessitates new drugs, requiring increased focus on research and development including in the newer frontiers of medicine like bio-technology. Clinical trials to establish the safety and effectiveness of drugs constitute an important part of R&D work. India has a pool of skilled workforce of high managerial and technical competence, and several MNC pharma companies are increasingly making India their R&D and Clinical Research hub on account of our skilled manpower and competitive costs. I also believe that, we should draw on the rich resource of our indigenous knowledge of medicine and bring these into broader usage. India has much to offer the world in terms of alternative medicine and its potential must be tapped. Greater focus is required in this regard to propagate its efficacy.

In the wake of an expanding pharma industry, demand for pharmacists will also increase. They would be required in larger numbers for work related to the discovery, design, development and manufacture of medicines to ensure the quality, safety and efficiency of medicinal products and even their cost effectiveness, so as to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes and quality of life for patients.

The pharmacist, as I had mentioned earlier, is very closely aligned with the health sector. Pharmaceutical care entails the work of addressing a patient's medication related needs. The involvement of the pharmacist in India in this regard has been somewhat restricted, contrary to trends in developed countries. While seeking medical help, we think of a doctor or a nurse or a medical technician, but seldom does a pharmacist come to mind. This needs correction. The Pharmacy Council should work towards creating awareness about the very important role of a pharmacist in the well being and health of an individual.

Now a days for example, medicine options have multiplied manifold thus raising the complexity of therapies. Pharmacists have a unique role to play in evaluating these options. Within the team of healthcare professionals, trained pharmacists would have the knowledge and skills to prevent, detect, monitor, and resolve medicine related problems. As the public demands more information on medicines and their effects, to make more informed decisions, pharmacists take on a more active role in patient counselling. Moreover, it is estimated that by 2015, speciality and super-speciality therapies will account for 45 percent of the pharmacy market. There will be growing lifestyle disorders that will gain considerable significance. Role for specialized pharmacy knowledge in areas such as oncology, infectious diseases and critical care will become more important.

The Pharmacy Council should plan for future requirements of pharmacists in the country, taking into consideration the demands of the healthcare landscape in the future. Pharmacy education should be constantly revised and updated to meet tomorrow's challenges. With growing inter-linkages in the world, international standards must be maintained and the curriculum should include a section on global trends and best practices. Educators will also need to develop a culture conducive to inquiry and research, because so much in medicine and pharmacy is yet to be discovered. To create well-rounded pharmacists who are knowledgeable it is necessary that there is constant interaction between pharmacy institutions, educational institutions and various stakeholders - healthcare practitioners, academic centres and pharmaceutical companies. This will give students the required exposure. Professional ethics, values and code of conduct are key factors to be taught. Due emphasis must be given to these aspects.

The common goal of the health sector, pharmaceutical industries and the pharmaceutical profession, should be to protect the well-being of patients in all parts of the world. This is also the motto of the Pharmacy Council:

meaning, I only desire relief from pain for those who are suffering.

I wish the Pharmacy Council and all those associated with it the very best for the future. I also wish the Seminar all success.

Thank you. 
Jai Hind!