Course Code: ER20-15P 75 Hours (3 Hours/week)
Scope: This course is designed to provide simulated experience in various public health and social pharmacy activities.
Course Objectives: This course will train the students on various roles of pharmacists in public health and social pharmacy activities in the following areas:
- National immunization programs
- Reproductive and child health programs
- Food and nutrition related health programs
- Health education and promotion
- General roles and responsibilities of the pharmacists in public health
- First Aid for various emergency conditions including basic life support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Course Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to
- Describe the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists in various National health programs
- Design promotional materials for public health awareness
- Describe various health hazards including microbial sources
- Advice on preventive measures for various diseases
- Provide first aid for various emergency conditions
Note: Demonstration / Hands-on experience / preparation of charts / models / promotional materials / role plays / enacting / e-brochures / e-flyers / podcasts / video podcasts / any other innovative activities to understand the concept of various elements of social pharmacy listed here. (At least one activity to be carried out for each one of the following):
Practicals:
| Sl. No. | Experiment |
| 1 | National immunization schedule for children, adult vaccine schedule, Vaccines which are not included in the National Immunization Program. |
| 2 | RCH – reproductive and child health – nutritional aspects, relevant national health programs. |
| 3 | Family planning devices |
| 4 | Microscopical observation of different microbes (readymade slides) |
| 5 | Oral Health and Hygiene |
| 6 | Personal hygiene and etiquettes – hand washing techniques, Cough and sneeze etiquettes. |
| 7 | Various types of masks, PPE gear, wearing/using them, and disposal. |
| 8 | Menstrual hygiene, products used |
| 9 | First Aid – Theory, basics, demonstration, hands on training, audio-visuals, and practice, BSL (Basic Life Support) Systems [SCA – Sudden Cardiac Arrest, FBAO – Foreign Body Airway Obstruction, CPR, Defibrillation (using AED) (Includes CPR techniques, First Responder). |
| 10 | Emergency treatment for all medical emergency cases viz. snake bite, dog bite, insecticide poisoning, fractures, burns, epilepsy etc. |
| 11 | Role of Pharmacist in Disaster Management. |
| 12 | Marketed preparations of disinfectants, antiseptics, fumigating agents, antilarval agents, mosquito repellents, etc. |
| 13 | Health Communication: Audio / Video podcasts, Images, Power Point Slides, Short Films, etc. in regional language(s) for mass communication / education / Awareness on 5 different communicable diseases, their signs and symptoms, and prevention. |
| 14 | Water purification techniques, use of water testing kit, calculation of Content/percentage of KMnO4, bleaching powder to be used for wells/tanks |
| 15 | Counselling children on junk foods, balanced diets – using Information, Education and Communication (IEC), counselling, etc. (Simulation Experiments). |
| 16 | Preparation of various charts on nutrition, sources of various nutrients from Locally available foods, calculation of caloric needs of different groups (e.g. child, mother, |
| 17 | Tobacco cessation, counselling, identifying various tobacco containing products through charts/pictures |
Assignment: The students shall be asked to submit the written assignments on the following topics (One assignment per student per sessional period. i.e., a minimum of THREE assignments per student)
- An overview of Women’s Health Issues
- Study the labels of various packed foods to understand their nutritional contents
- Breastfeeding counselling, guidance – using Information, Education and Communication (IEC)
- Information about the organizations working on de-addiction services in the region (city / district, )
- Role of a pharmacist in disaster management – A case study
- Overview on the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP)
- Drug disposal systems in the country, at industry level and citizen level
- Various Prebiotics or Probiotics (dietary and market products)
- Emergency preparedness: Study of local Government structure with respect to Fire, Police departments, health department
- Prepare poster/presentation for general public on any one of the Health e.g. Day, AIDS Day, Handwashing Day, ORS day, World Diabetes Day, World Heart Day, etc.
- List of home medicines, their storage, safe handling, and disposal of unused medicines
- Responsible Use of Medicines: From Purchase to Disposal
- Collection of newspaper clips (minimum 5) relevant to any one topic and its submission in an organized form with collective summary based on the news items
- Read a minimum of one article relevant to any theory topic, from Pharma
/Science/ or other Periodicals and prepare summary of it for submission
- Potential roles of pharmacists in rural India
Field Visits: The students shall be taken in groups to visit any THREE of the following facilities to witness and understand the activities of such centres/facilities from the perspectives of the topics discussed in theory and/or practical courses. Individual reports from each student on their learning experience from the field visits shall be submitted.
- Garbage Treatment Plant
- Sewage Treatment Plant
- Bio-medical Waste Treatment Plant
- Effluent Treatment Plant
- Water purification plant
- Orphanage / Elderly-Care-Home / School and or Hostel/Home for persons with disabilities
- Primary health care centre