Odisha allows pharmacists to prescribe medicines for some diseases

Taking note of the challenges faced by patients amid shortage of doctors in Odisha, the state government has decided to allow pharmacists at some hospitals to provide consultations and prescribe medicines for certain ailments.Modifying an earlier order it had issued in 2003, the Health and Family Welfare Department, in a new directive, urged pharmacists to dispense drugs for minor ailments in single-doctor hospitals.Under the Panchabyadhi Chikitsa five disease treatment scheme, pharmacists, in the absence of treating physicians, could so far prescribe medicines for fever, dysentery, vomiting, headache and stomach pain.

Taking note of the challenges faced by patients amid the shortage of doctors in Odisha, the state government has decided to allow pharmacists at some hospitals to provide consultations and prescribe medicines for certain ailments.

Modifying an earlier order it had issued in 2003, the Health and Family Welfare Department, in a new directive, urged pharmacists to dispense drugs for minor ailments in single-doctor hospitals.

Under the 'Panchabyadhi Chikitsa' (five disease treatment) scheme, pharmacists, in the absence of treating physicians, could so far prescribe medicines for fever, dysentery, vomiting, headache, and stomach pain. The amended order further allows pharmacists to issue prescriptions for malaria, upper respiratory tract infection, scabies, ringworm, diarrhea, superficial burns without medico-legal cases among some other diseases.

''Many of the single doctor hospitals in the state are managed by the pharmacists in absence of doctors due to some reason or other. It is difficult to manage the said hospitals without any specific government orders entrusting the pharmacists for treatment of patients and list of ailments to be treated by them (sic),'' the new directive said.