Opportunities and challenges in pharmacy profession in developing countries like India: An overview

Abstract Pharmacy, a profession that is responsible for the interpretation of prescription orders compounding, labelling, dispensing of drugs for appropriate use of medication, devices and services to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes. Patient monitoring and intervention and provision of cognitive services related to use of medications and devices are the other responsibilities. Pharmaceutical science is an inter-disciplinary science which is the base of the molecular biology, drug discovery and development science to healthcare delivery. While pharmacists are those who are educated and licensed to dispense drugs ad to provide drug information and are experts in handling of medications. The pharmacist is no longer just a supplier of medicines and a concocter of medicinal products, but also a team member involved in the provision of health care whether in the hospital, the community pharmacy, the laboratory, the industry or in academic institutions. The pharmacy profession has exciting opportunities, as well as challenges, they have the potential to help our country in facing these challenges. The changing role of pharmacy in monitoring medication usage is subsumed under the term "pharmaceutical care." Pharmaceutical care is the responsible provision of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve a patient's quality of life i.e. pharmacist are also the primary health professionals. The gender shift that has occurred with the profession of pharmacy has sparked debate regarding the potential impact that this might have on the workforce shortage, pharmacist salaries, the impact of professional organizations, and the future of independent pharmacy ownership and proves specific position for females. This review deals with responsibility and services of pharmacists together with global opportunities to serve the society. Thus, there should be a close relationship among pharmacists, doctors and patients that may help improve patient's use of medicines and simplifying various complexities

Iontophoresis: A Potential Emergence of a Transdermal Drug Delivery System

The delivery of drugs into systemic circulation via skin has generated much attention during the last decade. Transdermal therapeutic systems propound controlled release of active ingredients through the skin and into the systemic circulation in a predictive manner. Drugs administered through these systems escape first-pass metabolism and maintain a steady state scenario similar to a continuous intravenous infusion for up to several days. However, the excellent impervious nature of the skin offers the greatest challenge for successful delivery of drug molecules by utilizing the concepts of iontophoresis. The present review deals with the principles and the recent innovations in the field of iontophoretic drug delivery system together with factors affecting the system. This delivery system utilizes electric current as a driving force for permeation of ionic and non-ionic medications. The rationale behind using this technique is to reversibly alter the barrier properties of skin, which could possibly improve the penetration of drugs such as proteins, peptides and other macromolecules to increase the systemic delivery of high molecular weight compounds with controlled input kinetics and minimum inter-subject variability. Although iontophoresis seems to be an ideal candidate to overcome the limitations associated with the delivery of ionic drugs, further extrapolation of this technique is imperative for translational utility and mass human application