Govt to appoint graduate pharmacists in public hospitals for improved healthcare

The government has announced plans to appoint graduate pharmacists in public hospitals for the first time, aiming to enhance the quality of healthcare services across Bangladesh.

The announcement was made during a stakeholder meeting titled "The Role of Graduate Pharmacists in Hospital Healthcare and Recruitment in Public Hospitals", held at a hotel in Gulshan, Dhaka, on Friday (2 May).

Professor Dr Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, was present as the chief guest.

He stated, "Currently, public hospitals lack pharmacists, but we have included them in our future plans. Their presence will significantly enhance the quality of health services."

Prof Sayedur urged universities to prepare pharmacy students to serve in hospital environments and not view the pharmaceutical industry as their only career path.

He added that the government has already taken steps to set up 700 government-run pharmacies, where graduate pharmacists will be appointed.

"A graduate pharmacist is the sole criterion that transforms a medicine shop into a true pharmacy," he stressed.

Md Saidur Rahman, secretary of the Health Services Division and president of the Bangladesh Pharmacy Council, spoke as a special guest.

He highlighted the risks associated with self-medication and stressed the pharmacist's role in ensuring the safe and rational use of medicines. 

"Patients often self-medicate without consulting doctors, which can be risky. Pharmacists can play a vital role in guiding proper medication use," he said.

Despite Bangladesh's strong pharmaceutical manufacturing and export sector, speakers at the meeting expressed concern that the absence of graduate pharmacists in hospitals is compromising patient care. 

Currently, 654 government hospitals with more than 51,000 beds operate without a single graduate pharmacist.

Referring to Section 4.3 of the National Drug Policy 2016, Professor Dr Choudhury Mahmood Hasan, vice president of the Pharmacy Council, said the policy mandates the deployment of graduate pharmacists in both inpatient and outpatient hospital settings.

However, he noted that this provision has yet to be implemented.

International comparisons presented at the event showed that countries such as Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and Thailand have significantly better pharmacist-to-population ratios than Bangladesh.

In light of this, participants recommended assigning at least one pharmacist per outpatient department and one for every 50 inpatient beds.

They also proposed the creation of a structured career progression in hospital pharmacy, including roles such as clinical pharmacist, senior pharmacist, deputy chief pharmacist, and chief pharmacist.

The meeting was attended by deans, department heads, and faculty members of pharmacy institutions, along with members of the Hospital Pharmacy Committee of the Bangladesh Pharmacy Council and pharmacists from private hospitals.

Professor Md Nasser Shahriar Zahedi, chairman of the Hospital Pharmacy Committee, chaired the session.

He remarked, "In modern healthcare systems, quality service cannot be achieved without hospital pharmacists. In Bangladesh, medicines are often stored, dispensed, and distributed without the supervision of qualified graduate pharmacists. Their integration will greatly improve collaboration among doctors, nurses, and pharmacists."

Keynote speeches were delivered by Dr Yuh Lih Chang, president of the Taiwan Society of Health System Pharmacists, and Mohammad Nasrullah, who provided international and national perspectives, respectively.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Muhammad Mahbubul Haq, secretary of the Bangladesh Pharmacy Council.