Table 2.

Recommendations for Indian PPs EP&R.

Knowledge & Training	Regulations	Recommendations
EP&R knowledge and competencies
•Partnerships and knowledge sharing among pharmacy advocacy groups and public health departments •Point of Dispensing (POD) drills29 •EP&R exercises/simulations (https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2009/01/12/national-exercise-simulation-center-nesc)	➢Recognition as healthcare providers ➢Inclusion in policy making and EP&R framework ➢Inclusion of PPs in the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) ➢Inclusion of PPs as stakeholders in the ICMR’s India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project	✓Form a coalition of pharmacy advocacy groups ✓Develop India PP specific EP&R framework ✓Identify and create registry of PPs for emergency ✓Deploy pharmacy interns during emergencies ✓Train and deploy PPs in the NDRF and other task forces ✓Incorporate EP&R experiences and drills into practice experiences
Operations management
•Inventory and Supply chain management; Drug shortages •Contingency measures •Professional ethics and integrity	➢Creation of a national stockpile for medications and supplies ➢Enable modification of workflow protocols during emergency ➢Allowances for temporary leaves and work security ➢Enforcement of Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP)	✓Include PPs as part of the National Health task force and discussions on national stockpiles or supply chains ✓Integrate community pharmacies with the manufacturing sector, national health schemes, IT and communication technology and logistics of delivery and distribution ✓Develop ethical leadership and management skills for PPs
Patient Care and Population Health
•Rational use of drugs •Therapeutic Interchange and substitution •Infection control measures (e.g. use of PPEs) •Screening of at-risk patients for symptoms and refer suspected cases •Dissemination of accurate disease and drug information •Immunization delivery •Mental and behavioral health training	➢Strengthen the role of the Drug Control department in preventing non-prescription dispensing and irrational use/misuse of medications ➢Develop e-prescribing standards ➢Guidelines from Central and State departments of health ➢Central and State departments of health to authorize screenings and referrals ➢Guidelines by pharmacy organizations (such as Indian Pharmaceutical Association) ➢Authorize PP based Immunization delivery and certification ➢Certification of core mental/behavioral health PPs	✓Reinforce Schedule H1 registry and monitor purchase and sale of selected anti-infectives ✓Train PPs in Good Pharmacy Practice: https://ipapharma.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/gpp-manua-1.pdf ✓Provide online resources of training materials for PPs to enable dissemination to the public ✓Remove operational barriers and facilitate contribution of PPs towards patient care ✓Expand current efforts to provide evidence-based information ✓such as safe medication use guidance, infection control ✓Develop training programs for immunization certification ✓Develop interprofessional training programs for mental/behavioral health
Pharmacy Education and Continuing Professional Education
•Degree-based competency checklist •Community pharmacy training for all pharmacy programs •Communication skills and collaboration with other healthcare professionals •Interprofessional education and experiences	➢Recognition of D.Pharm as ‘pharmacy technicians’ and grandfathering existing D.Pharm. Appropriate designations for B.Pharm/M.Pharm/Pharm.D degrees ➢Pharmacy curriculum to include EP&R and public health communications ➢Mandate continuing education credits for license maintenance and renewal	✓Develop PP competencies for various roles ✓Provide continued opportunities for faculty professional development in pharmacy practice ✓Redesign and revise curriculum to incorporate evidence-based science and practices in EP&R and health communications ✓Develop continuing education programs for PPs