Department Of Pharmacy – Pakistan Institute of Professional Studies

Introduction to Pharmacy

Pharmacy is the profession which is concerned with the art & science of preparations rom natural & synthetic sources suitable & convenient materials for distribution & use in the treatment & prevention of disease. It embraces knowledge of the identification, selection, pharmacological action, preservation, combination, analysis & standardization of drugs & medicines & also includes their proper & safe distribution & use. Therefore legally qualified & professionally competent pharmacists are needed for hospitals, pharmaceutical industries, research organizations, teaching institutions, community pharmacies and quality control laboratories. Their services are also essential for drug administration in health services and retail and detail pharmacy. A well established department of pharmacy at the provincial headquarters can play a pivotal role not only in producing qualified pharmacists but also in educating general public and policy makers about the importance of pharmacy and pharmacists in the above mention fields. In view of this it was absolutely essential to establish a department of pharmacy for producing properly qualified pharmacists for government and private sector in the province.

In the coming decades, pharmacists are expected to become more integral within the health care system. Rather than simply dispensing medication, pharmacists will be paid for their cognitive skills. This paradigm shift has already commenced in some countries. For instance, pharmacists in Australia receive remuneration from the Australian Government for conducting comprehensive Home Medicines Reviews. Many universities are altering their programs to increase emphasis in fields such as management etc. in Great Britain, pharmacists who undertake additional training are obtaining prescribing rights.

Practice of pharmacy means the responsibility for interpreting & evaluation drug orders including prescription orders, compounding, dispensing & labeling prescription drugs & devices properly & safely storing drugs & devices, maintaining proper records & controlling pharmacy goods & services. A pharmacists may advise & educate patients & health care providers concerning therapeutic values, content, uses & significant problems of drugs & devices, access, record & report adverse drug & device reactions, take & record patient histories relating to drug & device therapy monitor, record & report drug therapy & device. Usage, perform drug utilization reviews & participate in drug & drug source selection. A pharmacist who has received special training may be authorized & permitted to administer drugs pursuant to a specific prescription order in accordance with rules adopted by Government of Pakistan. The rules shall be designed to ensure the safety & health of the patients for whom such drugs are administered. An approval clinical pharmacist practitioner may collaborate with physicians in determining the appropriate health care for a patient.

Pharmacists are qualified health professional & are known as drug experts. Recently pharmacy council of Pakistan has allowed to use prefix “Dr.” with the name, for those having Pharma-D (Doctor of Pharmacy) Degree. Pharmacy graduates provide advice to patients, doctors & nurses ensuring that medicines are used appropriately, safely & effectively. The community pharmacist’s vital role includes reviewing treatments & monitoring how patients take their medicines. Pharmacists distribute prescription drugs to customers & also ensure prescription, as well as side effects & drug interactions. Manufacturing of medicines, a career in pharmacy offers many advantages including an excellent salary, an abundance of job opportunities & the satisfaction of helping people on daily basis.

Introduction to Pharmacy

Various Labs at PIPS