Pharm D graduates seek jobs_Update from Tirupati

For Hari Krishna, Pharm D seemed to be the best bet for a great career! Reports from education columns and half-baked pieces of advice from acquaintances further cemented his desire to pursue the six-year course.

However, ending seemed unfortunate and unpredictable as he along with several other graduates have been facing unemployment for the past several years. After fighting for justice for the last three years, they came to the streets and began relay fast for the last four days. 

“What sin we have committed”, they are asking the government. With government’s approval only, the Doctor of Pharmacy course was started in 2008 with much hype. Till now, the government did not create a cadre to them, though they fall under Clinical Pharmacist cadre. 

The graduates said, 3,000 students have passed out from the colleges after completing the course in the state. Now, the state is having 21,000 Pharm D candidates consisting of both pursuing their education and those who have completed their course from 60 colleges.

For the six-year course, each one of them have paid around Rs 4 lakh donation and Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh as fees per annum. “But, all those who have completed the PG course were on the streets only”, they were telling with pain. 

Though the course was started by the Central government, the Pharm D colleges were more in AP and Telangana only compared to the rest of the country. With 118 colleges in the two Telugu states out of the total 233 colleges across the country, the problem is more severe here than anywhere else. 

At the time of joining the course, the college managements have assured them by saying that on completion of the course they will be treated on par with MBBS graduates.
“Naturally, our parents dreamt of seeing us on par with doctors, but ultimately all our hopes were shattered, and we have nothing to do,” said the graduates. 

They are having only one main demand that all Pharm D graduates should be given the cadre of Clinical Pharmacist. “Once we are placed under this cadre, everything will follow,” they averred. “Therapeutic drug monitoring has to be done by Pharm D graduates only. We have better knowledge in drug information. Patient counselling should also be done by us only. Ultimately, we act as a barrier between patient and doctor,” the protestors explained. 

The protesting pharma graduates said that for prescription auditing, the presence of Clinical Pharmacist is compulsory. They demanded that the government should give cadre to them and appoint one pharmacist to every 50 beds and three to each department, which is important for public health. 

“As we have studied master’s degree in therapy, one Pharm D graduate should be appointed in the therapeutic committee of every hospital,” they added. On Friday, they organized a massive rally in Tirupati from Municipal Corporation office to Alipiri Padala mandapam. Later, they sold vegetables in protest against government’s attitude towards their demands.

Source: http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Andhra-Pradesh/2017-12-30/Pharm-D-graduates-seek-jobs/348978