YES,“WE ARE PHARMACIST” AND WE EXIST

It is neither about medical nor about engineering. Yeah, it is about Para medical; it is about “PHARMACY”.

I am neither a student of medical, whom people call doctor nor an engineering student who is called engineer. I am a student of school of pharmacy and I belong to pharmacy.

Here, I believe to be a good pharmacist. I know my words are not enough to explain about pharmacy profession which means so deep. But I going to make sure to be honest with my feelings, my words and with my opinion.

Every day I go to my classroom and spend my maximum time in the classroom. It was great to me and to my dear classmates. Our faculty members, our department everything is perfect. Everything was running smoothly. But here is one issue that made us disappointed which I am going to tell you. This is the reality of one of my classmates, same profession, same phase like me. Today he had gone to book shop for buying sheets of paper. At that moment, a boy in the shop who was studying in class ten asked him,

“What are you studying??”

My friend replied to him that he is student of CMC and studying B. Pharmacy there.

That boy took it as “BEE FARM” and starts teasing him. Doesn’t it sound funny?

My friend became a bee farmer at that time. An educated boy thinks about B. Pharmacy like this then what can we expect from the general public. That was really an OMG moment.

People compare Bachelor of Pharmacy with bee farm. Isn’t it a serious issue? It is, I am telling you. A grade 10 boy doesn’t know about pharmacy then how can other common people know. Most of the people take it as same. Most of the people even don’t know what is actuallyinside pharmacy. This is really a big question regarding my identity. I have lots of question unanswered battling in my mind. I always think about it. Why our society is so unfamiliar with pharmacy profession? Why our profession is in shade? Isn’t it important in health profession? Why we pharmacist feel disappointed from this society?

In the context of Nepal, our profession has been backward. People only focus on doctors…. doctors…. doctors. Why don’t we get priority? Why pharmacy profession is not at the level it needs to be? Who is responsible for this? What are the things which make my profession so cheap? These all questions still remain unanswered inside me. And it inspires me today to write an article for the people who don’t know about my profession. So, my words may not be that effective as I want to express, but I am honest with my words and am trying to write my best.

Talking about the pharmacy profession let me remind you a very interesting and important thing which you all have to accept. In each and every clinical treatment, medicines (drugs) are needed and have to be prescribed to the patients. All those medicinescome from us. We pharmacist are working day and night for manufacturing medicines. So, without us the medical field is incomplete. Can you now imagine a medical field without pharmacy? So, what if we don’t carry stethoscope or are not doctors or dentists, we pharmacist serve great health services to people.

We are not doctors, but we know pharmacology.
We are not engineers, but we know engineering.
We are not chemist, but we know organic, Inorganic, Physical, analytical and bio chemistry.
We are not medical technologist, but we know microbiology
We are not botanist, but we have knowledge on botany and herbal pharmacology.
We are not lawyers, but we know the laws and jurisprudence.
We are multi-talented and yes,
WE ARE PHARMACIST AND WE EXIST.

We are 8-star pharmacists. We are care giver, communicator, decision maker, teacher, lifelong learner, leader, manager and researcher. These are the qualities of real pharmacist.I am not blaming anyone. I just want to say that every profession has its own value and needs to be respected. Our society also has to focus on pharmacy profession. We have to spread the actual meaning of pharmacy among the unknown people. You must be the change; you wish to see in the world. I am a pharmacist and I have huge respect towards my profession and for other professions as well. All profession is equal and comes its own importance for betterment of the society. Nothing is more important than career. Respect your profession, be professional and embrace your professionalism.

Suman Karki
Registered Pharmacist
Bharatpur, Chitwan