PCI president's proposal to form Confederation of all pharmacist associations to become a reality soon
The proposal put forward by the president of the Pharmacy
Council of India (PCI) in the national pharmacy conference held in Guwahati in
March this year towards forming a Confederation of all pharmacist associations
in India will be realized shortly in the national level.
An ad hoc committee meeting of all available office-bearers
of associations will be held in another three months in Delhi, sources informed.
Foundation work for bringing all associations into the
national alliance is progressing and by the end of this year the confederating
work and building of by-laws will be completed, says Birendra Kumar Burman,
national convener of the proposed body.
In a telephonic interview with Pharmabiz, Burman, a
pharmacist-cum-lawyer from Guwahati said the proposal for a national
confederation of pharmacists’ by Dr B Suresh, president of PCI, was highly
appreciated by dignitaries of all sections of pharmacy, and regulatory officers
and pharmacy intellectuals from across the nation supported it. The suggestion was
broadly discussed in various platforms and finally decided to take it forward
to develop and turn into a reality. Burman is now in coordination with state
associations of working pharmacists and seeking support from IPA, IPGA, APTI,
AIDCOC and IDMA.
“Our main agenda is to bring all organisations of pharmacists
in India under one umbrella. PCI president will extend all his possible help
towards this mission. I am approaching the state councils for their support,
with which data of independent organisations working in each state can be
gathered. This will work as a national level coordination body with
headquarters in New Delhi. The confederation will not take any control over the
state associations, but it will respect their identities and support their activities
in achieving the social and official status of the pharmacists,” he said.
Apart from professionals with pharmacy background, the
national confederation will comprise pharmaceutical law experts, pharmaceutical
journalists, pharmacovigilance officers and medico-legal consultants.
Suman K Tiwari, joint director of Jharkhand FDA, said his
association of regulatory officers will extend all help to the mission
undertaken by pharmacist Burman from Guwahati. He added that he was having a
plan to form an advocacy group for pharmacists in the national level. Tiwari
will share his ideas with the Confederation.
Welcoming the news about a national level organisation, Dr.
Mihir Kumar Kar, president of Odisha pharmacy teachers association (Odisha
APTI), said lack of such an organisation is the reason for the diminishing
growth of the professional status of the pharmacists. Once such an association
is formed, the government will pay heed to the voice of the pharmacists.
Deepak Trehan, president of Pharmacy Graduates Welfare
Association (PGWA), New Delhi, said his association will work as a federating
body for the confederation in the northern part of the country, and they will
try to organise facilities for the ad hoc meeting.
Tamil Venden, president of Tamil Nadu Pharmacists Welfare
Association (TNPWA), said the confederation should add the private pharmacists
bodies also as their allies. A lot of unemployed pharmacists are there in the
country, the formation of the national level body may solve their problems to
an extent, he hoped.
Dinesh Kumar, central pharmacy council member from Kerala
responded that it was his idea to form a confederation of pharmacist groups and
it was shared with the organizers of Guwahati pharmacist convention in March
this year. However, he said, he will try to seek the support of all state
pharmacy councils for this mission.
Pointing to the need of a network of pharmaceutical business
groups and professionals, Burman shared his point of view with Pharmabiz that
he has made one proposal with the PCI, IDMA and Pharmexcil with regards to
forming a Chamber of Pharmaceutical Commerce, ‘Indian Pharmaceutical Chambers
of Commerce and Industry'' (IPCCI). The draft of the proposal is being
discussed by industry stalwarts and PCI members.
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