In the year 2000, the Department of Pharmacy Practice of KLE College of Pharmacy, Belagavi, was established. The Department of Pharmacy Practice is located at the KLE Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Medical Research Center, Belagavi, which is a 2400 bed multi-specialty teaching hospital. The department primarily provides clinical pharmacy services according to the need of the patients and health care professionals. Clinical pharmacy services include drug information services, patient counselling, monitoring adverse drug reactions, medication reconciliation, medication therapy management, health screening program, community outreach program, clinical research, and continuing Pharmacy education program.
The department has adequate well-trained, enthusiastic faculty members with ample experience. We have faculty with different expertise in the different departments such as General medicine, cardiology, oncology, nephrology, psychiatry, emergency medicine, and gynaecology, and obstetrics working in thrust areas of the individual department. Collaborations with various national and international organizations or institutes strengthen the training of the students. Faculties are also associated with different committees in KLE hospital such as Pharmacy & Therapeutic Committee and KAHER Institutional Ethics Committee.
The department periodically organizes conferences, workshops, guest lectures, seminars, and symposiums at the various national and international levels. The department conducts one annual flagship training program each year entitled ‘Advance Academic Training Programme (AATP)’ on different themes every year and another conference ‘National Pharm. D Colloquium (NPC)’ which is being conducted every year. The department also organizes the guest lectures as per the need of the students.
The expanding roles of the department include total parenteral nutrition services, reconstitutions of the cytotoxic drugs, pharmaceutical care, and clinical research in disease management.
Core department of Pharmacy Practice:
|
Sr. no |
Department |
Staff incharge |
1.
|
Clinical Pharmacy
|
Mrs. Shashikala Wali, M Pharm (Pharmacy Practice) |
|
Dr. Anushree Deshpande, Pharm D |
2.
|
Community Pharmacy
|
Dr. Satish Karoli, Pharm D |
|
Mr. Vishwa R. Byakod, M Pharm (Pharmacy Practice) |
3.
|
Hospital Pharmacy
|
Dr. Bibi Habiba Sheikh, Pharm D |
|
Dr. Muriel Lacerda, Pharm D |
|
Dr. Arathi Shetty, Pharm D |
Clinical Pharmacy: Clinical pharmacy is a specialized field within pharmacy practice that focuses on optimizing medication therapy and patient outcomes through direct patient care, evidence-based decision-making, and collaboration with healthcare teams. Clinical pharmacists work in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and ambulatory care centres, to ensure safe, effective, and appropriate use of medications.
Roles and responsibilities of clinical pharmacists:
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Medication Review and Management
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Patient Counselling
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Medication Reconciliation
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Pharmacotherapy Recommendations
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Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring
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Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
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Dose Adjustment
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Antimicrobial Stewardship
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Clinical Rounds Participation
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Chronic Disease Management
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Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
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Patient-Cantered Care
Hospital Pharmacy: A hospital pharmacy is an integral component of healthcare institutions, responsible for the safe, efficient, and effective management of medications for patients within the hospital setting. It encompasses various functions that contribute to optimal patient care, medication safety, and the overall healthcare workflow.
Roles and responsibilities of Hospital Pharmacies:
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Daily ward rounds.
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Compliance with NABH guidelines for the management of medications (MoM)Maintenance of crash carts in the emergency and critical care units.
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Active participation in the smooth functioning of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee.
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Regular Nursing station and pharmacy audits
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Working towards the validation of the hospital formulary by generating relevant data for the addition and deletion of medications in the hospital formulary.
Community Pharmacy: A community pharmacy, also referred to as a retail pharmacy or outpatient pharmacy, is a healthcare facility that operates within the community to provide pharmaceutical services and medications directly to patients. It serves as a primary point of contact for individuals seeking prescription medications, over-the-counter products, and pharmaceutical advice.
Unit dosage formulation/Dose division:
Right drug at the right time. Individualization of doses is important for desired clinical effects and good patient care. Our department is extensively rendering the solid dose division services to the patients in NICU, PICU, Cardiology, and Nephrology department.
Reconstitution of Cytotoxic Drugs:
Faculties and Pharm. D interns of the department are catering reconstitution of cytotoxic drugs services to the oncology department in the hospital.
Total Parenteral Nutrition:
Total parenteral nutrition involves the intravenous administration of nutritionally sufficient and balanced formulations to supply essential nutrition to patients who are unable to tolerate oral or external feeding due to dysfunctional or inaccessible gastrointestinal tract, over the years
Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety
Focuses on ensuring patient safety through the detection, monitoring, and prevention of adverse drug reactions and medication-related problems. Research emphasizes post-marketing surveillance, risk minimization strategies, and enhancing regulatory reporting systems to promote safer use of medicines.
Pharmacoeconomics and Health Outcomes Research
This area integrates economic evaluation with clinical outcomes to support cost-effective healthcare decisions. Research focuses on cost-benefit analyses, and quality-of-life assessments to guide policymakers and healthcare providers in resource allocation and formulary management.
Chronic Disease Management
With the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, this research area explores the role of pharmacists in managing chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. It includes designing, implementing, and evaluating pharmacist-led care models that improve long-term outcomes.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Following are diverse career options available to Pharm. D / Pharm. D (PB), M. Pharm (Pharmacy Practice), MSc. Clinical Research, and Fellowship in clinical research graduates:
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Clinical Pharmacist: Clinical Pharmacists along with physicians takes the responsibility for medication therapy management, especially for chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma. Clinical pharmacist are also working in specialty clinics like anticoagulation clinics, critical care clinics, cardiology clinic etc.
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Community Pharmacy: Considered first line of health care. Community pharmacist not only dispense medications but also provide patient counselling on OTC medications and monitor patients for adverse effects and drug interactions.
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Governmental agencies: Local, State and Central Government Agencies such as State Pharmacy Councils, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), need skilled pharmacists.
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Hospital Pharmacy: Most graduates pursue their careers in hospital pharmacy. Pharmacists in hospitals monitors the patient and adjust their medications in consultation with the physicians.
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Managed care: Practiced in developed countries, where it mainly focuses on preventive care. Pharmacist in managed care optimizes of drug therapy, develops drug formularies, and evaluate therapeutic protocols thereby; reducing hospitalizations.
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The Pharmaceutical Industry: The Pharmaceutical industry recognizes the need for technical proficiency among product development personnel. Pharm. Ds and M. Pharms are recruited in the area of pharmacovigilance, Clinical trials, medical writing, medical affairs, etc.
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Pharmacoeconomics: Demand for Pharmacoeconomists is steadily increasing day by day. Governmental agencies, professional associations, health insurance providers, hospital administration departments, health care consultancy organizations, national and international pharmaceutical companies are likely to recruit pharmacoeconomists.
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Specialized Area Opportunities: Clinical Pharmacists with specialization in specific areas such as drug information, poison control, and specialized clinics are gaining interest with time. Pharm. D and M. Pharm graduates can pursue a doctor of philosophy (Ph. D).
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Research and Postdoc Opportunities: Pharm. D graduates are eligible to join for Postdoc program in various national and international universities.
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Foreign Pharmacy Licensure Examinations: Licensure process of foreign countries is different and their assessment of a candidate’s competence to practice as a pharmacist vary from country to country. Pharm. D and M. Pharm (Pharmacy Practice) graduates are eligible to apply for foreign Pharmacy licensure examinations such as NAPLEX (USA).
PROGRAMS
Pharm. D, Pharm. D (PB), M. Pharm (Pharmacy Practice), MSc. Clinical Research and Fellowship in Clinical Research
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Pharm. D Program: It is a six-year professional Pharmacy doctoral program. The program emphasizes the development and application of Clinical Pharmacy services and constitutes of five years of didactic lectures and research projects followed by one year of Internship. The first batch graduated in the year 2020.
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Pharm. D (PB) Program: A three-year pharmacy doctoral program after B. Pharmacy. It constitutes of five years of didactic lectures and research projects followed by one year of Internship. The first batch graduated in August 2018.
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M. Pharm (Pharmacy Practice): M. Pharm (Pharmacy Practice) is a two academic year post-graduate in pharmacy practice course. It consists of one year of lectures followed by one year of research. The first batch graduated in 2001.
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MSc. Clinical Research: It is a four semester (two-year) post-graduate course in clinical research. Three semester of academic lectures and followed by one semester of project work. The first batch graduated in the year 2015.
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Fellowship in Clinical Research: It is a six months of hands on training on clinical research. The first batch graduated in the year 2020.
KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital:
KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital is a real quaternary care hospital located in the heart of the Belagavi of Karnataka bordering Goa, Maharashtra state, and neighborhoods. We have 2400 beds by some standards, one of the largest multispecialty hospitals in India.
KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital & Medical Research Centre, in collaboration with the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), brings together a dedicated team of physicians, surgeons, and healthcare specialists to provide healthcare and hospitality under one roof, thus giving it a perfect academic-and-professional blend. With its foundation stones laid way back in 1996, this hospital is now spread across an all-encompassing 16-acre of land in the outskirts of the city and is blessed with facilities that satisfy all needs in any discipline of health sciences.
This hospital has adapted itself to the need of the hour and hence upgraded itself to the technology thus proving its progress. This hospital has already been regarded as the best in the world of healthcare and hospitals backed with recognition from the Government of Goa (under its various schemes), industries in Maharashtra, Karnataka, thus reflecting the hospital’s growth in terms of caliber, specialty services, and economic benefits.
Unit dosage formulation/Dose division:
Right drug at the right time. Individualization of doses is important for desired clinical effects and good patient care. Our department is extensively rendering the solid dose division services to the patients in NICU, PICU, Cardiology, and Nephrology department. Pharm D srudents will be posted for Dose division.
Community Pharmacy: A community pharmacy, also referred to as a retail pharmacy or outpatient pharmacy, is a healthcare facility that operates within the community to provide pharmaceutical services and medications directly to patients. It serves as a primary point of contact for individuals seeking prescription medications, over-the-counter products, and pharmaceutical advice.
Site Management Office:
KLE-SMO- is an organization that provides Clinical trial-related services [includes infrastructure and staff to meet the requirements as per trial protocol] to an NIH, WHO, Medical Device, biotechnology company, Pharmaceutical sponsor, and its representatives.
Administrative Management and Facilities:
1.Clinical Trial Managements
2.Human Ethics Committee
3.Storage and maintenance of Investigational Medicinal Products
Student Learning Resources:
1.M.Sc. In Clinical Research- PG Course
2.Fellowship in Clinical Research-06 Months
3.Internship-for Pharm D Students-02 Months
Reconstitution of Cytotoxic Drugs:
Faculties and Pharm. D interns of the department are catering reconstitution of cytotoxic drugs services to the oncology department in the hospital. In our hospital setting we have a Compounding aseptic containment isolator which will handled by Onco- Pharmacist and also training will given to Pharm D students.
A compounding pharmacy isolator, also known as a compounding aseptic containment isolator (CACI) or a sterile compounding isolator, is a specialized device used in pharmaceutical compounding to maintain a controlled and sterile environment during the preparation of customized medications.
Importance of compounding pharmacy isolator:
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Sterility Assurance
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Patient Safety
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Quality and Consistency
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Compliance with Regulations
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Reduced Risk of Medication Errors
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Extended Beyond-Use Dating:
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Specialized Compounding
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Pharmacist and Technician Safety
VigiFlow:
VigiFlow is a specialized software tool used in the field of pharmacovigilance to streamline and manage the process of collecting, recording, and analyzing adverse event reports related to pharmaceutical products and medical devices. Pharmacovigilance is the science and activities related to the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problems.
Recently, our institute was designated as Pharmacovigilance Center. Students in their fifth and sixth years of Pharm D will operate the VigiFlow software that we have. Students participating in Pharm D clerkships and internships will receive enough training to handle the Vigiflow software.
Postings:
Pharm D students will be posted in different speciality departments during Intership anfd Clerkship, includes, For internship students;
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Psychiatry
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Oncology
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Nephrology
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Emergency Medicine
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Orthopaedics
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ART
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Community Pharmacy
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Primary Health Care Centre (Includes 01-month Paediatric Oncology)
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Drug Information Centre/Pharmacovigilance/Dose division
For Clerkship students;
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GM: General Medicine
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PED: Pediatrics
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GYN: Gynecology
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SURG: Surgery
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ORTH: Orthopedics
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DRM: Dermatology
