The Indian Government recently allowed graduate Ayurveda practitioners to perform 58 types of surgeries that create a stir in the country, especially in the community of allopathic doctors. The decision of the center will now allow Ayurveda practitioners to perform legal procedures such as skin grafting, cataract surgery and treatment of root canals.
As a result, a Hindi newspaper clipping on social media went viral, claiming that the center had approved pharmacists in the country to open clinics and prescribe medicine to patients. According to the report of Dainik Janwani, there is already a provision for this in the Pharmacy Act and Pharmacy Rules in India.
The Hindi headline of the viral news report published on December 26, 2020 translated into: “Like doctors, pharmacists will also be able to open clinics”.
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) found the claim to be false. The Board of Pharmacists of India, a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, confirmed to AFWA that the Indian government has not taken any such decision. There is no provision for pharmacists’ opening clinics under the Pharmacists Act and Pharmacy Rules in India.
The archived versions of similar posts can be seen here, here and here.
AFWA investigation
When we could not find any credible media reports surrounding the viral claim, we reached out to Prof B Suresh, President of the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), for further clarification.
“We also do not have an existing provision that allows pharmacists to open pharmacies to diagnose diseases and prescribe medicine. We also do not have such a proposal. This is because clinical practice and advice to patients regarding the use of prescriptions are two. As a pharmacist in the pharmacy, our strength lies in supporting a doctor to choose the right medicine and make the patients understand what the doctor said.We can not provide the health care that a doctor offers not, “said Prof Suresh.
Dr JA Jayalal, national president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), told AFWA that IMA had already written to the health secretary about the false viral claim.
“There is a long-standing demand from some pharmacists’ associations to be recognized as medical practitioners. However, the Government of India has not given them such permission. We also wrote a letter to the health secretary to investigate the matter. ‘False claim in circulation and we are confident that action will be taken against this,’ said Dr Jayalal.
“Even a person with a doctorate in the pharmacy may not give prescriptions directly to patients. The work can only be performed by a qualified medical practitioner,” said Dr. Jayalal added.
Dr Sanjeev Singh Yadav, a senior surgeon and secretary of IMA Telangana, said: “The viral news report is false. The government has not issued such an order. Apart from a few drugs approved by the government, a pharmacist does not give it. any over-the-counter medication to patients. “
Dr M Raja Rao, superintendent of the state-run Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad and vice-chair of the Hyderabad edition of the Indian Medical Association, told AFWA: “We have not yet encountered such a government order. The prescription of medicine must diagnose skills.A pharmacist must be.not trained for it.The task of a pharmacist is to handle the medicine and explain to a patient what the doctor recommended.
Change in 2015 pharmacy rules
According to PCI’s Pharmacy Practice Regulations 2015, registered pharmacists in India can only dispense the medicines prescribed by registered medical practitioners.
Prof Suresh told AFWA that the roles and responsibilities of a clinical pharmacist are not described in the 2015 regulation because Doctor of Pharmacy (professional doctoral program for pharmacy) was a new course and that roles were not clearly defined .
“We have sent the Pharmacy Regulations 2015 for some amendments to the Ministry of Health and it is still being considered. The amendment only wants to clarify the role of clinical pharmacists, people with a doctorate in pharmacy, pharmacy services. But even if the amendment accepted, a clinical pharmacist will not be able to open clinics or prescribe medicine, ‘Prof Suresh added.
In the amendment, a clinical pharmacist is identified as a person who can work with physicians at hospitals and clinics to prescribe medication. They will also support physicians to monitor patient compliance and provide unbiased information about medications.
The Personal Information Bureau also confirmed that the viral claim is untrue and that there is no provision for the opening of clinics by a pharmacist under the Pharmacists Act and rules for pharmacy practice in India.
ClaimThe Indian government has approved pharmacists in the country to open clinics and also prescribe medicines to patients. ClosureThe Pharmacy Council of India has confirmed to AFWA that the Indian government has not taken any such decision. There is no provision for the opening of clinics by pharmacists under the Pharmacists Act and Pharmacy Rules in India.
JHOOTH BOLE KAUVA KAATE
The number of crows determines the intensity of the lie.
- 1 Crow: Half true
- 2 crows: mostly lies
- 3 crows: absolutely false
