Pharmacy Practice in India: History, SOPs, and Patient Care

Posted on Mar 16, 2025 in Other university degrees and diplomas

History of Pharmacy in India

The genesis of community pharmacy practice in India can be traced back to British India, when the profession was only business oriented and the professionals were called either drug sellers or drug dispensers. Scotch M. Bathgate opened the first chemist shop in Kolkata in 1811, marking the starting point of pharmacy practice in India. Pharmacy education under British rule first began in Madras Medical School in December 1860 with a 2-year course.
  • In Goa, under Portuguese rule, Escola Medico started a combined course in medicine and pharmacy in 1842.
  • The Indian Pharmacopeia was first published in 1868.
  • The official Indian Journal of Pharmacy was first released in 1939.
The pharmacy practice scenario, especially community pharmacy practice during the pre-independence era, was highly unregulated, with no restrictions on pharmacy practice in India. The standardization of pharmacy education was introduced in 1945.
  • The Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association held its first annual conference in 1948.
The Pharmaceutical Association was the first pharmaceutical society of India, started in 1923 and renamed The Pharmaceutical Society of India after 2 years. In 1932, pharmacy education was started at Banaras Hindu University, introducing a Bachelor’s of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and becoming the first university to start a 3-year bachelor’s program in pharmacy.
  • In 2008, Pharm.D (Doctor of Pharmacy), a 6-year program, was introduced by PCI (Pharmacy Council of India).
The minimum qualification required to practice pharmacy is a Diploma in Pharmacy. A pharmacist’s presence is legally required during the dispensing and selling of medicines.
There is no pharmacist licensure pre-registration exam in India. Anyone who has the minimum qualification (D.Pharm) and above can apply for registration as a pharmacist.


Pharmaceutical Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Pharmaceutical Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a tested, verified, approved, and documented way of executing operations that form the pharmaceutical industry’s basis.
It provides step-by-step guidance for personnel to perform a specific process.
  • SOPs are constantly updated in response to changing process requirements or due to the latest trends.
It helps increase the efficiency of a pharmaceutical process in the most beneficial, effective, and proven way.
They inspect whether the process or procedure has its SOP and whether the process is executed according to the SOP.
They can issue a warning or non-conformance if there is no SOP or there is a deviation between the executed process and the approved SOP.

Prescription

A prescription is an order written by a physician, dentist, or any other medical practitioner to the pharmacist to compound and dispense a specific medication for an individual patient.

Parts of a Prescription

  1. Heading
    • Date
    • Personal data of patient
  2. Body
    • Superscription
    • Inscription
    • Subscription
  3. Closing:
    • Signature of Patient
    • Signature of Physician

Handling of Prescription | Dispensing Process

The following steps are to be followed during handling of a prescription:
  1. Receiving
  2. Reading and Checking
  3. Collecting and Weighing the material
  4. Compounding, Labeling, and Packing

Receiving

The pharmacist should receive the prescription and read and check the prescription themselves.


Types of Communication Skills

There are two types of communication skills:
  1. Verbal Communication:
  2. Non-verbal Communication:

Verbal Communication:

  • It is the most basic type of communication skill.
  • Verbal communication therefore requires both a speaker (or writer) to transmit the message, and a listener (or reader) to make sense of the message. This page discusses both parts of the process.

Non-verbal Communication:

  • It means this is the type of communication skill in which we communicate with other people without words. In non-verbal communication, we convey our message with the help of facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, or postures, etc.

Interactions with Patients (Patient Interview Techniques)

I. Medication history interviews are required for making decisions. The following information is recorded:
  • Currently or recently prescribed medicines.
  • OTC medicines purchased.
  • Vaccinations
  • Alternative or traditional remedies
  • Description of reactions and allergies to medicines.
  • Medicines found to be ineffective.

Written Communication

Written communication is one of the types of communication skills.
In this communication skill, we communicate with other people by writing words. No matter which source we are using to write and send our message, it will be considered as written communication.
It has a lot of examples, like writing letters, emails, or sending messages.
All these are examples of written communication.


Patient Information Leaflets – Definition and Uses

Definition:

A patient information leaflet is a technical document included in every medicine package to offer written information about the medication.
Or
Patient information leaflets (PILs) are leaflets containing specific information about medical conditions, doses, and side effects that are packed with medicines to give the user information about the product.

Uses:

Patient medication information leaflet (PMIL) is a very important source of information for every patient.
Little is known whether patients read the PMILs, what their opinions about PMILs are, and whether they are satisfied with PMILs in the current format.

Patient Counselling Points for Chronic Diseases/Disorders

Hypertension, Diabetes, Asthma, Tuberculosis, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and AIDS.

Hypertension

It is the clinical condition in which more blood pressure is observed in the blood vessels, which leads to hemorrhagic and other disease conditions. During patient counseling, it is managed by:
  • Pharmacological management.
  • Non-pharmacological management.

Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is the group of metabolic disorders sharing the common feature of hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia in diabetes results from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The chronic hyperglycemia and attendant metabolic dysregulation may be associated with secondary damage in multiple organ systems, especially the kidney, eyes, nerves, and blood vessels. During patient counseling, it is managed by:
  • Pharmacological management— Biphasic insulin, teneligliptin, albiglutide, metformin, voglibose, bromocriptine.
  • Non-pharmacological management.
Make the diet plan because, in diabetes condition, sugar level maintenance is the major task.
Avoid any type of injury.


Health Screening Services in Community Pharmacy

The role of health screening in Community Pharmacies is designed to provide access to screening services to members of the public who may not be able to access this intervention through their GP.

Scope of Various Health Screening Services

2. Blood Glucose Monitoring: Blood glucose monitoring is a common screening service for individuals with diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes. Blood glucose monitoring involves measuring the amount of glucose in an individual’s blood and can help individuals monitor their glucose levels and adjust their treatment as needed.
3. Cholesterol Testing: Cholesterol testing is a common screening service for individuals at risk of developing heart disease. Cholesterol tests measure the levels of different types of cholesterol in an individual’s blood and can help individuals determine their risk of developing heart disease and make necessary lifestyle changes.
4. Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculation: BMI calculation is a common screening service for individuals at risk of developing obesity and its related health problems. BMI calculation is a simple assessment of an individual’s body fat based on their height and weight and can help identify individuals who are overweight or obese.

The Importance of Various Health Screening Services

1. Early Detection: Health screening services can help detect potential health problems at an early stage, when they are often more treatable and less likely to cause serious complications. Early detection of conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol can help prevent the development of more serious health problems.
2. Improved Health Outcomes: By identifying potential health problems early, individuals can take action to improve their health outcomes. This can include making lifestyle changes, receiving early treatment, or taking steps to prevent the progression of a condition.
3. Increased Awareness: Health screening services can raise awareness about the importance of preventive health and encourage individuals to take steps to improve their health and wellbeing.


Dispensing Errors and Strategies to Minimize Them

There are so many sources of medication error or prescription errors.
Legibility:
Checking: No one person is available to recheck the full medications.
Too many customers: Due to too many customers, the dispenser needs more time to properly handle. But customers have no time to wait, that’s why errors occur.
Lack of concentration: Every dispenser should properly concentrate on the prescription. If they do not, errors occur.
Too many phone calls and social media: It is also very important to stay away from mobiles or keep them switched off at the time of working.
Lack of experience: Experience is very important in this field.