Cover 21 December, 2020
Pharmacy Reforms in JKNews Kashmir Health Bureau
The pharmaceutical industry discovers, develops, produces, and markets drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered to patients, with the aim to cure them, vaccinate them, or alleviate the symptoms. Pharmaceutical companies may deal in generic or brand medications and medical devices.
In Jammu and Kashmir region many pharmacy shops over the decades have functioned in a very dubious manner with untrained and non professionals running them . There has been a growing demand to provide pharmacy shop license only who are well versed as lack of same act as a great peril and threat towards public health .
Jammu and Kashmir has been also plagued by the massive prevelance of fake drugs in market ,which many studies and surveys over the years have pointed out .Pharmacy reforms in Jammu and Kashmir are long due and now are happening steadily ,which is a good news .
Recently in a very positive development with reference to it , Jammu and Kashmir Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo, formally launched portal for online registrations/validation of Pharmacies under Pharmacy Act, 1948.
As many as, 3 candidates who had uploaded their documents were handed over certificates as Registered Pharmacist on spot.
Financial Commissioner, while appreciating functioning of Pharmacy Council of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, expressed hope that all stakeholders shall get immensely benefitted by this initiative. He said that Pharmacists play a pivotal role in the healthcare system and their contribution is critical towards mitigating sufferings of ailing masses.He expressed hope that the Pharmacy Council shall strive hard to ensure that the practice and profession of Pharmacy in the Union Territory of J&K is regulated in an efficient manner and this body continues to uphold the sanctity of moral ethics, code and conduct among Pharmacy professionals.
He appreciated the Jammu & Kashmir Pharmacy Council for eliminating physical interface in various services offered by it. He said that a transparent, accountable and time bound system is always required to address the problems being faced by candidates aspiring to acquire grant/renewal of their Pharmacist Registration certificates.Expert pulse has been in favour of what they term the implementation of central pharmacy laws to the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh that in a positive manner ended the hegemony and monopoly and shook the nerves of under-qualified practitioners as now as per central laws every Tom, Dick and Harry can’t enter the profession of pharmacy without valid credentials – the old practice much prevalent in Jammu and Kashmir.In another great development this year IMAGEJammu and Kashmir Government has established 12 AMRIT Pharmacies across the Union Territory to reduce Out Of Pocket Expenditure for consumers. These stores provide branded drugs and implants surgical and disposable at affordable prices. AMRIT pharmacies, which are operating under an MoU between both central and Union Territory administrations, sell branded drugs such as those used for treating cancer and cardiovascular diseases at an average discount of up to 60 per cent. These pharmacies offer an inventory of more than 5,200 drugs, implants, surgical disposable and other consumables besides ensuring availability of generic and lifesaving branded drugs is its prime objective.
The pulse on ground is quite positive over the public interests reforms being brought in Jammu and Kashmir .
