Handbook for Community Pharmacists (Exclusively for Chemists & Druggists)

 No medicine can achieve its therapeutic goal unless Physicians correctly prescribe it, Pharmacists correctly dispense it and Patients correctly administer it. This health care linkage of Physician-Patient-Pharmacist, demands adequate knowledge on the part of everyone theirin. The research advances in the development of drug and drug delivery systems have led to tremendous growth in pharmaceutical industry in India. The compounding practice of Pharmacists has diminished and been replaced with the dispensing of ready-to-use medicines, additionally making pharmacists responsible for outcome of the therapy. Many strong medicines have appeared recently resulting in many unexpected side effects. The newer and life threatening diseases like AIDS, cancer and cardiac problems are demanding newer medicines, novel dosage forms of existing drugs and corresponding novel ways of their administration and storage. On the other hand common man has become much more health conscious and medically aware, making pharmacists’ role more challenging. The modern India has a mixed culture comprised of illiterates and IT professionals, poor staying in villages and millionaires staying in state of the art and hygiene conscious societies. Many people do not even getting spirit as medicine, to clean their wounds and on the other side, higher classes have alcohol and nicotine as part of a normal day. To exploit such socio-economic conditions of Indian population, many multinationals and corporate agencies have been opening retail pharmacies in every corner of India  1. Pharmacist: A Health Care Provider 2. Dispensing of Medication 3. Patient Counselling 4. Drug Delivery Systems 5. Medication Errors 6. Patient Compliance 7. Self Medication 8. Oral Drug Administration 9. Drug-Food Interactions 10. Drug-Drug Interactions and Adverse Drug Reactions 11. Rational Drug Use 12. Rational Use of Antibiotics 13. Storage of Medicines 14. Drug Information Services 15. Drug Laws Related To Retail Pharmacy