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Mahesh Shahi, B.pharm., E-MBA
Hospital Pharmacist, Bayalpata Hospital, Nyaya Health Nepal
–Strengthening and advancing pharmacy practice in Nepal to meet 21st-century demands is now a priority; No matter what because we deserved & our people deserved.
Congratulations and sincere thanks to the pharmacist all over the world for their great work! Nepal, known for its breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage, has also made significant strides in the field of pharmaceutical development. Over the years, the country has seen remarkable growth in its pharmaceutical sector, evolving from a rudimentary state to one that is more organized, advanced, and focused on delivering quality healthcare products to its citizens even though there is still big gap in pharmaceutical care, pharma-based revenue regenerating, and research & development.
The historical development of pharmaceuticals began during the ancient Lichchhavi ruler Amshu Berma, dating back to 605-620 AD, when an Ayurveda hospital was established. However, King Pratap Malla started an Ayurvedic medicine production unit in the royal palace in 1641-1674 before modern allopathic medicines were introduced in Nepal after the Suguali Treaty and the establishment of British residency in Nepal in 1816 AD. The Nepal government-owned Royal Drug Limited was established in 1972, whereas in the meantime, allopathic medicine production had already started in the private sector in 1969. At that time, medicines were manufactured only for the royal families, but later on, King Tribhuvan (1906-1955) first brought into practice the distribution of those medicines to the general public.
After the establishment of Bir Hospital (1947 BS) and a few other small clinics and hospitals, there was an increasing demand for modern medicine, and it gradually grew. With such rapid growth, there was an obvious need for pharmacy professionals. That’s why pharmaceutical education was started in Nepal with the commencement of the Proficiency Certificate Level, a two-and-a-half-year program at the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, under the leadership of British Pharmacist Paul David Spivey.
Similarly, pharmaceutical development in Nepal can be categorized into three epochs: From 1950-1980, the legislation’s first phase; from 1980 to 2000, the industrial development’s second phase; and from 2000 onward, the hospital pharmacy’s third phase. Santabhavan Hospital, later named Patan Hospital, which was established in 1956, is a pioneer in starting hospital pharmacy services in Nepal, followed by Tansen Mission Hospital in 1959. During the 17th and 18th centuries, government hospitals dispensed extemporaneous preparations such as Cough Mixture, Carminative Mixture, Sulphur Ointment, Gentian Violet Solution, Magnesium Carbonate Mixture, etc., but mostly Assistant Health Workers (AHWs) performed the job because there were no pharmacy professionals at that time.
With celebrating the 2023 annual World Pharmacists Day, and this year’s theme is “Pharmacy Strengthening Health Systems” on the 25th of September aims to present opportunities to increase awareness of pharmacists as intelligent solutions for the healthcare fraternity to meet future needs of this industry around the world. Even though key roles were played at the time of the COVID-19 crisis and even shared the stage of deadlier health-related pandemics in many times and also date back to Alexander Fleming: Discovery of Penicillin and, of course, John Pemberton: Inventor of Coca-Cola, including the world revenue in the pharmaceutical market in 2018 was 1204.8 billion USD.
FIP’s message for World Pharmacists Day 2023 is clear: Let pharmacies do more, with this marking the anniversary of the inception of FIP (International Pharmaceutical Federation’s) in 1912 and was adopted by the FIP Council in 2009 in Istanbul. Since 2020, the FIP has also launched World Pharmacy Week to extend the celebrations to include all aspects of the pharmacy profession. This campaign has been put forth in every corner of the world to strengthen and advance pharmacy practice. But it’s very sad to say there is still a dark side of the world where people are not getting rid of fever due to the unavailability of the very essential medicine so-called paracetamol. This makes me silent, being a pharmacist representing the country Nepal. In addition, the Government of Nepal is still struggling to create an environment for the proper placement of pharmacy professionals, develop the curriculum, regulate education system, improve real-time world-class clinical learning exposure, and, last but not least, address one of the biggest challenges, which is failing to establish effective laws and policies and ensuring their implementation.
We, Nepal need to learn the lesson and aligning with this year’s theme, FIP’s mission is to enhance global health through the progress of pharmaceutical practice, sciences, and education. Let’s consider community pharmacy as an example. This sector of the profession bolsters healthcare by offering advice, information, education, triage, screening/testing, referral, vaccinations, prescribing, reducing polypharmacy, and follow-up care. However, community pharmacists can fulfill various other healthcare needs, alleviating pressure on the healthcare system. As experts in medications, pharmacists could have expanded roles in prescribing and initiating treatments. They also possess the skills to manage patients with chronic conditions like diabetes. To achieve universal health coverage, all countries, including Nepal, must advance and make progress, especially in clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical research, and development, aligning with the theme of World Pharmacists Day 2023.
कामनाटुडे निष्पक्ष पत्रकारिताको दृढ पहरेदार हो, जसले समाचार, विचार, मनोरञ्जन, खेलकुद, विश्व, प्रविधि र जीवनका विविध आयाम उजागर गर्छ। मर्यादित समाज र समृद्धिको यात्रामा अघि बढ्दै हामि आवाजविहीनहरूको बुलन्द स्वर बनिरहेका छौँ । यदि तपाईंसँग भ्रष्टाचार वा अनियमितताको कुनै प्रमाण छ भने, हामीलाई पठाउनुहोस्। सत्य उजागर गर्न कटिबद्ध कामनाटुडे तपाईंको गोपनीयता सुरक्षित राख्नेछ। सचेत नागरिक बनौं, अन्यायविरुद्ध उभिऔं!
केन्द्रिय कार्यालयः सुदूरपश्चिम प्रदेश धनगढी कैलाली
फोन नम्बर – ०९१-५९०९३३
