Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence

1. Evolution of the “Concept of
Pharmacy” as an integral part of
the Health Care System
By
Shubhrat Maheshwari
Assistant Professor

2. Pharmacy and Health Care System
• The interdependence between pharmacy and medicine runs back through
countless ages.
• During Vedic times, medical treatments was associated with religious services in
India as per Atharva Veda and Rig Veda.
• In Vedic times physician and surgeon lived in Garden Houses and cultivated the
required medicinal plants.
• There were no separate professions of medicine and pharmacy. A physicians
prepared their own medicines.
• Sushruta and Charak are two great names in Ayurveda as useful their
composition book Sushruta Samhita and Charak Samhita.

3. • Later on also Unani system of medicine was developed in era of Muslim Rulers.
• The change in the pattern of the society, both the systems, Ayurvedic and Unani
showed considerable changes.
• During the 18th century the systems of medicines were advanced with time and
came into existence of organisation of Hospitals, where the services of different
health professionals are utilised.
• The health professionals such as clinical practitioner, nurses, technicians, medical
social workers, dieticians and pharmacists etc. are together referred as Health
Care Team.
• The Allopathic system of medicine was introduced by British.
• In those days pharmacy education was started in India to train the professionals.
Some pharmaceutical associations were also formed.
• The tendency of specialization has affected the separation of Pharmacy from
Medicine with little overlapping of Jurisdiction and practice.

4. • Therefore, the function of physician is to diagnose disease and to recommend the
treatment through prescription, while Pharmacist has to dispense the medicine
according to the prescriptions.
• During the last 5 to 6 decades, complex and potent organic compounds are
introduced as medicines. Being potent, these are to be administered with great
care and in standardization of dosage forms like tablets capsules and injections
etc.
• Hence Pharmacy and pharmacists are important for dispensing and
manufacturing.
• As per the discussions held at British Pharmaceutical Conference in 1963 a
pharmacist is regarded as an expert on drugs.
• A pharmacist has to deal with the whole range of drugs.
• Accordingly, the pharmacy education is so framed that he gets all knowledge
about drugs.

5. • Now-a-days pharmacist is no longer regarded as a dispenser or compounder.
• The dispensing pharmacy is gradually emerging in clinical pharmacy. So, many
changes are required to be made in the Concept of Pharmacy.
• Health care system is highly influenced by the changes such as economical
political and technological changes. Evolutionary changes in the practice of
pharmacy will continue to save an impact on changing health care system.
• To achieve the goal, “Health for all by 2000 A.D.”, necessary supporting
pharmaceutical services are required to be extended and organised, which is
possible only when pharmacy ultimately and pharmacist has been accepted as an
important member of Health Care system.

6. • The profession of Pharmacy in our country presently consists of:
1) Academic Pharmacists
2) Industrial Pharmacist
3) Hospital Pharmacist
4) Community Pharmacists
• Community Pharmacist and Hospital Pharmacist serves as a link between physician and the
patients.
✓Pharmacist has to play an important role in the areas such as:
1. Prescription adherence
2. Storage and distribution of drugs
3. Drug choice
4. Drug monitoring
5. Information and education
6. Clinical Pharmacokinetics
7. Research and development and many other health activities

7. • In nutshell, the Pharmacist is responsible for ensuring that right patient is
received the right medicine in the right dose for the right condition in the right
dosage form and the right frequency and hence, he is considered as an integral
part of Health Care System.
• Pharmacy council of India has reconsidered the pharmacy education (D. Pharm.)
introduced new subjects such as Health Education and Community Pharmacy and
Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy, the knowledge of which will definitely help the
pharmacy contributing to the Nations Health.

8. Any Question?

9. Thank you