Clinical pharmacy: an evolving area of pharmacy practice in India

Abstract

Prior to 1997, clinical pharmacy teaching and practice were virtually non-existent in India. However, this changed as a result of a joint Indo-Australian program of cooperation between the Repatriation General Hospital in South Australia and the JSS Colleges of Pharmacy in India. Postgraduate courses in clinical pharmacy practice and departments of clinical pharmacy have now been established at several colleges of pharmacy and hospitals respectively. In 2000 the Karnataka Lingayat Education Society (KLES) College of Pharmacy established a Department of Clinical Pharmacy at KLES Hospital in Belgaum, South India. This paper discusses the recent development of clinical pharmacy in India and describes the introduction of clinical pharmacy practice at KLES Hospital. It also reports on three pharmacy conferences held in India in 2000. (author abstract)