In a historic bold move, the Odisha Government has allowed pharmacists at single doctor hospitals to dispense medicines in the absence of doctor. The Health Department has issued an official order in this regard.
“Many of the single doctor hospitals in the state are managed by the pharmacists in the absence of doctors due to some reasons or other. It is difficult to manage the said hospitals without any specific government orders entrusting the pharmacists for treatment of patients and list of ailments to be treated by them. In order to overcome the difficulties, government after careful consideration has been pleased to decide that in partial modification to this department order bearing no. 29534, dtd. 23.09.2003, Govt. in H & FW Department, the Pharmacists are entrusted to dispense the following drugs for ailments as per the list enclosed for treatment in absence of doctors,” Health department order said.
However few Health experts wanted to circumspect and wanted to observe for a brief time, depending on the health infrastructure of the state
