Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharmarev.com). The president of Pakistan Pharmacist Federation Prof. Dr. Rafeeq Alam Khan called the pharmacists to celebrate the World Diabetes Day November 14, 2011 to raises global awareness of diabetes. It’s escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness in most cases. Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and WHO, the Day is celebrated on 14 November to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

Thus; the executives of Pakistan Pharmacist Federation Dr. Taha Nazir; Dr. Abdul Haleem Khan; Dr. Tahir Farooq; Fiaz Ahmad Faizi; Syed Sultan Muhammad; Prof. Dr. Muhammad Saeed and Jumshaid Ahmad has organized different kind of professional activities/ programs to enhance the awareness about diabetes.

WHO estimates that more than 220 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharmarev.com). Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has published the next issue of News letter as under;

https://www.pima.org.pk/NewsLetter.pdf

Dear Pharmacists!

Assalam-o-Alikum; I heartedly wish you & your families the great occasion of Eid ul Azha.  May almighty Allah bless you true faith (Emaan), good health and prosperity; professional potential to save the precious lives; and an aptitude to work for mankind.

Regards.

 Prof. Dr. Rafeeq Alam Khan B.Pharm., M.Pharm., Ph.D Professor of Pharmacology, University of Karachi; President Pakistan Pharmacist Federation. Email: rkhan1959@gmail.com; rafkhan@uok.edu.pk; info@pharmacistfed.pk; www.phamracistfed.pk; www.pharmafed.wordpress.com; www.pharmarev.com; www.pharmarev.com

Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharmarev.com). Health Canada has warned physicians that they must not promote specific drugs on their personal websites, as the practice violates federal advertising requirements. The department recently wrote to provincial medical colleges to express its concerns and posted a document on its website to guide physicians and other health professionals on how to comply with the Food and Drugs Act and its regulations. Health Canada took these steps after receiving complaints about direct-to consumer advertising of prescription drugs on the websites of some cosmetic surgeons. “In addressing the complaints, it was noted that this practice was widespread,” the department said in its guidance document (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/advert-publicit/pol/web-qa-qr-eng.php). Health Canada is working to raise awareness of the rules, it says, because it “suspects that physicians may not be aware of the federal advertising prohibitions or their application to physician advertising.” The document points out that care must also be taken when referring to other health products, such as over the- counter drugs, vaccines, natural health products and medical devices. Although advertising restrictions for these products are less stringent than for prescription drugs, Health Canada notes that “messages must not be false, misleading or deceptive” and must not make claims to treat or cure any disease listed on Schedule A of the Food and Drugs Act.

Source: https://www.cpjournal.ca/doi/pdf/10.3821/1913-701X-144.5.207b

Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharmarev.com). Career Guidance Workshop held in Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Karachi, Pakistan on 3rd November, 2011. The pictorial review of this workshop is as under;

Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharmarev.com). The atrocious view of Ms. Madiha Khalid; Mahidol associated with University, Bangkok, Thailand regarding the new six year curriculum of Pharm D (proposed by HEC, Islamabad) are as under;

I wish to review the exact curriculum finalized by HEC Pakistan. If the attached document is the future curriculum then it is simply hopeless, it seems a mid night effort and a night mare for pharmacists to add further insult to profession in Pakistan.

Let me ask some question from the responsible person(s).

1. Where are the jobs for the potential pharmacist?

2. Where pharmacist stands?

3. What the world demand from a pharmacist?

4. What a pharmacist should do?

5. What will be the future of a pharmacist? Etc, etc

6. Do we want to make our future pharmacist the ONLY Clinical Pharmacist? What about pharmacologist, Clinical research associates, industrial pharmacist, quality control and assurance, Drug rules and regulations, retail pharmacist? Time and age has no worth! will this extra year will not be a burden for industrial (etc) pharmacist or retail pharmacist who has no interest to work in hospital and have nothing to do with it.

7. Did anyone try to get pharmacy as a subject to be approved by CSS like medical subjects? To open a door for pharmacist in bureaucracy as well and to increase the chance of pharmacist in at least appearing and ultimately selection, after six years of education a Pharm D will be outdated already to take any such competition exam, and one of the potential opportunity will be already closed.

8. Now what about Clinical Research/Clinical Trials (other than clinical pharmacy), no one know about it? Or no one wants to work in this field! By the grace of medical doctors and their prescription rights we see this profession in Pakistan is completely occupied by the medical doctors and we have seen the loss of this market because of not having a proper guideline from our educators.

9. Let me tell my friends, In professional terms, a single effort (suggestion, idea, conclusion, policy etc) is appreciated only if a person with such idea is attached with number of degrees (Mphil/PhD), we have seen and observed it already so don’t you think an extra year will reduce a chance of pharmacist to go for Maters/MPhil/PhD program, where there is already an age bracket.

10.   Concluding my arguments with a suggestion:  instead of increasing years, we should focus in promoting one or two years Maters programs of international level (with or without research work) after minimum years of Pharm D and contributing in the society by providing specialists to work in specific area of profession as per and individual interest e.g.

Master/MPhil in Clinical pharmacy (with or without residency etc)

Master/MPhil in Clinical trials (with or without residency etc)

Masters/MPhil in pharmacognosy (no need of residency)

Masters/MPhil in Quality control and assurance ( QC labs and inspections etc)

Masters/MPhil in  Business Management and Marketing (equivalent to MBA)

Masters/MPhil in Pharmacology etc.

Masters/MPhil in Rules and regulations / inspection etc

Regards,

Madiha Khalid; Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.