Health centres directed to keep pharmacies of their own

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 3: The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has directed all the health centres to ensure that they have a standard pharmacy of their own within a month.

The MoHP, on August 1, sent a directive to the government, private, non-profit and community hospitals alongside the academies of health sciences and medical colleges to inform the ministry after ensuring it.

According to the directive, the health centres should have a pharmacy that is open 24/7, equipped with necessary medicines and accessible to patients and their visitors easily.

The health centres with their own pharmacies have been asked to follow the standards provisioned by the Hospital Pharmacy Service Guideline, 2072, Health Institution Operation Standards, 2077, Public Health Service Act, 2075, and National Health Policy, 2076.

"Regarding the health centres with no pharmacies of their own, they should have one within a month of the issuance of this letter. 

Once the standards are met, the health centres can e-mail the details at qsrdmohp@gmail.com," read the directive.

According to the Hospital Pharmacy Service Guideline, 2072, health centres should have their own pharmacies operated hospitals through human resources qualified in the subject of pharmacy.

For instance, a hospital with more than 100 beds should have a clinical pharmacist, three pharmacists, six assistant pharmacists and two helpers.

If a health centre was found not having a standard pharmacy of its own within a month, the ministry has said to take action under the prevailing laws.