Starting from medieval times, it’s the medications that have been an integral part of human life. Revolutionizing from the ancient jadi booti’s, medicines today have taken new forms, and the Pharmacists have become the saviors of the society.
Unlike before, being a Pharmacist is not an underrated profession today. The novel profession of Pharmacy as a career has recently come into the limelight after the world is suffering from Corona Crisis. And the pharmacists have been the part of the frontline warriors and are saving humanity in this pandemic. Thus, it would not be wrong if we say that yes, the lifesavers are the doctors, but the one giving life to medicine to save the billions of other lives is a proud pharmacist.
As the theme for this World Pharmacist Day says, “Pharmacist: Transforming Global Health,” let’s salute them for all the great endeavors that they have put in throughout the journey of medical science, for transforming the treatment of a disease from the ancient ingestion of raw extracts of herbs to the modern processed forms and nanotechnology.
I felt proud when the Lovely Professional University and LPU Alumni Association celebrated World Pharmacist Day. It was beautiful to see how the Lovely School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, amid the pandemic, took out moments to acknowledge the efforts these saviors of humanity have put in for years to transform global health and are working day and night to have a healthy world every day.
The day started with the inaugural ceremony where Dr. Monica Gulati (Sr. Dean, LFAMS) addressed the budding pharmacists, administered the ‘Pharmacy Oath,’ and welcomed the chief guests of the virtual ceremony, Mr. Atul Nasa (Dy. Drug Controller, Drugs Control Department Govt. of NCT of Delhi), and Dr. Vivekanadan Kalaiselvan (Principal Scientific Officer, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare).
The speakers addressed the historical developments that the profession of Pharmacy has gone through and briefed on the recent trends. They said history had witnessed the gradual changes that the Pharmacy has gone through to make this world a better place to live. They quoted that the scope and the societal status both had improvised for the Pharmacy profession. Today, the pharmacist and the Pharmacy profession is not only restricted to the compounding of medicines but has emerged out as a trending career domain. In this modernizing world, pharmacists have evolved themselves with the recent advancements in technology and are striving hard for combating deadly diseases. They have left no stones unturned in medical science and are now becoming the superpower for the entire globe. Talking about the recent developments and trends of the pharma sector, one can quote that pharma has now adapted the Artificial Intelligence (AI), Bioprinting, Nano-medicines, New antibiotics discovery, Phenotypic screening, and a lot more.
Moving ahead was the major highlight of the day, the PCOS Workshop. The workshop by Dr Harpreet Kaur Chhabra (Consultant Gynecologist, Infertility Specialist, Arman Hospital, Jalandhar, Punjab). PCOS is a polycystic ovarian syndrome that occurs in every 3rd or 4th college-going girl having irregular periods, weight gain, Acne, and facial/ body hairs. Hence, to enhance education about PCOS for the future health benefits, the LSPS department in collaboration with Corona Remedies Pvt. Ltd., organized PCOS awareness workshop.
The day didn’t end with just informative sessions and webinars but also indulged active participation from the students in various competitions like Use the unusual sight, Digital collage, Blog writing, & Quiz. These competitions facilitated 800+ students from LPU and various other universities to exhibit their talent virtually. Towards the end of the celebrations, in the facilitation ceremony, Mrs. Rashmi Mittal (Worthy Pro-Chancellor, LPU), Er. H R Singhla (Director General, LPU), and Dr. Monica Gulati (Sr. Dean, LFAMS), blessed the future pharmacists with their words of wisdom and announced winners for the competitions.
Lastly, the day concluded with a beautiful message for the budding pharmacists, as follows: It’s the pharmacist who cares for the patient beyond the prescription & more than a doctor. It is the pharmacist who supports and encourages the patient to stay firm. It is the pharmacist, who amid the pandemic as well, hasn’t slept peacefully in his home. It is the pharmacist who has taken the sole responsibility and duty of transforming global health and saving people from the diseases whose treatment wasn’t possible few years back but now is due to the efforts and R&D of pharmacists in medical science.
