State to have its own Drug Information Centre

With registered DICs in various other states, Gujarat is the next in line to introduce the concept to the health service providers as well as receivers in the state. Similar centres were launched in Karnataka and Maharashtra a year ago.

The GSPC recently sent a team to Karnataka to study the DIC model and its functioning. Other states that have implemented these centres are Rajasthan, Goa, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Haryana.

The DIC is likely to be introduced in the state by the first half of next year and will be formed by the GSPC in collaboration with the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA) and the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI).

GSPC president Ambu Patel said: “The Karnataka DIC has collaborated with an international pharmaceutical body. We are also hoping to collaborate either with the same agency or some other international pharmaceutical body.”

The aim behind setting up the DIC is to provide complete information about a particular drug, based on the patient’s medical history, to doctors, pharmacists and the patients.

“Many a times patients blindly take medicines without knowing their composition. Moreover, the patients’ history is often overlooked while prescribing a drug. These centres can come handy in complicated medical cases where a vigilant pharmacist can identify the drug reactions and consult the doctor,” said Patel.

Forming a bridge between the doctors and the patients, a pharmacist can also inform the patients about the side effects, the possible drug-drug interaction and the drug-food interaction.

The patients can directly ask for information on a particular drug.

Further, the centre will also provide information on the latest drug available in the market.

The DIC will also highlight the need for a periodic refresher’s course for pharmacists.

“The purpose here is to look at pharmacy as a responsibility rather than a drug manufacturing industry. Apart from dispensing medicines, a pharmacist should also be interactive enough to advice the patients on the drug,” said J B Dave, IPA president, Vadodara chapter.