Hospital pharmacy practice in India

The status of pharmacy practice was evaluated at six hospitals in India. Common drugs were available at private hospitals but the pharmacies at government hospitals had fewer than half of the needed drugs. Selection of the best generic drug appeared difficult because the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic data generally were not available. The hospitals did not have formularies. No unit dose and intravenous admixture services had been implemented. The patient profiles were not maintained. The pharmacists did not appear to provide any professional, educational, or clinical services to patients or physicians. Serum concentrations of drugs were not measured for monitoring therapy. A lack of clinical education and training of pharmacists, lower status and salaries in the hospital pharmacy compared with industry and government, and overall limited resources appear to be the important reasons for the present status of pharmacy practice.