PHARMACY

About:

• Recently, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has given its approval to amend the Rule 65(15)(b) and Rule 65(15)(c) so that medical shops can be called a ‘pharmacy’.
  
  
• The change was deliberated and recommended by the 55th Drug Consultative Committee meeting held in January and March this year.
  
  
• Reason for change:
  • The step is in concurrence with the international practice of calling a medical shop selling medicines by the name ‘pharmacy.
    
    
  • The phrase ‘chemists and druggists’ was coined over seven decades ago in 1945 and has lost its relevance in the current scenario.
    
    
  • The word ‘drug’ is looked upon as more clandestine, and as addiction to chemicals, and thus it’s not suitable while referring to a professional pharmacist.
    
    
  • This will give the profession better recognition and provide an identity and sense of value to the practising pharmacist at the outlets.