Gujarat State Pharmacy Council

· Medical stores in Gujarat will now have pharmacist with Apron & Name Plate: Pharmacist can now renew license online

· Gujarat became only state to give latest training by Refresher Courseto the largest number of Pharmacists, towns will also be covered

Ahmedabad: Gujarat State Pharmacy Council (GSPC) has took an initiative of starting a special job portal for the benefit of pharma industry as well as pharmacy students. On World Pharmacy Day, GSPC has announced an action plan for the welfare of Pharmacists, Pharma Industry as well as Pharmacy Students.

Montukumar Patel, president of GSPC announced the welfare Action plan. He said that GSPC through ONLINE free JOB-PORTAL provide a platform to job providers and job seekers (registered pharmacists). All Pharmaceutical Industries, Chain Stores, Pharmacy, Stores, Hospitals, Organizations, Pharmacy Colleges, CRO’s, Medical Coders, Marketing Companies etc. can POST their VACANCIES for Pharmacists on website www.gujaratstatepharmacycoucil.org. Pharmacist can post their RESUME free of charge on this online job portal to find better jobs. Council has filed a writ petition in High Court for Pharma professional to get Pharmacist status instead of Compounder status

Suggestions on e-Pharmacy:

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare published draft rules in public domain to regulate sale of drugs by e-pharmacy on 28th August 2018 and invited objections and suggestions from public within 45 days of its publication. Gujarat State Pharmacy Council (GSPC) has decided to submit suggestions and objections regarding draft rules to regulate sale of drugs by e-pharmacy for betterment of the future of pharma profession in India. We have requested Principals / Directors / Deans of reputed pharmacy institutions in the stateto join hands together in this process by making your staff aware about the pros and cons of sale of drugs by e-pharmacy and inviting suggestions and objections from your side on this draft rules which will be submitted to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. They can submit objections or suggestions if any to GSPC at pharmacy-guj@nic.in latest by 29th September 2018.

Welfare Action plan:

1. Digitalization of Council

2. Refresher Courses

3. Drug Information Centre

4. Registration Camps & Guidance Camps

5. Information Booklet

6. Celebration of National Pharmacy Week

7. Celebration of National Pharmacist’s Day

Awareness Programs

Lots of awareness programs planned by the Council like Rally with posters by Pharmacy College students.For Online Registration, Development of new website work done for ONLINE registration, renewal of license, re-entry, Good Standing Certificate, Degree Addition registration etc. with online payment option Pharma professional can Update Profile. Medical stores in Gujarat will now have pharmacist with Apron & Name Plate, Dr. Shrikant V. Joshi, Executive Committee member of the Council & Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Maliba Pharmacy College, Bardoli said.

'Refresher Course' mandatory

The new regulation has made attending continued education program, also called 'Refresher Course' mandatory. GSPC took initiative by organizing Refresher Courses as soon as the Pharmacy Practice Regulation 2015 (PPR- 2015), was notified by PCI. GSPC had started this practice even before the Pharmacy Practice Regulation 2015 (PPR- 2015). Total 36493 Number of pharmacist were benefitted from the year 2005 to 2018, Hitesh V. Bhuria, treasurer of the Council said.

DRUG INFORMATION CENTRE

GSPC has started DIC in interest of Public & Pharmacist for providing them medicine related information.

DIC Services

· To run Health care center

· To conduct Refresher Course

· To publish drug info bulletin and health newsletter

· To Assist on drug usage to patient

· To Assist Pharmacovigilance activity (Reporting and investigating ADR)

Implementation of provisions of Section 42 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948:

Registration of eligible persons as pharmacists and maintenance of register of pharmacists for the state under the provisions of Pharmacy Act, 1948.

Section 42: Dispensing by unregistered persons:

1. On or after such date as the State Government may by notification in the official gazette appoint in this behalf, no person other than a registered pharmacist shall compound, prepare, mix, or dispense any medicine on the prescription of a medical practitioner.

2. Provided that this sub-section shall not apply to the dispensing by a medical practitioner of medicine for his own patients, or with the general or special sanction of the State Government, for the patients of another medical practitioner.

3. Whoever contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to six months, or with fine not exceeding one thousand rupees or with both.

4. Cognizance of an offence punishable under this section shall not be taken except upon complaint made by [order of the state government or any officer authorized in this behalf by the state government, or by order of the executive committee of the state council:

5. Provided further that where no such date is appointed by the Government of State, this sub-section shall take effect in that State on the expiry of a period of five years from the commencement of the Pharmacy (Amendment) Act, 1976].

6. To discuss the cases of the Pharmacists against whom complaints received under section 36 under Pharmacy Act 1948. List of Pharmacists, against whom complaints have been received under section 36 under Pharmacy Act 1948, were placed before the committee members. All pharmacists were called out for personnel hearing before the Subcommittee members Dr.K R Vadalia and Shri SA Mehta on dated. 06.09.2018. From 06 total 05 pharmacists were remained present and personnel hearings were carried out. Hearing of the one pharmacist who was absent on Dt.06.08.2018 was taken out in the today meeting by the subcommittee members Dr. K R Vadalia and Shri. S A Mehta. Report of the hearing was placed before the committee members. Looking to the report submitted by the subcommittee members it was decided that all the sixth pharmacist was found guilty and will be fined Rs. 1000/- plus their registration was suspended for five year under Pharmacy Act 1948. We have suspended dual job pharmacist for five years as they give their license on rent.GSPC demands CBI probe & seeks help of AICTE, UGC, PCI for catching the illegal Pharmacists.

About the Council

Gujarat State Pharmacy Council (GSPC) is a statutory body constituted by the Government of Gujarat under the Pharmacy Act of 1948, consisting of 19 members. The government of India issued a notification entitled Pharmacy Practice Regulations 2015 aimed at enhancing the status and practice of pharmacy profession in the country. The new set of Regulations of 2015 lay down a uniform code of pharmacy ethics, responsibilities of pharmacist towards patient, role of a community pharmacist and drug information and more. The pharmacists are expected to interact with patients, doctors and nurses in educating the patients in a collaborative care model.