Bangladesh Pharmacists Forum Places Six-Point Proposal for Professional Integration in Health Sector
The Bangladesh Pharmacists Forum (BPF) has presented a six-point proposal demanding the inclusion of pharmacists in the health sector and the enhancement of professional standards to ensure the rational and safe use of all types of medicines, including antibiotics. The organization’s leaders raised these demands during a meeting with Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Present at the meeting were BPF President Md. Azibur Rahman, General Secretary Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Tanvir, Senior Vice-President S M Anwar Majid Tarek, Publicity Secretary Md. Mominul Islam, and other leaders of the organization.
Among the organization’s key demands are: the introduction of hospital and clinical pharmacy services in all government hospitals with the recruitment of graduate pharmacists; inclusion of pharmacists in the BCS Health Cadre; establishment of an independent Directorate of Pharmacy; introduction of a Pharm D program in line with international standards with a gradual transition from the B Pharm degree; ensuring the specific use of the designations “Pharmacist” and “Diploma Pharmacist” in government recruitment notices; appointing only graduate pharmacists to the post of Drug Superintendent under the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA); and stopping illegal pharmacy practice by individuals without registration from the Pharmacy Council of Bangladesh.
President Md. Azibur Rahman stated that, according to World Health Organization standards, at least one pharmacist is required per 10,000 population, and in developed countries, appointing one pharmacist for every 20 hospital beds is a recognized benchmark. However, he noted that most government hospitals in the country do not have positions for graduate pharmacists, which is a matter of concern for public health. He further mentioned that there are currently around 25,000 registered graduate pharmacists in the country and approximately 35,000 pharmacists including those in education, who are contributing to the pharmaceutical industry, research, education, and healthcare services, yet have not been properly integrated into the national health system.
General Secretary Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Tanvir said that appointing hospital-based pharmacists has become a timely necessity to reduce antibiotic resistance, drug interactions, and treatment-related risks.
DBTech/NA/EK/OR
