Pharmacists should guide patients

HYDERABAD: The role of a pharmacist in advising patients on responsible and right usage of drugs has been underlined at the 71st International Congress of Federation Internationale Pharmacetique (FIP) on Tuesday, the third day of the conference being held in the city.Involving pharmacists in primary health care system would ensure responsible use of medicines, said Dr Michel Buchmann, president of FIP. "Close to twothirds of patients first approach pharmacists for treatment and only a third consult a doctor directly. The role of a pharmacist is that of a gatekeeper in the health care profession and he should refer patients to qualified practitioners," Buchmann said.
Providing an effective dosage of medicines and responsible use of antibiotics plays a critical role in delivering the benefits of the drug, said Ton Hoek, CEO of FIP. "The number of multiple drug resistant (MDR) strains has increased due to indiscriminate use of the existing compounds. The role of a pharmacist is to discourage selfmedication and prescribe the correct dosage," said Hoek. "There has been an urgent need for new molecules to treat diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis and the lag in development of innovative drug molecules due to increasing costs are all the more reason to use the variants already in the market responsibly," he added.Favouring brand name drugs over generic pharma products is a common practice among pharmacists and patients. "The patient has to be the decision maker and pharmacist should make them aware of lower cost alternatives with a dosage and quality similar to that of branded drugs," said Dr B Suresh, chairman of host committee for congress.