Programmes

a. Role of DIC in promoting rational use of drugs:

India is the country with significant drug use problems. There is concern regarding the irrational production, prescription and use of drugs in India. There are many examples regarding irrational use of drugs in our country like, overuse of antibiotics and antidiarrhoeals for nonspecific childhood diarrhea, indiscriminate use of injections in children, polypharmacy in geriatric population, and use of antibiotics for mild non-bacterial infection, tonics and multivitamins for malnutrition. Given that the vast majority of drug purchase costs are borne out of pocket, the ultimate burden of this irrational drug use falls entirely on the patient.

The prescribers, pharmacists, nurses and the patients are the four actors involved in drug use and some times lack basic and scientific drug information. Physicians frequently have inadequate information with new drugs/combinations; pharmacists often are not knowledgeable about the drugs they dispense; nurses do not know regarding the drugs they administer and similarly patients are often completely ignorant about the drugs they consume. The drug information from commercial sources requires careful evaluation. Pharma industry is a major sponsor of scientific conferences and symposia in which information to doctors often emphasizes only the positive aspects of products and over looks or gives little coverage to the negative aspects. Such information about drugs and drug promotion can greatly influence the way in which drugs are used.

It is said by an expert “Information is the Best Prescription”. So if the prescriber is equipped with authentic updated information on medicines given by DICs then the prescribing habits will surely become rational and if consumer drug information also comes from DIC in a user friendly manner, then poor patient compliance, non adherence to treatments prescribed, self medication will be on decline. The World Health Organization (WHO) has been advocating promotion of rational drug use (RDU) and appropriate as well as rational use of medicines is likely to become the priority for health professionals, government and consumers in the years to come. Our DIC is already engaged in dissemination of updated unbiased drug information to drug regulators, pharmacists, doctors and common man and has realized through various queries received in past 5 years that all stake holders of medicines are much curious and hungry for right information and this is the right time to initiate imparting drug information, by pharmacists trained to run Drug Information services. Drug information is a fine-tuning channel for optimizing drug therapy. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has already recommended to the Government of India to set up computerized drug information centers in large hospitals for the benefit of all concerned.

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b. Training Course in Patient Counselling (PCC)

PATIENT COUNSELING COURSE (PCC- A module)

One of the most important professional roles of a licensed pharmacist is patient education, commonly referred to Counseling. Counseling is beneficial to both patients and pharmacists. Communicating with patients is an important way to avoid medication errors and to help patients understand the intended effects as well as the side effects of their drugs. Accordingly one week training course in Patient counseling was designed to educate the pharmacist at the counter.

The one week training course in patient counseling was the first course held at Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council, Mumbai from 5th February’2007 to 10th February’2007 for 4 hours everyday in the afternoon session. The course was organized by Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council’s Drug Information Centre in technical collaboration with Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association. The professional assistance for this course was taken from the Indian Pharmaceutical Association’s Community Pharmacy division. 26 pharmacists from Mumbai attended this first batch of training course in patient counseling. All participants were pharmacists from the community (retail) pharmacy shops.

DIC has completed 53batches of PCC- A & trained more than 1600 pharmacists on PCC- A module.

ADVANCED TRAINING COURSE IN PATIENT COUNSELING (PCC- B module)

The course was organized by Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council’s Drug Information Centre in technical collaboration with Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association.

Module prepared by:
• Dr. Sampada Patvardhan, Director, MSPC’s Drug Information Center, Mumbai
• Raj Vaidya, Community Pharmacist, Hindu Pharmacy, Cunha Rivera road, Goa

Topics covered in this module were:
• Hypertension
• Hyperlipedemia
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Angina Pectoris

The course is developed as three day with a batch size of 60 community pharmacist.
The participants who have completed PCC-A are eligible for this course.
The course involved an interactive session with all participants. The interactive session of course involved:
Demonstration of blood pressure measurement with sphygmomanometer,
Case studies for each covered diseases

Participants go through Pre and post exam during course & certificate of completion of the course given to only those pharmacists who have given both the exams.

DIC has completed 10 batches of PCC- B & trained more than 500 pharmacists on PCC- B module.

TRAINING COURSE IN PATIENT COUNSELING (PCC) - Dermatology:

Module prepared by: Dr. Vijay Gopalani

Module reviewed by:
• Dr. Sampada Patvardhan, Director, MSPC’s Drug Information Center, Mumbai
• Raj Vaidya, Community Pharmacist, Hindu Pharmacy, Cunha Rivara road, Goa
• Manjiri Gharat, Vice Principle, KMK pharmacy, Polytechnic, Ulhasnagar
• Dr. Adepu Ramesh, Professor, Dept. of Pharmacy Practice, JSS college of pharmacy, Mysore

The course was organized by Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council’s Drug Information Centre in technical collaboration with Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association.

The course is developed to increase awareness in community pharmacists for common dermatology disorders and treatment provided by dermatologists as these disorders have major impact on patient’s daily activities, psychological and emotional state and social relationships. Social stigma toward dermatologic disorders in Indian society is quite widespread, especially toward leprosy.

The course developed as one day with a batch size of 100.

The participants who have completed PCC-A & B are eligible for this course. DIC has completed 3 batches of patient counselling course in dermatology.

Topics covered in this course are:
After the successful completion of the course, participants have undergone theory and viva exam and the certificate of the course will be sent only to pharmacists who have passed the exams.

• Composition of skin and its basic functions
• Basic skin lesions and classification of skin disorders
• Common skin diseases
• Therapeutics in dermatology
• Cosmoceuticals and aesthetic dermatology
• Counselling in dermatology

TRAINING COURSE IN PATIENT COUNSELING (PCC) - Gynecology:

Module developed by:
• Dr. Adepu Ramesh, Professor, Dept. of Pharmacy Practice, JSS college of pharmacy, Mysore
• Dr. Sampada Patvardhan, Director, MSPC’s Drug Information Center, Mumbai

The course developed as one day with a batch size of 100.

The participants who have completed PCC-A, B & dermatology are eligible for this course.DIC has completed 4 batches of patient counseling course in gynecology.

Upon completion of this course the pharmacists will be able to:
• Understand the physiology of menstrual cycle
• Identify advantages of various contraception methods
• Know the specific counseling points with the use of various contraceptive agents
• Understand pregnancy related disorders
• Know the drugs indicated and contraindicated during pregnancy
• Understand and manage the postmenopausal condition

After the successful completion of the course, participants have undergone theory and viva exam and the certificate of the course will be sent only to pharmacists who have passed the exams.