The International Pharmaceutical Federation established Worlds Pharmacists Day in 2009, coincidentally the date of the founding of the organization on September 25, 1912. The FIP has a theme every year that identifies the crucial role pharmacists are playing in healthcare systems around the globe. For 2024, the theme is “Meeting Global Health Needs,” underlining the great contributions pharmacists perform in advancing public health, especially in countries such as Pakistan.
Pakistan celebrated the very first World Pharmacist Day in 2013. This platform now marks a moment in history where the recognition of professionals from this fraternity was called upon to bring attention to the pharmacy profession. There was significant focus among government actors, healthcare professionals, and students dedicated to practicing pharmacy in the country.
History of Pharmacy Education in Pakistan
Over the years, pharmacy education in Pakistan has transformed dramatically. College of Pharmacy at the University of the Punjab was the first pharmacy college established in 1944; this was actually the initiation of formal pharmacy education in the country.
There are hundreds of institutes working all over Pakistan and offering pharmacy programs, including BS Pharm D/MPharm. The PPC has the most important role in regulating pharmacy education and practice in Pakistan with ensuring that pharmacists acquire proper knowledge to address the health care needs of the population.
Balanced B.Pharm Curriculum
The B. Pharm in Pakistan is a four-year course that teaches all the necessary subjects that are supposed to be covered in the first years of study namely anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and microbiology. The subsequent years cover pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacognosy, dispensing pharmacy, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, and forensic pharmacy. Such a wide range of coursework equips future pharmacists with profound knowledge of how drugs are prepared and how to care for patients.
Role of Pharmacists in Research and Development
Pharmacies in Pakistan are hired to play an active role in drug research and development, involving a task that one must be well-versed within pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, and pharmaceutics. The job of the pharmacist is to identify new drug molecules, evaluate them according to their importance, and synthesize them, followed by elaborate studies on the medicinal impacts they have on the human body.
It involves exhaustive testing, where a pharmacologist will administer drugs to animal models to try and establish whether they are safe and effective. This is the most important step towards the process from discovery in the laboratory to applying drugs for clinical use.
Manufacturing and Clinical Trials
Once the research phase is completed and a drug passes successfully, pharmacists oversee the production of this drug. This can include a diverse range of preparations such as tablets, capsules, liquid drugs, ointments, and injectables. The pharmaceutical sector of Pakistan is transforming itself into one day where most manufacturing firms are incorporating the latest technologies and AI in pharmaceutical manufacturing to develop high-level efficiency and precision.
The process of bringing a new drug to the market involves comprehensive clinical tests with the help of doctors and the pharmaceutical firm. These experiments are essential for marking the possible adverse effects and specifying the therapeutic use of the drug. When all the phases of testing are completed, companies apply to the DRAP for permission to manufacture the drug.
The Plant Kingdom: Implication of Pharmacognosy
Medicinal plants are one of the most important areas for the discovery of new drug molecules. In a country like Pakistan, traditional medicine is in the very fabric of the culture, and it has always been a practice to have research conducted by pharmacists on indigenous medicinal plants. This research continues to bridge the gap between traditional and modern types of medicinal practice.
A Tribute to the Pharmacy Community
This is World Pharmacist Day, a time to pay much-needed tribute to the doctors of medicine who have played and continue to play their role in improving healthcare systems here in Pakistan and across the world. Today is the day for the pharmacy community in Pakistan to remember some of the most notable pharmacists, dedicated in their pursuit of creating better healthcare access and outcomes, inspiring generations to come.
As we mark World Pharmacist Day, it is well worth a moment to reflect on the imperative importance of pharmacists in guarding health in Pakistan so that the needs of its communities continue to be met. In all our struggles, pharmacists remain critical for positively changing the health scenario, committing energy and expertise through unwavering strife toward a healthier tomorrow.
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