Decision to allow pharmacists treat patients evokes mixed response

BHUBANESWAR: The government’s order allowing pharmacists to treat people suffering from 12 ailments including malaria, fever, respiratory tract infections, scabies and ringworm in the absence of doctors have evoked mixed response from the medical fraternity, pharmacists and the general public.

A section of doctors and pharmacists said such an official arrangement was needed since pharmacists anyway serve patients in the absence of doctors. Many, however, said that the government must post at least two doctors in a hospital so that at least one is available on duty at any given point of time.

“It is a welcome move since pharmacists anyway were treating patients in the absence of doctors. However, it will be better if the government ensures at least two doctors are posted in a hospital so that at least one is there when the other goes on leave,” said Narayan Rout, president of Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA), a body of doctors in government service.

Nirakar Bhatt, his predecessor in OMSA, however, said the government should focus on recruitment and posting of doctors instead of giving their duty to pharmacists and nurses. Odisha Pharmacists Service Association president Naveen Mohapatra said the government move was long overdue. “In fact, the plan was mooted in 2018. However, that time the government thought with more postings of doctors it would not be required. Many primary health centres have either one doctor or no doctor at all. In such a situation, unless pharmacists are allowed to treat with medicines from government supply, poor patients will have to spend to buy medicines from the market,” Mohapatra said.

A government order in 2003 had allowed pharmacists to give certain medicines, which are mostly not in use now. That’s why the latest order specifying medicines and diseases was required, he said.

Biswajit Mohanty, a social activist, termed the government decision foolish and dangerous. “Patients’ lives are at risk without prescriptions by qualified doctors,” he said. The government move comes five days before the Orissa high court’s September 27 deadline for the government to come up with a time- bound plan to fill up vacancies of doctors.