KALYANI CHARITABLE TRUST’S

RGS COLLEGE OF PHARMACY,

ANJANERI, NASHIK
_______________________________________________________________________________

NAME OF THE SUBJECT: MODERN DISPENSING PRACTICES

CHAPTER NO. – 01: PHARMACY PROFESSION (NOTES)
NAME OF THE LECTURER: B.VAIBHAV

PHARMACY PROFESSION
Contents: Code of Pharmaceutical Ethics
Pharmacy as a Career
Pharmacist as health care provider

Introduction to Pharmacy:

Pharmacy as a profession deals with the handling of pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals are the
medicinal agents used for the cure of ailments (diseases).
The word pharmacy in olden days meant the medicine shops where the medicines were
manufactured as well as sold. Later the doctors started prescribing the medicines and then this
shopkeeper use to dispense the medicines. Industries took the charge to manufacture the
pharmaceuticals and then they were transferred to medical shops and in turn sold to the patient
with respect to the prescription.
Pharmacist: the individual who has taken the minimum education to be a registered for the
dispensing of medicines in the society is called as Pharmacist.
Requirements:

EDUCATION DURATION OF COURSE COURSE RUN BY REMARKS

D. Pharmacy 02 years State Board of Technical Education Pharmacist
B. Pharmacy 04 years University Pharmacist
M. Pharmacy 02 years University Pharmacist

After completion of M. Pharmacy, the candidate can go for the PhD research work. All the
research works in a schedule can be governed as Post Doctorate (POSTDOC) considerations.

CAREER IN PHARMACY:
 AREAS OF WORK AS A CAREER
QUALIFICATION GOVERNMENT SELF-
ACADEMICS MARKETTING INDUSTRY
JOBS EMPLOYMENT
Lab.
Medical Machine/Job Medical shop,
D. Pharmacy Technician, lab Pharmacist
Representative operator Wholesaler shop.
assistant
Production Pharmacist, Drug
Executive, Inspectors,
Lecturer in
Medical Quality Chemical Medical shop,
B. Pharmacy Diploma
Representative Control lab Inspectors, Food Wholesaler shop.
college
Executive, Inspector, Sanitary
Stores. Inspectors
Pharmacist –
Production Not applicable
Executive, Over educated.
Lecturer in Medical Quality Drug inspectors, Medical shop,
M. Pharmacy
Degree college Representative Control lab Chemical Wholesaler shop.
Executive, Inspectors, Food
Stores. Inspector, Sanitary
Inspectors
Lecturer in
Degree Medical
college, Post Representative -
Research Not applicable Medical shop,
PhD Graduate Not applicable.
Scientist Over educated Wholesaler shop.
college, Training manager
Research or product manager
guide

Role of Pharmacist are well defined as per the jobs they are enjoying.

PHARMACIST AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

To be as a health care provider every Pharmacist must obey and abide his/her roles and
responsibilities throughout his career especially when working as a community Pharmacist
(medical shopkeeper).
1. Pharmacist should obey the prescription of the doctor appropriately. The medicines must be
dispensed with respect to the prescribed drugs only. No substitution of the prescribed
medicine should be done.
2. Giving the patient thorough knowledge about the medicine and way of taking the medicine.
3. Side effects if any for the drugs must be informed well in advance to the patient so that the
patient is well prepared mentally and won’t discontinue the dose regimen (total dose of the
drug).
4. Pharmacist should give the best knowledge regarding the maintenance of health on day to
day basis. He can generate leaflets or handouts informing about the balanced diet for
Pediatric, Geriatric, Adult, Pregnant and Lactating mothers. Continuous display of the
health hazards to educate the society will be helpful in promoting the society for health
check-ups and morbidity (Quality of life).
5. Specific groups of patients suffering with HIV/AIDS, Cancer, Thalasemia, Hemophilia or
epidemics require special attention and care. Pharmacist as a human being can do it by
counseling the patient for positive attitude. He can supply them the medicines in lower
possible rates for day to day doses.
6. Pharmacist in his spare time can give the older patients domiciliary care by providing
medicines at home. Added to it the Pharmacist can give suggestions and instructions
regarding the health as well as medicines to such class of patients.
7. Pharmacist must always obey the prescription as well as should not allow any one to
dispense the pharmaceuticals in his absence.
8. Extra duty hour working with license or service in emergency can be an added workability
for a Pharmacist if and when required.
 Various specifications are considered and strictly followed by the government of United
Kingdom. They have formulated a board of members for the legal matters for the Pharmacists
in UK. This council is called as RPSGB – Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. The
state level body is referred as NHS – National Health Service in UK. They prepare the rules
and regulations for the Pharmacist in UK and also govern the medicine act from 1968.
CODE OF PHARMACEUTICAL ETHICS

The basic responsibilities with some strict roles are to be followed by the Pharmacist who is
working exposed in the society as a medical shop keeper, Wholesaler, Government Pharmacist,
Hospital Pharmacist in a private hospital.

These rules as such are considered as the principles or Ethics for the Pharmacist.

1. The Pharmacist must store the medicines as per the prescribed storage conditions.
2. Pharmacist should neither procure nor sell the duplicate drugs.
3. Pharmacist must counsel the patient well regarding the Side Effects of drugs,
Contraindications and Adverse Events of medicines.
4. The Accounting of medicines purchased and sold must be well maintained.
5. Pharmacist must not store or sell any expiry goods to the customers.
6. Pharmacist should not draw excess money from the patients than the MRP (Maximum
Retail Price).
7. Bills must be produced for every commodity (material) which is sold on daily basis.
8. Pharmacist must not sell the substituted medicines by disobeying the prescription or for the
extra margin income from the other brands of same medicines.
9. Pharmacist must not sell specific medicines without the prescription of Registered Medical
Practitioners, like Sedatives (Sleeping Pills), Neurological drugs, Cardiovascular drugs,
Anti-Diabetic drugs and any drugs to Pregnant females.
10. Pharmacist must not encourage self-medication of patients.

With respect to this attitude of the Pharmacist the society will be in safer hands of health care
provider.