Pharmacists being exploited by doctors in rural areas of Punjab
Submitted by lucky_pharmacist on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 16:44.
in
Dear friends, fellow pharmacists, this is the article published in yesterday's Times of India, when I read it I was shocked! Is this what is destiny of pharmacists who decide to work in rural area hospitals? If these conditions prevail then sure the pharmacists might opt for setting own private shop instead of giving social service.
I want you all to comment on this, lets have a discussion and possible solution to this......
Pharmacists being exploited by doctors
They have been working in the rural medical dispensaries (health centers) of Punjab for last two years. However, around 600 pharmacists are yet to get their appointment letters from the government. What’s worse is that they have been left at the mercy of dispensary contract doctors, who, instead of paying as per the guidelines by the government, are being exploited and paid less salaries. The previous Congress government in January 2006 had recruited doctors under Zila Parishads of rural department on a contract of three years. It was decided that the government would pay Rs 30,000 per month to every doctor, to run dispensaries in rural areas. Though doctors were employed directly by the government, but the powers to recruit pharmacists was given to the former. “It’s strange that we work in government dispensaries but without any appointment letters because we end up being exploited by doctors,” alleged Kulwant Singh, a pharmacist posted in Patiala district. Earlier there was no fixed pay for pharmacists because it were doctors who could pay them as per the former’s wishes. But in September 2007 chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, after a meeting with the pharmacists, had asked director, rural development, to direct doctors to pay Rs 5,000 per month, but orders are yet to be implemented. Interestingly, whenever any pharmacist approaches Zila Parishad office or block development panchayat office (BDPO), he is simply told that “pharmacists are not their employees but that of doctors.” “Many doctors cheat us. They pay us Rs 5,000, the amount set by the government, through cheque but only after getting Rs 2,000 in cash from pharmacists. In a recent meeting, the chief minister had assured to help us. If nothing comes out than we would again start agitation on state level,” said Sukhbir Singh, acting president of Punjab pharmacists association. When contacted Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, rural development and panchayat minister, he confirmed that no letters have been issued to pharmacists. He further added, “The previous Congress government had made three years contract and we could do something only after the completion of that.”
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just my opinion...
well to start with,nice topic.
with all due respect,you said let's all discuss it and come up with a great idea to resolve the problem.that is very admirable but not very possble.
what i've understood from your article is that basically,the pharmacists association in Punjab complained to everyone but the IPA.how do they expect any help?media can support and call out to the IPA only if the IPA wants to listen to it.
i agree with you on one fact though that pharmacists in India basically get no respect whatsoever.it is something that should not discourage us because...........come on,the brightest minds in the country are in the pharmacy field!.....its definitely going to come up exceedingly well in years to come- financially as well as intellectually.people who don't give pharmacists any respect are those who do not understand the importance of the profession, therefore i think its about time that we ignore such poor ignorant people and show them at the end of the day,who's boss.
hope you agree!
The basic question still survives
Thank you for your opinion, I know it’s not very possible but it’s we all from the pharma background people who can make it possible, right. Just to go I know as a researcher we put in efforts right from the synthesis to final formulation and even post formulation studies, but where in the scenario are we? I have just posted the news that touched my feelings and being a pharmacist I felt that pinch. I have seen the very cozy and sweet discussions going in the pharma association meets but they have never given any relief to the actual sufferer. If we all decide we are able to help each other and also the society.
I know it’s easy to just speak and discuss but difficult to implement, but if not discussed will it be implemented? It’s about the right of the every pharmacist who gives the right medicine but doesn't get rightly paid for it.
After all everyone has his/her own opinion so opinions welcome.....
Commitment! Authorities and Pharmacists
Yes, this is the situation of the Pharmacists all over India except in few Metros. The commitment of both doctor and Pharmacist is needed for better service to patient. None can suffice the other. But this fact was being higly neglected in most of the areas.
1. The Pharmacists are not confident enough to come forward and fight for their rights and the community pharmacists are just waiting for the positive outlook of authorities and doctors.
2. The doctors themselves feel that a PHARMACIST is just meant for dispensing the prescriptions, though this is not the ideal scenario.
3. The Authorities are too busy with their works to care much about the plight of pharmacists in such backward areas.
We can conclude that commitment of every person in the Health Care Management System can only make the difference we are awaiting.
G.S.N.Koteswara Rao
Thanks for the comment
Thank you for your valuable inputs, I know the case is pretty worst and has to be improved, but the topics are still never touched by any of the authorities and will not be taken up untill the real sufferers will rise against the system. We all can come together and try to create a platform which will work for the betterment of pharma community. I mean a Pharma association by pharma people, for & of the pharma people.
Pharma Associations !!!!!
It is indeed unfortunate that the authorities are not giving enough focus to our role in the Health Care Management System. But forming an association is not a worthy suggestion as there are already sufficient number of organizations in India to look after this issue. The key point is that instead of starting a new one we should sensitize the organizations to work towards this issue.
G.S.N.Koteswara Rao
ACPI may be
Hi Lakshay,
I do unerstand your feeling.. Seems like Assoociation of Community Pharmacists in India is started...Hope they will jump in to it. At least they will look in to it
What IPA doing ?
It's not good news though . What is role of Indian Pharmacists Association ? Did any one brought this to their attention ?
I agree !!!
I fully agree with akshat. Even i have experienced the same incidences and comments by the people whenever i say anyone that iam approaching my B.Pharmacy course. Hearing this people say me, "Oh...you have a great option of medical stores". I ask, is this our reputation and the result we must get after studing hard for 4 years?? Whereas my sister, who is a working pharmacist over their in USA says that pharmacist get a huge respect from the society and also salary. Let our work be difficult, but making those difficult work easy is what makes us true pharmacist...!!!
Comment: Pharmacists being exploited by doctors.........
This news is something which is not confined only to the Punjab's Pharmacists because somewhere or the other there is discrimination between the designation and the importance of the Doctors and the Pharmacists. In the current situation its necessary to tell the unsung duty of a Pharmacist to everyone about the importance we hold in the community. The government should also forced to think about the future perspectives of Pharmacists. Many government posts of Ayurvedic Pharmacists are left unfilled due to unawareness. According to my personal views its the right time when we The Pharmacists should get the recognition in the uneducated society, elite society and among the government as equivalent as the "Health Counselors" not just as the Drug Seller or M.R. We should get the reputation which we deserve as Pharmacists as given in other countries like U.S.A.
Thank you for your valuable inputs
Dear Akshat, I know it is not a case of one region, but I posted it to collect the situations from all around us, the situation which I have saw by my eyes is also not that good even in the metro where the pharmacist works for mere 5-6000 Rs. despite providing full service, but yes only the people like us can fight against all these problems and come up with some help for all.
We can get respect
Well we don't get respect because we don't "SERVE" the community directly like in U.S.A. In U.S, pharmacist is a part of community and even readily accesible than doctors. Thats the reason they have respect from the community. In India, we do serve the community in different way through pharmaceutical industries. So, as long as community pharmacist role is not developed, its not that easy to get respect. Some colleges are trying to get this by actively conducting health capms etc...This is really good sign and first step to get recognition..
Thank you for your valuable inputs
Thank you for your valuable inputs, I know the case is pretty worst and has to be improved, but the topics are still never touched by any of the authorities and will not be taken up untill the real sufferers will rise against the system. We all can come together and try to create a platform which will work for the betterment of pharma community. I mean a Pharma association by pharma people, for & of the pharma people.
Role vs. Recognition
Yea, but this would happen only when the pharmacists recognize their role in the society and i suppose there are very few people who know their role in the community. And the pharmacists who know their role and want to serve the community, the society doesn't give them recognition and accept them as their health care provider.
Is it really role v/s recognition?
Dear Shubhranshu, I know what value we have and waht is the value of the doctor, it has been a long fight over the status and duties. We although do study alot about medicine but we study for that instanace, many of us forget even the names and uses of the medicines (now thats for students and some so called professionals). I don't agree with the point that society doesn't respect us or recognizes us, it does but very much less due to we being looked as shop owners and not health providers, this scenario needs to be changed by people like us and then only we will get recognition for our role.
Where do you want to start
I completely agree with you. It's kind like chicken and egg situation. Where do think the initiation should begin ?
Pharmacist...
from the pharmacist.....they must show their professional competency and clinical excellence to the DOCTORS first.....Only then their value in the hospitals would increase...and the gradually in the society....