Pharmacists oppose Punjab govt's decision to assign drug dispensing rights to CHOs in sub-centres
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The decision of the Punjab health department to
assign drug dispensing rights to Community Health Officers (CHOs) in charge of
sub-centres in rural areas has come in for severe criticism from the
pharmacists working in the government sector. The pharmacists have registered
their stiff opposition against the circular issued in this regard by the state
programme officer (SPO) of the Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs).
Pharmacy activists and associations of working pharmacists have wanted the authorities to review the decision and re-plan the duties assigned to the CHOs by giving the dispensing rights to the pharmacists. They have given memorandum to the chief secretary, health secretary and the programme officer of HWCs and urged them to delete Clause 3 in the circular which empowers the CHOs to dispense drugs as per the standing orders of medical officers. While assigning duties to the CHOs in the sub centres, the SPO of the Health & Wellness Centres has given drug dispensing authority to the community health officers while keeping away the pharmacists in the department. “Drugs Dispensation - coordinating for care/case management for chronic illness based on the diagnosis and treatment plan made by the medical officers who initiate treatment for chronic diseases. Dispense drugs as per the standing orders of medical officers”, Clause 3 in the circular says. This clause in the circular has already run into opposition among the approved medicine dispensers across the state. In Punjab, the rural health services are divided into two categories, sub centres (SC) and subsidiary health centres (SHCs). The sub centres have neither a medical officer nor a pharmacist. They are under the charge of community health officers with GNM qualification. All over Punjab 260 SCs are operating in the rural areas. In these centres, all kinds of medicines, including Scheduled category medicines, are dispensed by the CHOs. Despite several requests to the government, the authorities are silent on the issue and are violating Drugs & Cosmetics Act and Pharmacy Act, said Shubham Sharma, a working pharmacist and pharmacy activist in Chandigarh. He said all the associations of pharmacists have wanted the government to hand over the dispensing right to the pharmacists in the interest of the patients’ health. If the authorities continue to keep on silence, the associations will approach the court for a direction to the government to implement the drug laws. “I am a pharmacist, I have commitment to the society and bound to protect the health of the patients. It is my duty to oppose the violation of provisions of the drug act in my state. I will definitely approach the court if the government does not withdraw the circular. I am not against providing treatment facilities to the rural public, but it should be made as per the laws,” said Shubham Sharma over telephone from Chandigarh. According to him, pharmacists dispense medicines only in 1200 SHCs which are also operating in the villages. Government has given promises to the people that the SCs would be upgraded to the level of SHCs and appointed pharmacists for dispensing medicines. But nothing has been done so far despite repeated requests to the authorities. All SHCs have medical officers and pharmacists. In the circular issued by the SPO to the civil surgeons and nodal officers, six major duties and seven roles were assigned to the community health officers. Among the duties, marked as three in the list, the drug dispensing authority in the sub centres has been given to the CHOs in charge of the centres. |
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