Soon, pharmacists to prescribe medicines for minor ailments

LUCKNOW: Pharmacists in Uttar Pradesh will soon prescribe medicines to patients suffering from common and minor health issues such as cold, fever, joint pain or cough.

Health minister Siddharthnath Singh on Monday said, “I am working on a state health guideline wherein for minor ailments such as fever or joint pain, medicines can be prescribed by pharmacists. This requires licence for them and we are working on that issue.”

The minister was addressing a function organised by the Diploma Pharmacists Gazetted Officers’ Association (DPGOA).

“About 80% of those people having such health issues do not go to doctors but ask chemists for medicines. Hence, we wish to make pharmacists prescribe them correct medicines,” the minister said.

He said particularly at the primary and community health centres, the role of pharmacists would change while at district hospitals in urban areas they

› About 80% of people having such health issues do not go to doctors but ask chemists for medicines. Hence, we wish to make pharmacists prescribe them correct medicines. SIDDHARTHNATH SINGH, health minister

would be entrusted with the task of primary screening of patients and decide whether and which doctor they need to see.

In Uttar Pradesh, around 7,000 posts of doctors are vacant against the sanctioned strength of over 18,000.

As per population, the total number of doctors should be over 30,000. There are around 7,000 pharmacists in different districts.

Responding to the pharmacists’ demands to implement old pension scheme and to review their cadre besides other issues, the health minister said that it was not easy to take steps or decision. “During previous governments, the department was mired under NRHM scams but things have started improving,” he said.

He said that some issues were sorted out at state level but issues such as pension scheme were linked to central government policies. “I can say for sure that in the next government also Narendra Modi will be the PM and I can also say that I will take up your issues before the chief minister,” he said.

Pradyuman Singh, secretary Lucknow district in the DPGOA, said, “It’s a welcome step by the health department as particularly at the primary health centres doctors are not available.” Singh said such a decision would help patients.

However, reacting to the health minister’s announcement, Dr Amit Singh, general secretary of the provincial medical services association, the body of government doctors said, “The department should focus more upon making the job lucrative so that more doctors join government hospitals. Other measures can be supportive.”