Ministry of Health and Family Welfare plans to implement “Charters of patients rights” for provision of proper health care to patients by the Clinical Establishment. MOHFW had formulated the Draft Charters Of Patient rights; and invited suggestions and comments for the draft patient rights charter.
What is Patient Rights charter?
Patient Rights Charter is a very important document, it establish the patient rights and inform the patient about their rights in Healthcare settings. It should provide them right to quality Healthcare and various information about treatment . It acknowledge the patient right to demand his healthcare rights and related information. Ensuring accountability and more effective healthcare.
Missing Rights in Draft Charter?
[box_note note_color=”#fce96d” radius=”2″]It is to be noted that pharmacy profession, pharmacy act 2015, and patient Right to Information about medicines, prescription evaluation and right to consult during dispensing is completely ignored by the draft.[/box_note] Pharmagang Portal and other responsible Association and citizens have submitted their suggestions to the ministry. Suggestions by pharmagang are very relevant and we hope authority take them into notice for formulating the final draft.
Download Patient Rights Charters Draft Pdf Here
Below you can see the exact letter and important points suggested by the Pharmagang.
Suggestions For Charters OF Patients Rights
Suggestions For “Charters Of Patients Rights” . Important Patient legal rights are missing.
Respected Ones, Greetings
Please note that some important patient rights find no proper mention in the draft.
Valid Suggestions
Please note that patient rights provisions implied in pharmacy act 2015 are completely ignored in formulating draft of “Charters of patient rights”. Please include following points for the benefits of patients.
- Every patient has right to demand consultation by the pharmacist on drug administration doses, interaction, use and side effects with proper attention. Patients can ask how to maximise the effectiveness of treatment.
- Every patient has right to seek advice of pharmacist on generic substitutes of medicines and; to ask for prescription evaluation.
Justification For Above Points
The draft acknowledge the patient right to information about the nature and cause and illness, confirmed diagnosis , management and possible complications etc. . It rightfully acknowledge the duty of doctors in ensuring this information. But the draft surprisingly omit the same information for the medicines and prescription and has ignored pharmacist role and pharmacy act in its entirety.
The information provided about effective generic substitutes by experienced pharmacist contribute directly towards current initiatives by the government of India regarding promoting cost effective healthcare. Right of patients to cost effective quality medicines cannot be neglected or denied. Pharmacist role in ensuring this can also not be sidelined.
Sir the provisions of pharmacy act ensure that possible human errors in prescription are minimised in patient interest.
Also after a doctor consult, diagnose and prescribe a treatment; interaction with the pharmacist motivates patient for better compliance. A Pharmacist also help patient to understand treatment provided by the doctor, building a very effective Bridge between doctor and patient, ensuring quality Healthcare.
Compounding is not the role that pharmacists play in today times. Their education and work profile have evolved and dispensing is more than just sales or distribution. Healthcare community should recognise that in these modern times and ensure the harmony among healthcare providers and benefits to the patients. We request decision making officers and doctors to acknowledge pharmacists as important bridge for providing effective treatment.
In the end, Charter should ensure patient rights as they exist in the modern times, only patient rights and interests should be the supreme motivating force in finalising the final document.
After consultation with hundreds of Pharmacists and Patients, pharmagang team has formulated the suggestions above for the draft “Charters of Patient Rights”. In the light of above, pharmacy professionals and health conscious from pharmagang community, hereby request the points in the pharmacy act to be taken up seriously for the patient well-being.
Regards,
Team Pharmagang
We will upload final charter when it is available. Pharmagang argue professionals to be aware and active about their rights. Especially Pharmacy practice and Pharmacists seems to be willingly ignored in every sphere of healthcare in India. This directly harm the patients interests too. This could change in near future if professionals are united and are aware about their rights and roles. Also keep updating your professional knowledge to be an asset at work.
Goodluck to patients and professionals for harmonised final charter.
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