Being an avid traveller, I love to explore places and wander off to offbeat destinations, but also, professionally, being a pharmacist, what left me flabbergasted is how pharmacies operate in remote areas of India. There are no regulations on it; people come to tell the person on the counter about their disease or trouble and take medication based on what he/she provides, without a prescription. and whats more torubling is the the fact that the person who is in charge of the pharmacy is not even a qualified/registed pharmacist , its just a bluff,need a strong regulation over it.
May be they just have gained some working experience and no professional degree. That’s how through experience they run a shop ansp people from Village have no option or awareness about the long term effects of those unprescribed drugs. We cannot blame any,
This is a very big problem, and is part of the reason why pharmacy as a degree isn’t respected as much as it should be. The only way to counter this is to have outreach programs and active government involvement in such regions.
This is a serious issue, and I totally agree with your concern. In remote areas, people trust the pharmacy blindly, not knowing if the person behind the counter is even qualified. Giving medicines without prescription is risky and can harm patients more than help. As a pharmacy graduate, I feel sad seeing this gap in regulation. We need strict rules and proper checks to make sure only registered pharmacists handle medicines. Health should never be treated casually. Strong action is needed to protect people and bring respect to our profession.
That’s a serious gap! Medicines being handed out without proper surveillance puts people at real risk. On one hand, it shows how limited healthcare access is present in remote areas, but on the other hand, it also highlights why strict regulation and having qualified pharmacists in place is non-negotiable.
Nice topic, Many remote areas struggle with medicine access due to poor infrastructure, supply chain gaps, and a shortage of local pharmacies. But solutions like e-pharmacies, drone delivery, mobile clinics, and decentralized supply hubs are making a real difference.
This is such an important observation. In many remote areas, pharmacies often become the first point of healthcare, but the lack of qualified pharmacists and regulation puts patients at serious risk. Self medication without prescriptions can lead to misuse, resistance, or even dangerous side effects. Stronger enforcement, proper training, and awareness campaigns are urgently needed to ensure safe access to medicines. Pharmacies should be trusted spaces for care, not unregulated counters.
You’ve brought attention to a really significant problem. In distant locations, pharmacies are frequently the first point of care. However, without qualified pharmacists and appropriate regulation, people end up taking medications carelessly, which can have long-term negative effects. While stricter regulations and increased awareness are undoubtedly required, it’s also critical to increase rural India’s access to trained medical personnel. Safe medications shouldn’t depend on chance.
Prescription drugs are a key component in the healthcare rural Americans receive. Pharmacies and pharmacists play a critical role in dispensing these medications, educating patients, and ensuring patient safety. However, rural community pharmacies face many challenges to stay open, including low-volume purchasing, slim profit margins, unfavorable insurance practices, and a limited pharmacy workforce.
When a pharmacy is not available nearby, timely access to pharmaceutical services can be compromised due to lack of transportation options, extreme weather conditions, or the patient being too sick to travel the long distance to the nearest pharmacy.While the availability of telepharmacy services and mail order pharmacies have helped relieve pharmacy access barriers in some rural communities, they may not work for every community or every rural resident. Telepharmacy is not currently allowed by regulation or statute in some states. Mail order pharmacies may require online ordering, which can be a challenge for rural residents who do not have the necessary equipment, technical skills, or broadband service. In addition, mail order pharmacies may not be adequate when a prescription is needed urgently or temperature controlled prescriptions need to be transported to remote areas. Rural pharmacies and pharmacists will continue to fill an important and much-needed role in the health of rural people.
This is very dangerous, even with experience pharmacists cannot prescribe medicines on their own. Not all drugs intend to work the same way for different people, many might even be allergic unknowingly to a certain drug. This should be monitored in rural areas.