SOCIAL PHARMACY – PRACTICAL

Course Code: ER20-15P

75 Hours (3 Hours/week)

Scope: This course is designed to provide simulated experience in various public health and social pharmacy activities.

Course Objectives: This course will train the students on various roles of pharmacists in public health and social pharmacy activities in the following areas:

  1. National immunization programs

  2. Reproductive and child health programs

  3. Food and nutrition related health programs

  4. Health education and promotion

  5. General roles and responsibilities of the pharmacists in public health

  6. First Aid for various emergency conditions including basic life support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Course Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to

  1. Describe the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists in various National health programs

  2. Design promotional materials for public health awareness

  3. Describe various health hazards including microbial sources

  4. Advice on preventive measures for various diseases

  5. Provide first aid for various emergency conditions

Note: Demonstration / Hands-on experience / preparation of charts / models / promotional materials / role plays / enacting / e-brochures / e-flyers / podcasts / video podcasts / any other innovative activities to understand the concept of various elements of social pharmacy listed here. (At least one activity to be carried out for each one of the following):

Practicals

National immunization schedule for children, adult vaccine schedule, Vaccines which are not included in the National Immunization Program.

RCH – reproductive and child health – nutritional aspects, relevant national health programmes.

Family planning devices

Microscopical observation of different microbes (readymade slides)

Oral Health and Hygiene

Personal hygiene and etiquettes – hand washing techniques, Cough and sneeze etiquettes.

Various types of masks, PPE gear, wearing/using them, and disposal.

Menstrual hygiene, products used

First Aid – Theory, basics, demonstration, hands on training, audio-visuals, and practice, BSL (Basic Life Support) Systems [SCA - Sudden Cardiac Arrest, FBAO - Foreign Body Airway Obstruction, CPR, Defibrillation (using AED) (Includes CPR techniques, First Responder).

Emergency treatment for all medical emergency cases viz. snake bite, dog bite, insecticide poisoning, fractures, burns, epilepsy etc.

Role of Pharmacist in Disaster Management.

Marketed preparations of disinfectants, antiseptics, fumigating agents, antilarval agents, mosquito repellents, etc.

Health Communication: Audio / Video podcasts, Images, Power Point Slides, Short Films, etc. in regional language(s) for mass communication / education / Awareness on 5 different communicable diseases, their signs and symptoms, and prevention.

Water purification techniques, use of water testing kit, calculation of Content/percentage of KMnO4, bleaching powder to be used for wells/tanks

Counselling children on junk foods, balanced diets – using Information, Education and Communication (IEC), counselling, etc. (Simulation Experiments).

Preparation of various charts on nutrition, sources of various nutrients from Locally available foods, calculation of caloric needs of different groups (e.g. child, mother, sedentary lifestyle, etc.). Chart of glycemic index of foods.

Tobacco cessation, counselling, identifying various tobacco containing products through charts/pictures

Assignment

The students shall be asked to submit the written assignments on the following topics (One assignment per student per sessional period. i.e., a minimum of THREE assignments per student)

An overview of Women’s Health Issues

Study the labels of various packed foods to understand their nutritional contents

Breastfeeding counselling, guidance – using Information, Education and Communication (IEC)

Information about the organizations working on de-addiction services in the region (city / district, etc.)

Role of a pharmacist in disaster management – A case study

Overview on the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP)

Drug disposal systems in the country, at industry level and citizen level

Various Prebiotics or Probiotics (dietary and market products)

Emergency preparedness: Study of local Government structure with respect to Fire, Police departments, health department

Prepare poster/presentation for general public on any one of the Health Days. e.g. Day, AIDS Day, Hand-washing Day, ORS day, World Diabetes Day, World Heart Day, etc.

  1. List of home medicines, their storage, safe handling, and disposal of unused medicines

  2. Responsible Use of Medicines: From Purchase to Disposal

  3. Collection of newspaper clips (minimum 5) relevant to any one topic and its submission in an organized form with collective summary based on the news items

  4. Read a minimum of one article relevant to any theory topic, from Pharma /Science/ or other Periodicals and prepare summary of it for submission

  5. Potential roles of pharmacists in rural India

Field Visits

The students shall be taken in groups to visit any THREE of the following facilities to witness and understand the activities of such centres/facilities from the perspectives of the topics discussed in theory and/or practical courses. Individual reports from each student on their learning experience from the field visits shall be submitted.

  1. Garbage Treatment Plant

  2. Sewage Treatment Plant

  3. Bio-medical Waste Treatment Plant

  4. Effluent Treatment Plant

  5. Water purification plant

  6. Orphanage / Elderly-Care-Home / School and or Hostel/Home for persons with disabilities

  7. Primary health care center