Clinical Pharmacy In India: Insights in an International Magazine

Dear Readers, Thank you for blogging with us. 

I'm glad to share my interview published in an International Magazine "Leckarnicke Listy" in March 2018. 

Thank you #Dr. Peter Krajcovic, PhD for the interview.

Disclaimer: This interview was originally conducted in a foreign language during my visit to a few European countries and it is further translated to the English version, hence English grammatical errors and vocabulary can be exempted. 

Dr. Deepak Kumar Bandari, PharmD : Short Profile

Thank you for visiting my blog...!!!

Here you can check out my short profile 

Dr Deepak Kumar Bandari, PharmD, (PhD) (Europe)

Current Position: National

1) Project Technical Support - III (Field Investigator) - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, India. 

Project: Strengthening the Monitoring of Tuberculosis Elimination in India - District Level Sentenial Survey (DLSS), India.

2) Board of Studies Member - Master’s in Clinical Research and Experimental Medicine, School of Allied and Health Sciences, Malla Reddy University, Hyderabad.

3) Book reviewer - BSP Publications, Pharma Med Press and Kakatiya Publications.

Current Position: International
PhD Researcher and Early Stage Researcher participant
Project: FIP 7 programme of EuroAgeism H2020 project, involving 13 European and Non-European countries.

Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) Participant, Euro Ageism H2020, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Europe.

Thesis: Polypharmacy and comparison of differences in potentially inappropriate prescribing in India, Ethiopia, and European countries.
Projects and Grants handled: 

• Project: FIP 7 programme of EuroAgeism H2020 project, involving 13 European and Non-European countries.

Grant: European Commission, FIP7 program Euro Ageism H2020-764632-MSCA-ITN supported by the scientific group “Ageing and Changes in the Therapeutic Values of Drugs in the Aged”, Charles University, Progress Programme Q42, SVV program 260 417.
Total Finance - 232 422,48 EU (Detailed budget - not disclosed)
EU Consortium: Israel, Czech Republic (CZ), UK, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Belgium.
Participating countries: Czech Republic, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Turkey, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, India, Ethiopia.
Collaborating Institutions: Alliance Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (AL), EMDA – The Alzheimer’s Association Israel (AAI), European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (Euro Centre), National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and World Health Organization (WHO).

• Project No. START/MED/093

Thesis: Rational geriatric pharmacotherapy, medication errors and clinical pharmacy services in long-term care.
Total Finance - 2,299,968 CZK (Personal cost-1,353,600; Mentor remuneration-40,000; Travel costs-361,000; Training costs- 120,000; Costs of non-investment equipment, materials etc. - 80,000; Overhead costs - 345,368)
Grant: Charles University, Research Unit “Ageing, Polypharmacy and Changes in the Therapeutic Value of Drugs in the AgeD”, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and World Health Organization, University of Zagreb, Croatia, University of Belgrade.

Previous Positions: National

1) Associate Consultant (Epidemiology and Outcomes Research) - Bridge Medical Consulting Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi. 

2) Team Leader - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, India.

Project: National Sero-surveillance to monitor the trend of SARS-CoV-2 infection transmission in India.

3) Investigator (Field) - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), Chennai, India.

Project: National survey for the state-wise prevalence of microbiologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis in India.

4) Assistant Professor and Clinical Preceptor: Vaagdevi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Warangal, India. 

No. of Research Publications: 18
Cumulative Impact Factor: 153
Number of Citations: 3000+

h-index: 14; i-10 index: 15 

Awarded grants: Total 7 (International: 6, National: 1)
Achievements: Total 9 (International: 5, National: 4)
My Interviews in Magazines and Newsletters: 3 (International: 2, National: 1)

Scientific presentations: (International: 11, National: 8)
Book reviews: 9 (International: 2, National: 7)
Guest Lectures: Total 3 (International: 1, National: 2)
Editorial member and reviewer: 8
Certification courses: Total 10 (2 - Stanford University, 8 - National and International Organizations)
Countries affiliated: USA, Italy, Poland, Slovak Republic, The Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong and 10 other European countries.

International collaborative research: Early Stage Researcher participant in the FIP 7 programme of EuroAgeism H2020 project under Marie-Curie Innovative Network and EU COST Action IS1402 network aimed at describing main prescribing problems in rational geriatric pharmacotherapy in 13 European and Non- European countries (including India and Ethiopia). 

Collaborating Institutions: Alliance: Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (AL), EMDA – The Alzheimer’s Association Israel (AAI), European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (EuroCentre), National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and World Health Organization (WHO).

Remarkable Achievements:

1. Award and Position: Early Stage Researcher (ESR) participant in the network of FIP7 EuroAgeism H2020 – ITN project, European Commission.
2. Reviewer: Acknowledged in Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine textbook, 23rd Edition, 2018; Elsevier publishers ISBN: 9780702070280.
3. Personal interview: “I expect the 8-star Pharmacist Concept of World Health Organization will come true in India in the Future” published in an International Magazine “Lekarnicke Listy”, March 2018, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
4. Best reviewer award: Textbook of Hutchison’s Clinical Methods 23rd International Edition by Michael Glynn &William Drake. Saunders Publishers, UK ISBN: 978-0-7020-4091
5. ERASMUS+ Student Mobility: Internship in various European countries.

A few other Achievements:

1. Award and Interview: Winner of “Ideathon” First Nobel Prize Series in India, Department of Biotechnology, India. Interview entitled “Pharmacist Nobel Prize Series: Science Impacts Lives – The Pride of India”, Indian Pharmaceutical Association – Community Pharmacy Division (IPA - CPD) e-Times 6 (2), March – April 2017.

2. Story of Success (2017): Published by Elsevier, as a part of the budding Medicos National contest.

3. Elsevier Student Ambassador (ESA) and Mentor’ for South Asia from July 2014 to June 2016.

4. Felicitation and award: Special Faculty Achievement Award at Viswambhara Educational Society Silver Jubilee Celebrations, March 2018, Warangal, India.

5. Award: Pharmacy Practice contribution award on World Pharmacist’s Day, 25th September 2017 for the successful delivery of an invited lecture on the Prescriptive role of Clinical Pharmacist in Ambulatory Care at Deccan School of Pharmacy, Hyderabad, India.

Acknowledgement: 

• I thank Prof. Daniela Fialova, PharmD, PhD, BCCP; Chair of the Horizon 2020 EuroAgeism FIP7 program; Head of the University Centre of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University; Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology,1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Czech Republic.
• Dr Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavathula, PharmD, PhD; Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, North Dakota State University, United States of America. 
• Prof. Yamsani Madhusudan Rao, M.Pharm, PhD; Director, Vaagdevi group of Pharmacy Colleges, Warangal, India for their valuable guidance and support throughout my career.

 

Proposed Amendments in Pharmacy Practice Regulations - 2015

Dear Readers..!!! Thank you for visiting my blog...!!!

Please find the attached document explaining the proposed amendments to the Pharmacy Practice regulations - 2015 by the Pharmacy Council of India. 

Click here

Let us all hope and try our best for their implementation. Thanks to all the leaders who worked hard for this proposal.

Regards,

Dr. Deepak Kumar Bandari, PharmD,(PhD) (Europe),

Elsevier Student Ambassador and Mentor - South Asia.

Winner - Ideathon - Nobel Prize Series -2017.

Pharmacotherapy Lectures: Need your valuable insights

Dear All PharmD's,
Act today for better tomorrow. Need your valuable support and it's important for a better profession for representation.

Since few years, we are striving for the better profession to become equally competent with the western world. In this regard, we had conversations with our Honorable Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi Ji, Central and State Ministries. Our request is accepted and soon the issues of unemployment will be addressed. It is very important for us to even think of the quality of PharmD Education in India.

What have we done till date??
1) We addressed the issue and importance of scholarly research in India and revealed the results for discussion.
2) We addressed the importance of Preceptorship and bedside teaching and discussed with resource persons of American Colleges of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), USA.
3) We discussed the issue of unemployment with respective state and Central Ministries, certain issues are already represented by the Central Minister J.P. Nadda in the World Health Assembly.
4) We are also a part of various International Organisations and platforms like ACCP, FIP, USAID, WHO, European Nations, South African, Asian and Gulf Nations representing Indian PharmD globally.
5) We are conducting various interactive programmes among countries and are part of Global research representing Indian PharmD.



What is this initiative about??
As Pharmacotherapy is the soul of PharmD it is important to raise our standards to become enough competent. PharmD is highly sophisticated in the West and hence they've developed 114 Specialities and employed 1000's of Clinical Pharmacists. We are ought to be on the same path and improve our professional standards. Hence we need to know our present education system and quality of Pharmacotherapy lectures. Let us know your valuable inputs by just sparing 5 -10 min, we shall invest our time, money and energy to address your inputs at the right platform for better future.

Why do you need to contribute ??
Excellence comes only when you learn from failures. Tomorrow will be better only if we know the mistakes of today. Unless we come forward and express what we are learning, it cannot be improved. If there is no improvement, there will be no employment.

Being a student how can you contribute ??Simply spare 5 -10min and fill your inputs about the Pharmacotherapy lectures in this survey form. We shall scrutinise, analyse and come out by addressing the flaws with valuable suggestions from experts to update ourselves.

Where is the survey form and is it validated ??
Yes, it has been reviewed by experts from 6 countries and here is the link :

https://ap1trial.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7O4gvryLLerxkO1

Thanking you in anticipation. Wish you all the best for you future endeavours.

Regards,
Dr. Deepak Kumar Bandari, PharmD,(PhD) Europe
Elsevier Student Ambassador and Mentor - South Asia
Winner - Ideathon - Nobel Prize Series -2017
For more updates join us on Telegram: @drdeepakbandari

Palliative care e-learning course for healthcare professionals in India

Dear Readers..!!! Thanks for visiting my blog...!!!

Our sincere thanks to Prof. Dr. Gayatri Palat for sharing this valuable info with us.

ecancer provides e-learning courses for free to the oncology community. Our resources cover a variety of topics and have been developed in partnership with leading organisations and individuals. Our e-learning is impactful and focuses on the end goal of improving patient care and outcomes. 

Our resources are completely free of charge; all we ask is that you register for the ecancer club so that we are able to record your learning.

View Complete details Here

Happy Blogging...!!!

69th World Health Assembly Started Today : Watch Live Here

Dear Readers..!!! Thanks for visiting my blog...!!!

The Sixty-ninth session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) takes place in Geneva 23-28 May 2016. The Health Assembly is the supreme decision-making body of WHO. It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States. Its main functions are to determine the policies of the Organization, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.

Watch Live Here

Happy Blogging...!!!

Regards,

Deepak Kumar Bandari,

Pharm.D Intern,

Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy - India

Elsevier Student Ambassador - South Asia

Free Online Course : Preventing the Zika Virus

Dear Readers..!!! Thanks for visiting my blog...!!!

About the Course:

The Zika virus is suspected to be the cause of cases of microcephaly in newborns in South America, and this outbreak has now been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. With global attention towards this disease increasing rapidly, it is becoming clear that there is limited knowledge around how the carriers, or vectors, of Zika, are best avoided and controlled.

Focus on the Zika virus:

This free online course will begin by considering the science behind the outbreak to try to understand where the Zika virus has come from, its symptoms, and its effect on infected individuals. Our attention will then turn towards the vector primarily responsible for transmission of Zika: theAedes mosquito.

Explore the biology of Aedes mosquitoes:

We will introduce the Aedes mosquito and examine its lifecycle, behaviour, and distribution across the world, before reflecting upon the important role it plays in spreading Zika virus. Without a vaccine, prevention and control relies on reducing numbers of mosquitoes and the contact they have with people, so an understanding of the biology of Aedes is vital.

Discover vector control methods:

A range of methods employed to control the Aedes mosquito will be highlighted, including the use, importance, and suitability of repellents, impregnated clothing, larval control, insecticide spraying, and insecticide treated nets. The vectors of Zika virus also transmit dengue, yellow fever and the chikungunya virus, meaning there is potential to apply these techniques in other settings.

Learn together and from those on the front line in South America

Learners will come from all over the world with their own diverse experiences and interests. You will have the opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas through course discussion, and hear first-hand accounts from experts and individuals working in the field in South America. 

Contributors include:

1. Dr Mary Cameron, Reader in Medical Entomology
2. Dr Jo Lines, Reader of Malaria Control and Vector Biology
3. Professor Laura Rodrigues, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and working with the Microcephaly Epidemic Research Group in BrazilProfessor Jimmy Whitworth, Professor of International Public Health.

Support for Portuguese and Spanish speakers will be available throughout the course, including video subtitles, transcripts, and translations of other key materials.

About ARCTEC:

ARCTEC is an integral part of the Department of Disease Control at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and a world-leading independent test centre for consultancy and the evaluation and development of arthropod pest control technologies.

REQUIREMENTS:

This course is designed for anyone with an interest in learning about Zika virus vector control. It is relevant to workers newly drafted into vector control work, NGO employees in affected countries, students taking a healthcare or science-related degree, medical students and postgraduates wishing to complement their studies, and academic staff in aligned disciplines.

Join the Course Here

For more Updates, follow us on Facebook. 

Happy Blogging...!!!

Regards,

Deepak Kumar Bandari,

Pharm.D Intern,

Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy - India

Elsevier Student Ambassador - South Asia

Concerns on Pharmacogenomic testing : Need your insights

Dear health professional,

Greetings..!!! 

A group of researchers decided to launch a research on Knowledge, Opinion, Expectations and Concerns towards Pharmacogenomics among Health Professionals in India. The purpose of this survey is to seek your knowledge and opinion about important issues concerning pharmacogenomic testing. 

We wish to take your contribution in this survey, please follow the link below and answer the questions as honestly as possible. All your answers will be kept strictly confidential.

Only for PharmD Interns

Click here to fill out the survey

Ask an Expert : Earn Credits: Modules @ BMJ Learning

Dear Readers..!!! Thanks for visiting my blog...!!!

Tanya is 33 and presents complaining of breakthrough bleeding with her contraceptive implant. It has been in situ for over two years and she has been getting altered bleeding for the last four months. She is up to date with her cervical cytology screening: her last one was taken 12 months ago and was normal. She had an STI screen six months ago and this was also normal.

How should you investigate and manage the patient in this scenario?

In this new module Ask an expert: Contraception in primary care

Dr Cindy Farmer offers expert answers to GPs’ questions on common practical challenges.

Key questions answered include:

• What is the latest evidence regarding long term safety of the contraceptive implant and injection on bone density?
• How important is family history when discussing contraception risks?
• Changes in bleeding are so common in women taking hormonal contraception. When and how should I investigate this?
• You can test your knowledge with case-based assessment questions at the end of the module and download a certificate of completion for your appraisal or training portfolio.

Other modules in the Ask an Expert series include:

Ask an expert: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Ask an expert: Chronic heart failure

Ask an expert: Psoriasis

Various Accreditation programmes offered through BMJ Learning that would fetch some credits.

Accreditor	credit	Accreditation statement
ASCOFAME	1:00 hour	BMJ Learning has assigned 1 hour of CPD/CME credit to this module. BMJ Learning modules are being certified for ASCOFAME VIRTUAL (Colombia).
Australian College of Nursing	1 credit, 1:00 hour	ACN 3LP participants can claim 1 CNE point per hour of active learning for modules that are directly related to their area of nursing practice (no limit).
Austrian Academy of Physicians	1 credit, 1:00 hour	BMJ Learning modules have been certified for DFT Punkte. DFT Punkte are accepted in Austria
BMJ Learning	1 credit, 1:00 hour	BMJ Learning has assigned one hour of CPD/CME credit to the module and related journal article
Bahrain Defence Force Hospital	1 credit, 1:00 hour	The Bahrain Defence Force Military Hospital represented by the Ministry of Defence Bahrain recognises BMJ Learning as being accredited for the purpose of continuous medical education (CME)/continuous professional development (CPD) in BDF. Healthcare professionals can thus claim continuous professional development credits for their activity in BMJ Learning. Completion of one module is considered the equivalent of one credit or one hour of learning.
Bhutan Medical and Health Council	1 credit, 1:00 hour	Bhutan Medical and Health Council has formally accredited all BMJ Learning online modules for continuous professional development. Bhutan Medical and Health Council will accept the CME credit provided by BMJ Learning to any registered members of Bhutan Medical and Health Council for renewal of their registration.
Delhi Medical Council	1 credit, 1:00 hour	The Delhi Medical Council recognises BMJ Learning as being accredited for the purpose of continuous medical education (CME)/continuous professional development (CPD). Doctors can thus claim continuous professional development credits for their activity in BMJ Learning. Completion of one module is considered the equivalent of 1 credit or 1 hour of learning.
Dubai Health Authority	1 credit, 1:00 hour	BMJ Learning is approved as a CME resource by the Dubai Health Authority (accreditation number 0254/11)
Iraqi Ministry of Health	1 credit, 1:00 hour	The Iraq Ministry of Health has accredited BMJ Learning for the purposes of CME. One module is the equivalent of one hour or one credit point.
Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization	1 credit, 1:00 hour	Kuwait Institute for Medical Specialization (KIMS) of the Ministry of Health, State of Kuwait is the authority responsible for organising all aspects of postgraduate training of medical practitioners and other health professionals in Kuwait. Users within Kuwait can claim one hour or one credit per hour of learning completed.
Oman Medical Specialty Board	0.5 credits	The Oman Medical Specialty Board accredits this module for 0.5 credit points under Category II
Royal Australasian College of Physicians	1:00 hour	The RACP does not accredit CPD activities, but MyCPD Program guidelines state that fellows can claim a maximum of 50 credits per year for online learning under 'Category 6 - Other Learning Activities'.
The Colleges of Medicine of South Africa	3 credits	The Colleges of Medicine of South Africa has accredited this BMJ Learning module (accreditation number: MDB014/254/06/2010)
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners	1 credit, 1:00 hour	RNZCGP endorses the British Medical Journal online CME programmes
The Supreme Council of Health in Qatar	1 credit, 1:00 hour	The Supreme Council of Health represented by the Accreditation Department of the Qatar Council for Health Practitioners recognizes the continuous medical education (CME)/continuing professional development (CPD) modules provided through BMJ Learning as Category II self-directed learning activities in the State of Qatar. Healthcare professionals in Qatar can thus claim continuing professional development credits for their activity on BMJ Learning, calculated as 1 credit unit per 1 hour (Organization Code OP-02).
Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association	0.5 credits, 1:00 hour	The Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association has accredited BMJ Learning. One module equates to 0.5 credits.

For more Updates, follow us on Facebook. 

Happy Blogging...!!!

Regards,

Deepak Kumar Bandari,

Pharm.D Intern,

Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy - India

Elsevier Student Ambassador - South Asia

Psychological Distress in Cancer : Workshop @ IIT Hyderabad

Dear Readers..!!! Thanks for visiting my blog...!!!

Download the Brochure Here

For more Updates, follow us on Facebook. 

Happy Blogging...!!!

Regards,

Deepak Kumar Bandari,

Pharm.D Intern,

Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy - India

Elsevier Student Ambassador - South Asia

e­‐Learning in Public Health Management

Dear Readers..!!! Thanks for visiting my blog...!!!

e-learning in Public Health Management (ePHM) course is the flagship course of e-learning at IPH. Started with the primary aim of capacity building of district and block programme managers in NRHM who largely come from management or non-public health background, this course was envisioned to introduce the target group to basic concepts of Indian public health system and also to train them in effectively managing the day to day activities of a district/ block health setup. This course was simultaneously also introduced to professionals who were not a part of the government health set up yet worked in close association with it.

Following two batches and several suggestions and inputs later, the consensus was that the level of the course though appropriate for a novice in the field of public health, is too basic for those who have prior experience. To remedy this (keeping in mind the entry level public health professionals) we have redesigned the ePHM course with retention of the basic components along with addition of advanced topics such as health systems, health management concepts etc for those who want to do understand public health care more in depth. This document presents a detailed description of the structure of the course with brief description of the topics that will be covered.

Structure of the Course: The new version of ePHM course has been designed to cater to the needs of both the entry level as well as mid-career public health professionals. The design of the course is such that it gives the option of incremental learning to the student so that he/she can choose till what level he would like to learn and will be awarded a certificate accordingly.

The course consists of two levels –
Level 1: Introductory concepts of Indian Public Health System and
Level 2: Advanced concepts of Public Health Systems including public health management.

The entire course is divided into 8 modules. Each module consists of four units. Each student has the option of attending a small test before starting each module. This is a test of diagnostic nature consists of questions covering the important topics to be taught in Unit 1 and 2.

If the student is able to answer more than 80% of the questions correctly then he can directly proceed to the advance units of 3 & 4 and can skip the first two units.

This process is aimed at helping students identify the topics that they already are familiar with and giving them an opportunity to directly learn the advanced topics without redoing the basics.

Novel software for Pharmacovigilance : A Pharm.D Innovation

Dear Readers..!!! Thanks for visiting my blog...!!!

On the lines of the Vigiflow software technology introduced by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission for reporting adverse drug reactions (ADR), the Pharm D interns and faculties at the Al Shifa College of Pharmacy in Malappuram district in Kerala, with the help of software engineers, have designed and developed a new software for monitoring and reporting adverse events from patients.

The software, which is already in application at the hospital attached to the college, is known as Futura AERS (Adverse Event Reporting System), created to support the efforts of the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) which may find a solution to the present challenges and difficulties in detecting and reporting adverse reactions of drugs in humans. The cost-effective and minimal infrastructure requiring product can be made useful by all healthcare professionals even in rural villages.

This software can be used by healthcare professionals for reporting and retrieving an adverse drug reaction using their unique username and password. The difficulties of paper based systems and manual documentations in hospitals are avoided through this software. The software helps for storing proper database of all adverse events and they can be maintained, retrieved and communicated among healthcare professionals as and when needed.Better coordination among healthcare professionals in ADR reporting and its management is another benefit of this product. Once an ADR is reported on a drug in a particular patient, it remains in the database and can be reviewed upon the next admission of the patient.

India can become a role model to other developing countries with the introduction of this innovative software for inclusion into the pharmacovigilance programme of the country. This can help advance pharmacovigilance practices and thereby to promote patient safety and better therapeutic outcome.

For more Updates, follow us on Facebook. 

Happy Blogging...!!!

Regards,

Deepak Kumar Bandari,

Pharm.D Intern,

Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy - India

Elsevier Student Ambassador - South Asia

Good News to all the Cancer patients

Dear Readers..!!! Thanks for visiting my blog...!!!

Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Sunday inaugurated India's first pharmacy retail store at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) "AMRIT" – Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment that will provide drugs for cancer and cardiovascular diseases at 60-90 per cent discount on market rates. AMRIT will sell 202 drugs to cure cancer and cardiovascular diseases with prices much lower than that in the open market. The government will also provide 148 cardiac implants that will be sold at 50-60 per cent discount at the pharmacy.

"Some of the prices of the AMRIT Pharmacy drugs are strikingly low such as Amrit will sell 'Docetaxel 120mg' used for chemotherapy cycle at Rs.888.75 (93 percent rebate) for one cycle, when the MRP of the injection is Rs.13,440. Similarly, Carboplatin 450 mg would be sold at Rs.1,316.25 while its MRP is Rs.2,561.57," AIIMS Director MC Misra said.

The pharmacy has been opened as a pilot project, but once it is successful, the government will open more pharmacy retail stores at other central hospitals, including Safdarjung Hospital and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, to sell drugs at hospitals at discounted rates. The government-owned HLL Lifecare Ltd (HLL) will run the AMRIT pharmacy stores. HLL will dispense 195 oncology drugs, 186 cardiovascular drugs and 148 cardiac implants through AMRIT pharmacy. Initially, the pharmacy will retail cancer drugs. By this month-end, it will commence the dispensing of cardiovascular drugs and implants in line with the cancer drugs," says the managing director of HLL Dr.M.Ayyappan.

The government's move proves significant as a total of 70,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year and 2.8 million people are suffering from the disease. "A significant number of patients (nearly over 50 percent) stop visiting hospitals after two or three cycles of chemotherapy due to unaffordable costs," Misra said. "Some breast-cancer patients need targeted treatment drugs, which cost around Rs.75,000 for a course; a patient could need up to 17 courses. Similarly, a drug used to treat colon, kidney, lung and gall bladder cancer can add around Rs.8 lakh to a patient's bill which is around Rs.1 lakh a cycle," Misra added.

For more Updates, follow us on Facebook. 

Happy Blogging...!!!

Regards,

Deepak Kumar Bandari,

Pharm.D Intern,

Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy - India

Elsevier Student Ambassador - South Asia

Need your attention..!!! Support India..!!!

Dear Readers..!!! Thanks for visiting my blog...!!!

On occasion of World Antibiotic Awareness Week (November 16th ~ 22nd) the Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Associations (FAPA) has organized the global Four-Frame Comic Competition. Many countries round the globe has participated in this competition with various comics supporting the theme.

On behalf of all the pharmacists of India, the Indian Pharmaceutical Association - Students' Forum (IPA-SF) has submitted the four frame comic with the theme "Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance" which needs your attention and support at the earliest to make India stand in the competition and win a global reputation. 

How to support: 

This is a popularity contest which accounts 10% of the scores and one LIKE is counted as one score, we request you to go through the below link and Hit like so that each score will be added up to make the Indian Comic stand among the top 3 International countries. 

Click here to Support India

(Go through the link above and like the comic to support our participation)

Your votes are very valuable which doesn't only give popularity on social sites but shows your involvement in building our Nation's pride. This proves our participation and support for the World's Antibiotic awareness campaign.

Wishing you success!!! 

                                    

For more Updates, follow us on Facebook. 

                                                                             

Happy Blogging...!!!

                                                                            Regards, 

Deepak Kumar Bandari, 

Pharm.D Intern, 

Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy - India 

Elsevier Student Ambassador - South Asia