Not agreeing with the idea of giving the pharmacists a share in the new service structure for the doctors, Ministry of Health is treading on dangerous grounds with the Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA), increasing the risk of another health department crisis in the country.
The prime minister had approved a summary of a new service structure for health professionals wherein new pay scales from FPS 9 to 13 have been introduced for doctors. Ironically, pharmacists have been relegated to FPS 8, which means that they will be working under the doctors. It is this alleged “discrimination” on part of the government which has invoked a sense of deprivation among pharmacists.
Ministry of health is of the view that due to the duty hours, tough training and the scope of work, doctors deserve FPS 9 more than the pharmacist do. On the other hand pharmacists are of the opinion that they work 8 hours a day in hospitals which is equal to the doctor’s duty hours and duration of degree of Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) after graduation is 5 years which is equal to the doctor’s duration of degree.
When contacted Director General Health Asad Hafiz, who is also president of Pharmacy Council of Pakistan, said, “Doctors have to go through a tough training and the nature of their job is hard as compared to pharmacist and that’s why they have been given FPS 9.”
He said that earlier pharmacists had pharmacy B degree with course duration of three years after graduation so how could they be given equal status to doctors, “But the negotiations are on lets see what happens as everyone has right to show their concerns,” DG health said.
Dr Syed Khalid Saeed Bukhari, president Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA) told Pakistan Today that pharmacists were being discriminated against as DG Health being the head of Pharmacy Council of Pakistan doesn’t know that since 2002 duration of degree of Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) after 12 grade is 5 years, which is equal of doctors. “This under graduate course is of longest duration consisting of 210 credit Hours to meet the international requirements,” he said.
He said ironically the spokesperson of health ministry recently said that Pharmacy was three year course after 12 grade and that was why health ministry has given them CHSP 8. “Being the spokesperson he is unaware of his ministry’s Pharmacy council’s Gazette Notification of Pharm D course,” he said.
He said that the health authorities should re-consider the proposed health professionals career structure while addressing the genuine and well founded demands of the PPA. He said since the doctors and pharmacists were educated for the same number of years, the pharmacists should be placed in the same cadre of SPS-9. “The decision will affect almost entire pharmacist community of the country comprising 25000 people,” he said.