Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharmareview.wordpress.com). President of PPA has addressed a letter to the Federal Secretary; Ms Nargis Sethi, date:13th April 2011, Subject “SOS- Disparity between Health Professionals with relation to Pharmacy”, as under;
Dear Madam,
It has been quoted by the Media that the Prime Minister has announced a new service structure for health professionals in which they have introduced new pay scales and have given the Medics (Doctors) a variation from a pay scale of 9-13 while the Pharmacists are kept at a lower pay scale starting from 7.
I would like to bring to your kind attention that, a Pharmacist gets a degree of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) after 17 years of education, which includes primary and secondary education till 12th grade and then 5 years of professional education. This is no different than what doctors do.
Talking about the curriculum of PharmD, it is extensive and includes detailed medical sciences and pharmaceutical sciences along with Biotechnology, Mathematics and Statistics. The curriculum is consisting of 210 credit hours which is the highest Undergraduate course in Pakistan. Moreover, Pharmacists enter into service after vigorous practical training. This is the reason all developed world including UK, USA, Australia and Europe accept Pakistan’s Pharmacy Degree.
I as a the President of Pakistan Pharmacist Association, which is a legal representative body of pharmacist under Pharmacy Act of 1967, Request you to reconsider your decision and treat pharmacist at par with the Medics (doctors). We expect an impartial response from your office. We also request you to give us a time for a meeting with you so we can discuss these issues in detail.
Looking forward to your response.
Sincerely,
SYED KHALID SAEED BUKHARI, President, Pakistan Pharmacist Association, 488 G, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan. 0092 300 4005935 0092 423 5894365. Emails: skhs77@gmail.com, www.ppapak.com