5 SOCIAL PHARMACY

SOCIAL PHARMACY – THEORY

 

Course Code: ER20-15T                                                         75 Hours (3 Hours/week)

 

Scope: This course is designed to impart basic knowledge on public health, epidemiology, preventive care, and other social health related concepts. Also, to emphasize the roles of pharmacists in the public health programs.

 

Course Objectives: This course will discuss about basic concepts of

  1. Public health and national health programs
  2. Preventive healthcare
  3. Food and nutrition related health issues
  4. Health education and health promotion
  5. General roles and responsibilities of pharmacists in public health

 

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

  1. Discuss about roles of pharmacists in the various national health programs
  2. Describe various sources of health hazards and disease preventive measures
  3. Discuss the healthcare issues associated with food and nutritional substances
  4. Describe the general roles and responsibilities of pharmacists in public health

 

 

Chapter

Topic

Hours

1

Introduction to Social Pharmacy

  • Definition and Scope. Social Pharmacy as a discipline and its scope in improving the public health. Role of Pharmacists in Public Health. (2)
  • Concept of Health -WHO Definition, various dimensions, determinants, and health indicators. (3)
  • National Health Policy – Indian perspective (1)
  • Public and Private Health System in India, National Health Mission (2)
  • Introduction      to      Millennium     Development     Goals,

Sustainable   Development   Goals,    FIP    Development Goals (1)

9

2

Preventive healthcare – Role of Pharmacists in the following

  • Demography and Family Planning (3)
  • Mother and child health, importance of breastfeeding, ill effects of infant milk substitutes and bottle feeding (2)

 

  • Overview     of     Vaccines,     types     of     immunity     and immunization (4)

18

 

 
  • Effect of Environment on Health – Water pollution, importance of safe drinking water, waterborne diseases, air pollution, noise pollution, sewage and solid waste disposal, occupational illnesses, Environmental pollution due to pharmaceuticals (7)
  • Psychosocial Pharmacy: Drugs of misuse and abuse – psychotropics, narcotics, alcohol, tobacco products. Social Impact of these habits on social health and

productivity and suicidal behaviours (2)

 

3

Nutrition and Health

  • Basics of nutrition – Macronutrients and Micronutrients (3)
  • Importance of water and fibres in diet (1)
  • Balanced diet, Malnutrition, nutrition deficiency diseases, ill effects of junk foods, calorific and nutritive values of various foods, fortification of food (3)
  • Introduction to food safety, adulteration of foods, effects of artificial ripening, use of pesticides, genetically modified foods (1)
  • Dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, food supplements

– indications, benefits, Drug-Food Interactions (2)

10

4

Introduction to Microbiology and common microorganisms (3)

 

Epidemiology: Introduction to epidemiology, and its applications. Understanding of terms such as epidemic, pandemic, endemic, mode of transmission, outbreak, quarantine, isolation, incubation period, contact tracing, morbidity, mortality, . (2)

 

Causative agents, epidemiology and clinical presentations and Role of Pharmacists in educating the public in prevention of the following communicable diseases:

  • Respiratory infections – chickenpox, measles, rubella, mumps, influenza (including Avian-Flu, H1N1, SARS, MERS, COVID-19), diphtheria, whooping cough, meningococcal meningitis, acute respiratory infections, tuberculosis, Ebola (7)
  • Intestinal infections – poliomyelitis, viral hepatitis, cholera, acute diarrheal diseases, typhoid, amebiasis, worm infestations, food poisoning (7)

28

 

 
  • Arthropod-borne infections - dengue, malaria, filariasis and, chikungunya (4)
  • Surface infections – trachoma, tetanus, leprosy (2)
  • STDs, HIV/AIDS (3)

 

5

Introduction to health systems and all ongoing National Health programs in India, their objectives, functioning, outcome, and the role of pharmacists.

8

6

Pharmacoeconomics – Introduction, basic terminologies,

importance of pharmacoeconomics

2

 

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

 

  1. National immunization schedule for children, adult vaccine schedule, Vaccines which are not included in the National Immunization Program.
  2. RCH – reproductive and child health – nutritional aspects, relevant national health programmes.
  3. Family planning devices
  4. Microscopical observation of different microbes (readymade slides)
  5. Oral Health and Hygiene
  6. Personal hygiene and etiquettes – hand washing techniques, Cough and sneeze etiquettes.
  7. Various types of masks, PPE gear, wearing/using them, and disposal.
  8. Menstrual hygiene, products used
  9. 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).
  10. Emergency treatment for all medical emergency cases viz. snake bite, dog bite, insecticide poisoning, fractures, burns, epilepsy etc.
  11. Role of Pharmacist in Disaster Management.
  12. Marketed preparations of disinfectants, antiseptics, fumigating agents, antilarval agents, mosquito repellents, etc.
  13. 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.
  14. Water purification techniques, use of water testing kit, calculation of Content/percentage of KMnO4, bleaching powder to be used for wells/tanks
  15. Counselling children on junk foods, balanced diets – using Information, Education and Communication (IEC), counselling, etc. (Simulation Experiments).
  16. 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.
  17. 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)

    1. An overview of Women’s Health Issues
    2. Study the labels of various packed foods to understand their nutritional contents
    3. Breastfeeding counselling, guidance – using Information, Education and Communication (IEC)
    4. Information about the organizations working on de-addiction services in the region (city / district, etc.)
    5. Role of a pharmacist in disaster management – A case study
    6. Overview on the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP)
    7. Drug disposal systems in the country, at industry level and citizen level
    8. Various Prebiotics or Probiotics (dietary and market products)
    9. Emergency preparedness: Study of local Government structure with respect to Fire, Police departments, health department
    10. Prepare poster/presentation for general public on any one of the Health Days. e.g. Day, AIDS Day, Handwashing Day, ORS day, World Diabetes Day, World Heart Day, etc.
    11. List of home medicines, their storage, safe handling, and disposal of unused medicines
    12. Responsible Use of Medicines: From Purchase to Disposal
    13. 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
    14. Read a minimum of one article relevant to any theory topic, from Pharma

/Science/ or other Periodicals and prepare summary of it for submission

    1. 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 centre