REPORT OF THE IPA CONVENTION-2009 The following is the consolidated report of the INDIAN CONGRESS OF PHARMACY & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES 2009 and INDIAN PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION CONVENTION – 2009 held on March 14th and 15th 2009, on the theme: Reengineering Pharmacy Profession in India at DIPSAR, New Delhi. Day 1; 14th March2009 Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) organized this event to discuss the current trends and issues that Indian pharmacy profession has been facing today and how the pharmacists can prepare themselves to be influential members as healthcare providers of the country. During the congress more than 1200 enthusiastic delegates comprising members of academia and Indian pharmaceutical industry discussed the significant issues related to the industry and the professional fraternity at Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research (DIPSAR), New Delhi, which was the venue of the Congress. The two day long thought provoking event sought to bring forth many important issues for ‘Reengineering the Pharmacy Profession in India’. For the inaugural session of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress on the morning of 14th March’09, His Excellency, Hon’ble Dr. A. R. Kidwai, the Governor of Haryana was the Chief Guest. The Health Minister of Delhi Government, Prof. Kiran Walia graced the occasion. Dr. Kamal Midha President of the FIP was the Guest of Honor. The inauguration function of the congress began with the prayer. The Chief Guest, Hon’ble Health Minister of Delhi and other guests proceeded to light the lamp to keep ablaze the enthusiasm and zeal of all the delegates, speakers and guests for a successful event. The dignitaries who adorned the dais in the inaugural session and graced the occasion were: His Excellency Hon’ble Mr. A. R. Kidwai, Presently the Governor of Haryana, has been a pharmacy professional and served in various organizations at important capacities. He was kind enough to spare his valuable time for the sake of quality health care issues of the human populace to be imparted by the pharmacy professionals in the country and was happy that such a conference was being organized in Delhi so that the issues will be highlighted soon amongst the concerned authorities.” He said that, “We are proud that today India is one of the largest producers of generic drugs and the fourth largest producer of the pharmaceutical products”. Today, the production of generic drugs in India is such that even American and European companies buy drugs from India. We are effectively competing with the international market and our pharmaceutical industry should take lead in the global market. The future depends upon the scientific and technical developments where India is a significant player in terms of scientific and technical manpower. By producing drugs at the lowest cost, we have the capacity and potential to emerge as a testing and developing hub of the pharmaceutical industry. After his inspiring speech he also released the Congress Chronicle. Prof. Kiran Walia, Health Minister of Delhi Government graced the occasion and shared her valuable inputs. She started her speech by congratulating Prof. S.S. Agrawal for establishing DIPSAR as a wonderful institution in the Delhi region. She announced, “It has been passed in the Delhi Assembly that DIPSAR would be established as a state university. Delhi government under the leadership of Chief Minister Mrs. Sheila Dikshit is committed to get DIPSAR such a prestigious status.” Prof. Kiran Walia talked about the ignorance prevailing in the society while selecting appropriate medication for ailments. She expressed her concern on the negative impact of improper medication, problems of toxins and side effects. She said, “I am very happy that all pharmacy professionals are talking about health for all, the theme in line with the objectives being pursued by WHO and Government of India. Being the Minister of Health, I am always there with you in maintaining better facility and developing better infrastructure.” Prof. S.S. Agrawal, Director of DIPSAR was the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress. He in his address welcomed all and expressed his confidence on the positive and fruitful outcome of the convention. He expressed his gratitude to the chief Guest for sparing his valuable time and also reiterated that he has always been considerate in the issues related to academic and technical growth of the society. Prof Agrawal said, “There is a need for reengineering pharmacy profession in all the gambits of the profession, whether it is hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy or any other stream.” Dr. B. Suresh, President, Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) started his address with a quote of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, “Dream is not that you see in sleep, but is the thing which does not let you sleep.” He said that, “Pharmacy in India has advanced into a stage of making quality medicines at less cost, but now we need to take one step further and participate in the healthcare of the country. We have to reengineer our pharmacy profession and bring it to a level where pharmacy professionals respond by not only providing quality medicine but also pharmaceutical care to the people.” Dr. Suresh further opined that “We, all are pharmacists performing different roles in the society. There are various organizations and institutions in the field of pharmacy. They may be playing different strategic roles but all have the sole objective of serving the Indian pharmaceutical profession. All these organizations are the part of Indian Pharmaceutical Association. The role being played by each of the organizations is very important for the country.” He said that the international community is concerned about the role that India played in the field of pharmacy. He also stressed upon the need to follow the principle of thinking globally and acting locally. The scientific session of the Congress started with a theme talk addressed by the Guest of Honor Dr. Kamal Midha, President, Federationale Internationale de Pharmaceutique (FIP). In his speech he spoke on the Mission of FIP to improve global health by advancing pharmacy practice and science to enable better discovery, development, access to and safe use of appropriate, cost-effective quality medicines worldwide. Improving the quality of community pharmacy practice could be achieved by effective documenting and disseminating the value of the pharmacy in the supply chain; raising public awareness of the added value of the role of the pharmacist / pharmacy; improving and continuing pharmacy education. Access to medicines in India was only 25-30% in case of rural population and 81% of out-of pocket household expenses were spent on medicines. He highlighted the need for rational use of medicines especially with regard to the case of antimicrobial resistance and the indiscriminate dispensing of the antibiotics off the pharmacy counters without any licensed prescriptions. The talk also stressed the importance of Collaborative Pharmacy Practice when pharmacists have “a core place in the multi-disciplinary healthcare team”. The outcome being significantly improved patient care, greater patient safety with a Global Vision for Health. Dr. Praful D. Seth, Vice President - FIP and Professional Secretary - SEARPharm Forum and Patron of the Local Organizing Committee expressed his pleasure in welcoming all the delegates and the guests. He emphasized that India is gaining strength with regard to manufacture and delivery of quality medicines at affordable cost. He hoped for further improvement in the primary healthcare of the country. Dr. T. K. Ravi, the Scientific Convener, ICPPS & IPAC 2009 successfully coordinated the scientific proceedings of the convention. Mr. S.D. Joag, General Secretary of the Conference Committee, presented the vote of thanks. He thanked all the delegates, speakers and the guests for having come forward to discuss the vital issues of Indian pharmacy profession. He also thanked the sponsors for supporting monetarily so that a course of action should set for the overall growth of the entire industry. Mr. Kalhan Bazaz was the Secretary, Local Organizing Committee (LOC). All the guests and dignitaries on the dais were presented with mementos as a token of respect. All the IPA’s divisional meetings began immediately after the inauguration under the guidance of Chairman’s of the respective divisions which took place simultaneously in different halls. During the post lunch session there were 5 Symposia held at different halls covering different sections of Pharmacy like, Community Pharmacy Division on the theme: Trends In Community Pharmacy; Hospital Pharmacy Division on the theme: Role of Pharmacists in Health Care in the developing world; Industrial Pharmacy Division on the theme: Needs of the Industry – Technology, Innovation & Research; Regulatory Affairs Division on the theme: Regulatory Challenges for 21st Century; and Education Division & Student’s Forum on the theme: Pharmacy Education – Present and Future. There were also 5 Panel discussions covering, Community Pharmacy on the topic: Action Plan For Community Pharmacy Development In India- Concrete Steps & Role of Stake Holders; Hospital Pharmacy on the topic: Role of Pharmacists in Health Care in the Developing World; Industrial Pharmacy on the topic: Challenges for the Growth of Indian Pharmaceutical Industries; Regulatory Affairs on the topic: Regulatory Challenges for the 21st century; Education on the topic: Pharmacy Education – Present and Future. Overall, there were 70 resource persons (National & International) who addressed the delegates during the congress. The sessions covered the current global trends in Pharmacy Education, the Pharm.D. Programme in India, an introduction to curriculum design, future trends and an insight into pharmacy practice concepts to help pharmacists play a leadership role in the healthcare team globally & in our country. Quality Improvement, up gradation & challenges in Community Pharmacy were also discussed. The latest technological innovations of the pharmaceutical industry, focused towards research & development, regulations governing the Indian pharmaceutical industry and the Impetus required for industrial growth were deliberated during the congress. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) & its impact in India were also highlighted. Cultural Program The first day of the congress concluded with a cultural program enthralled by the amazing performance from the students and artistes. The students of DIPSAR & JAMIA HAMDARD presented colorful entertaining programs to win the hearts of the audience. The members of Punjab Academy relived the magic of Punjab on stage. The quawwali troupe of Abdul Rehman kept the audience engrossed with popular and filmy numbers. Day 2; 15th March2009 The next morning session of the congress began with the plenary session where Prof. K. Chinnaswamy chaired the first session in which Prof. S.S. Agrawal spoke on the topic of Pharmacovigilance with special emphasis to cosmetics in India and apprised about the harmful effects of cosmetics on the human body. The next session was chaired by Prof. S.S. Agrawal where Dr. Hari S. Sharma (NETHERLAND) deliberated on the topic of Molecular Mechanisms of Angiogenesis: Therapeutic Targets for Chronic Heart and Lung Diseases. Sri.. P.D. Seth chaired the last plenary session and the speaker was Dr. K. Weerasurya and in his talk on the topic “Regulatory Control of Drug Information in India – Are we anywhere?” He pointed out some startling facts of Indian regulatory control that emphasized upon the need to think and act earnestly in this direction. There were three plenary lectures and scientific presentations which included ten oral presentations and 179 poster presentations. The best oral & poster presentations were awarded. The first place in the oral presentation section went to Dr. Atmaram P Pawar, Faculty, Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune, on the topic “Preparation and Evaluation of Andrographolide solid dispersions by spray drying technique”. The second place was bagged by Dr. Pronobesh Chattopadhyay, Faculty, College of Pharmacy, IFTM, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, on the topic “Calcium Antagonist prevents nodular hyperplasia, Atrophy and Apoptosis in Ischemia followed by reperfusion injury in rat liver transplantation”. The third place went to Mr. M. Surulivel Rajan, Faculty of College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal, Karnataka, on the topic “A study of plasma and tissue concentrarions of cefotaxime as antibiotic prophylaxis in Cholecystectomy”. The first places in the poster presentation in Industrial Pharmacy Division section went to Ms. S.V. Saran Tejaswi, HKE’s College of Pharmacy, Gulbarga, Karnataka, on the topic “Design of drug implants for postoperative surgical care” and Ms. Hema Chaudhary, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, on the topic “Formulation and Evaluation of Sodium Carboxy Methyl Guar gels of Nimesulide”. The second place was bagged by Mr. Jadhav D, from Principal KM Kundanani College of Pharmacy, Mumbai, on the topic “Solid self emulsifying system enhances for fast drug release”. The third place went to Mr. M. Vijaykumar, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysore, on the topic “Preparation and evaluation of comparative bioavailability studies of Indomethacin loaded bees wax microspheres.” The first place in the poster presentation in Regulatory Affairs Division section went to Mr. Ravindran M, Adhiparasakthi College of Pharmacy, Melmaruvathur, Tamil Nadu, on the topic “A validated method for the estimation of tolterodine tartarate in bulk and in capsule dosage form by RP-HPLC”. The second place was bagged by Mr. Ray RS, DIPSAR, New Delhi, on the topic “Evaluation of nicotine content in some commonly used tooth powders: A present scenario”. The first places in the poster presentation in Pharmacy Education Division section went to Mr. Nilkamal W, S.V.K.M.’s Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Mithibhai College Campus, Mumbai, on the topic “Antimicrobial activity of clove essential oil and extracts of Psidium guajava against dental pathogens” and Ms. Sapna Shrikumar, Nehru College of Pharmacy, Thrissur, Kerala, on the topic “Isolation and characterization of ß-sitosterol and 2,4-dihydroxy-1-phenyl hexacosine from the non-alkaloidal extract of Nothapodytes foedita”. The second place was bagged by Mr. Singh A, Shivalik College of Pharmacy, Roopnagar, Punjab, on the topic “A study of student’s perception of ideal teacher: A survey of student’s college in Punjab”. The first place in the poster presentation in Hospital Pharmacy Division section went to Mr. M Ravi Kiran Yerabolu, Nandha College of Pharmacy, Erode, Tamil Nadu, on the topic “Evaluation of tolerability and efficacy of various forms of glucosamine and combination with chondroitin sulphate in knee osteoarthritis - a double blind multicentered randomized prospective comparative”. The second place was bagged by Mr. Anantha Nagappa Naik, Faculty, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal, Karnataka, on the topic “Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Product inserts”. The first place in the poster presentation in Community Pharmacy Division section went to Mr. Venkataragavan S, Faculty, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal, Karnataka, on the topic “Assessment of HIV management practices amongst practitioners in western India”. All the scientific sessions were well attended and were useful for all the professionals and student delegates. The following resolutions were passed during the open session /General body meeting on 15th March 2009 afternoon and IPA should take necessary steps with appropriate bodies to resolve the following: • To implement uniform course curriculum for pharmacy across the country for undergraduate & post graduate courses and control pharmacy education through a single statutory body like Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). • To have a member of the pharmacy profession in the Planning Commission. • To Include Pharmacy subjects in the Indian Civil Services Examination • To create job opportunities for pharmacy professionals at NIPER • To continue GATE exams for pharmacy graduates. • To pursue amendments for the pharmacy act. • To implement pharmacy practice guidelines • To provide appropriate pay scales for hospital and community pharmacists and to introduce a condensed programme for practicing Diploma in Pharmacy candidates in order to upgrade them . • To take necessary action with appropriate authorities to monitor direct admission to M. Pharm courses in colleges not conducting B. Pharmacy programme. • To implement proper regulations for better cosmetic product control. The session also witnessed an open house discussion where delegates were invited to opine suggestions and feedbacks. Dr. B. Suresh assured that IPA will take these issues to the concerned authorities and try to resolve most of them within the next one year. It was decided that the Indian Pharmacy Congress - 2010 would be organized at Chennai where once again the leaders of Indian pharmacy profession will flock together to write another success story. The IPA Convention. Photo Gallery