Boost Pharma sector for coming days

Industry Desk: World Pharmacists Day observed yesterday. This day is being celebrated since 2010. Although it took another four years for it to happen in Bangladesh, that is, it is being celebrated in Bangladesh since 2014.
Earlier, there was no day dedicated to the observance of pharmacists worldwide and for the first time in Bangladesh, a private university took the initiative to celebrate this day.
Then the day slowly spread across the country. Now every year this day is celebrated in Bangladesh with due dignity.
The theme for this year’s World Pharmacists Day is – “Pharmacy United in Action for a Healthier World”.
The day is being observed regularly by organizing rallies and voluntary blood donation programs, seminars and various public awareness activities in major divisional and district cities including Dhaka with the initiative of the pharmacy department of each university, various pharmaceuticals, drug administration departments and various pharmacy professional organizations.
But why this day?
The main objective of this day is to encourage those who are working in the profession of pharmacy and to make the general people aware of this profession, to highlight their importance in front of society, to spread the right idea about them among all. That is why this day has been celebrated all over the world since 2010.
International Pharmaceutical Federations (FIP), an international organization that works with students, teachers, professionals, researchers, and scientists associated with pharmacy, took the first initiative to celebrate World Pharmacist Day.
Around 140 organizations and around 4 million pharmacy affiliates are associated with it worldwide. The FIP was founded on September 25, 1912, in The Hague, Netherlands, and the first executive meeting was held. For this reason, September 25 was originally proposed as Pharmacists Day.
In 2009, the FIP’s council meeting was held in Istanbul, Turkey. There, the Turkish Pharmacists Association proposed September 25 as Pharmacists Day. This day has been observed worldwide since 2010 after this proposal was adopted unanimously by the Council. A new theme is given every year on this occasion which helps in highlighting the right position of pharmacists in healthcare.
Meanwhile, the safe use of drugs is being talked about again and again. Unsafe, uncontrolled use of drugs is causing some serious complications like “antibiotic resistance”. Encouraging people to use this medicine safely, and creating awareness depends a lot on pharmacists.
Our country is moving forward in the ranks of developed countries. Along with this, our health care sector should also move forward at the same pace. Integrated health care has become essential in our country like in other countries of the world. Besides, the direct participation of pharmacists is very important.
If the concept of clinical and community pharmacy can be properly implemented along with industrial pharmacy practice in the context of Bangladesh, it will be a milestone for the health care sector in Bangladesh. Although time is needed to implement the matter, along with proper direction and long-term planning, now is the time to do proper research and planning on the issues – which can advance the future of Bangladesh a long way.
Not only that, the expansion of the country’s growing pharmaceutical industry and the contribution of pharmacists to the national economy are immense. Which we can understand if we see a small report.
In a report of Anandabazar, it was said, “Bangladesh is at the top of the world’s 48 underdeveloped countries in medicine production – 24,000 brand medicines manufactured by 257 companies. Annually, Tk 25,000 crores of medicines are going abroad to meet the needs of the country. Exports are increasing rapidly. Employment is around two lakhs.”
Pharmacists must be given importance in order to advance this industry which contributes significantly to the national economy.
This day can be an important means of highlighting the role of pharmacists at all levels of the country’s health sector at the policy-making level of the government by bringing these issues forward. There is no alternative to observing “World Pharmacists Day” to consolidate and strengthen the pharmacy profession in the context of Bangladesh in the coming days.