Enhancement of entry qualification and upgradation of entry Grade Pay of Pharmacist category of Indian Railways
NFIR
National Federation of India Railwaymen
3, Chelmsford Road, New Delhi – 110 055
Affiliated to :
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)
International Transport Workers Federation (ITF)
No. II/1/2019-I
Dated: 25/07/2020
The Secretary (E),
Railway Board,
New Delhi
Dear Sir,
Sub: Enhancement of entry qualification and upgradation of entry Grade Pay of Pharmacist category of Indian Railways-reg.
Ref: (i) NFIR’s PNM Item No. 52/2018.
(ii) Railway Board’s letter No. E(NG)II/2001/RR-l/45 dated 22/05/2015 (RBE No. 49/2015) and 05/04/2018 (RBE No. 54/2018).
(iii) NFIR’s letter No. II/1/2018 dated 08/05/2018.
(iv) Railway Board’s letter No. E(NG)II/2001/RR-l/45 dated 21/01/2019 addressed to GS/NFIR.
(v) NFIR’s letter No. II/1/2018 dated 22/04/2019.
(vi) NFIR’s letter No. II/1/2019-I dated 07/11/2019.
Kind attention is invited to the above references on the subject matter.
Federation furnishes below detailed narration with regard to Pharmacist category, justifying enhancement of entry qualification and upgradation of entry Grade Pay to 4600/Level-7 of Pay Matrix for consideration.
I. ENTRY QUALIFICATION FOR RAILWAY PHARMACISTS
In Indian Railways Health Services, Pharmacists are one of the most significant and vital member of Healthcare team and entrusted with multiple responsibilities ranging from Inventory control to dispensing medicine to patient care. They make important decisions in the selection of drugs, managing inventories, dispensing right medications and promote rational use of medicines.
It is brought to the kind attention of Railway Board that Pharmacists in the Medical Department have been playing a crucial role in the healthcare delivery system lest the railway medical beneficiaries in the peripheries would suffer to a great extent.
The medical profession and its allied services have brought in sea changes over a period of time and accordingly changes have taken place in the recruitment rules of various posts.
The Educational qualification for the post of Pharmacist was decided several decades ago as Diploma in Pharmacy by the Railway Board, when there was very minimal number of institutions available offering only Diploma course.
However, in last 2 to 3 decades, in order to follow suit with developments in Medical field, lots of institutions across the country have come up with courses like Bachelor of Pharmacy (4 years), Master of Pharmacy {B. Pharm (4 years) + 2 years}, Doctor of Pharmacy (6 years).
This had become necessary because, the responsibilities of Pharmacist have drastically changed and improved, in turn, their services directly have an impact in the patient management.
Pharmacy graduates can provide more effective quality medicine supply chain that addresses patient needs and aimed at encouraging the quality use of medicines which will largely help to improve the patient outcomes and contribute to reduce healthcare costs. They are entrusted to support administration to plan and organize all types of inventory managements from Health Unit to Zonal hospital level and assisting administration in decision making.
With the advent of newer medicines and change in treatment regimens, Pharmacists are also required to update the same and therefore it requires expertise knowledge in the field.
Apart from receiving, storing and issuing of drugs, pharmacists are assigned to maintain all types of records including medico legal cases and clerical works at health unit level which needs proper drafting and efficient communication skills. Beyond working hours, at health unit level, phannacists meet the need of emergency services as and when required.
As per the yard stick fixed by the Railway Board, a pharmacist has to dispense a maximum of 100 prescriptions per day, where as in Railways, due to clinical advancements and patient illness, dispensing more number of drugs to the patients per day is about 200 or more.
It is pertinent to mention here that even though the qualification required for the post of Pharmacist is only “Diploma in Pharmacy”, majority of candidates selected for this post have Bachelor in Pharmacy (Degree course – 4 years) and many with Masters in Pharmacy (PG course – 6 years).
As per the DOPT circular No. AB14017/66/2008-Estt dated 09/03/2009, the Recruitment Rules must be reviewed once in every five years according to the duties and responsibilities by the concerned Ministries.
Taking into consideration, the increased importance of pharmacists in health care system and as an update measure in accordance with the advancements of the profession and responsibilities, it is requested to fix the eligibility criteria for Railway Pharmacists with degree in pharmacy as minimum entry qualification.
The Pharmacists working in the Railway services enter with the following qualifications.
a) Master of Pharmacy (10+2+4+2 years)
b) Bachelor of Pharmacy (10+2+4 years)
c) Diploma in Pharmacy (10+2+750 hrs., internship)
The Pharmacists working in the Central Government Health Sector, especially the Pharmacists working in the Railways are unique and their duties and responsibilities either in the hospital sector or in the health unit level are entirely different and not as simply described in the Seventh Pay Commission in para 7.6.101 that “Pharmacists are responsible for Storing and dispensing the medicines to the patients “whereas Railway Pharmacists are entrusted to perform the following duties as per IRMM 2000 and thereafter Railway Board letter No. 201/h-l/10/18/Para medical staff dated 15/10/2015 as follows.
II. CHIEF PHARMACIST/PHARMACIST
- Will attend to any emergency and render immediate first aid and organize further management including transport to the healthcare facility.
- Maintain dispensing room and the appliances therein in proper working order and distribute medicines to the patients.
- Receiving of drugs, medicines, dressings, consumable and perishable stores, as per the Purchase orders and appropriate storing of the same.
- Maintenance and responsibility of ledgers or system entries along with expiry batch and expiry status and analysis of the drugs.
- Maintaining all registers in connection with the medical statistics and preparing periodical returns, bills and indents under the supervision of the Medical Officer wherever required & planning and computerization of inventory management.
- Maintaining sick and fit register including injury cases, wherever required and issuing of Hospital Pennit, Privilege Pass/PTOs, maintenance and responsibility of attendance register, CL/LAP Register, First Aid Box register, Injury On Duty, Periodic Medical Examination, Food Handlers Certificate, Sick & fit, imprest register, Chronic cases register, Daily Sick Register and preparing of MCDO returns.
- Sending the unserviceable & surplus stores on advice notes to the stores delivery clerk or to parcel / goods office and entering in the advice notes in the concerned ledgers. Arranging petty repairing of T&P items, Preparation of GM annual return.
- Assisting the doctor in preparation of the Annual/emergent indents of drugs, dressings, instruments, medical and surgical appliances and medical stores of hospital/health unit.
- Responsible for the preparation and submission of returns including preparation of monthly pay sheet/absentees statement and other clerical activities under supervision of Medical officer wherever required.
- Making entries in the MO 28 paper of IOD cases and preparing the relevant certificates and responsible for the maintenance of all old and current injury case sheets papers which have been referred to the Medical Officer in-charge of the division, Medico Legal aspects.
- Keeping all the records and cheque valued books under safe custody.
- Responsible for maintenance and accountal of tools and plants and its registers in Health Units where there is no staff nurse post.
- Receiving necessary forms of Medical Examination and enter these in the register for medical examination of candidates and employees etc. wherever required.
- Assisting in all the activities like Blood donation camps and other Health awareness camps.
- Maintaining and ensuring proper upkeep of SPART/ARME.
- Receiving and scrutinizing the indents for medical stores from the various hospitals, units, etc. and maintaining an up-to-date list of approved suppliers for the supply of medical stores.
- Drafting the minutes of inventory meetings and preparing the summary of quotations in the proper order in relation to the procurement
- Preparing the invitation of tenders under IREPS and assisting the members of the Tender Committee in relation to the cost, supplies and also specifications.
- Assisting in the issuance of letter of acceptance to the respective suppliers and place purchase order duly following the extant rules and procedures.
- Maintenance of AMC/CAMC of medical equipments, placing of stocked and non-stocked indents under IMMS including M&P items
- Arranging for repairs and maintenance of all types of medical equipment.
- Ensuring timely payment to the suppliers and to attend to any complaint from the suppliers regarding delay in payment of their bills
- Maintaining imprest cash and preparing the recoupment bill.
- Update of software knowledge, handling of E prescriptions and software inventory management and to perform the tasks in the recent advancements including E-Office.
- Any other duties and responsibilities related to Pharmacy profession as entrusted by the administration.
In view of the above, NFIR requests the Railway Board to kindly look into the matter, so as to change the entry qualification for the post of Pharmacist as “Bachelor in Pharmacy”, that will give a morale boost to pharmacist cadre at large and upgrading to entry Grade Pay 4600/Level-7 of Pay Matrix and revise recruitment rule on par with duties and responsibilities, which would motivate the Railway Pharmacists to serve the society and Railway population in a better and more effective manner.
Yours faithfully,
(Dr. M. Raghavaiah)
General Secretary
Source: NFIR