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IntroductionFrom ancient times, pharmacy is known

as a branch associated with health careservices. Today, the profession has madeenormous progress and is involved in allstages related to a drug. With the growth ofthe pharmaceutical and hospital sector inIndia, there are abundant opportunitiesopening up in industrial, hospital, clinical andcommunity pharmacy. Thus, there is a direneed to generate competent persons with asound technical foundation as well as anintensive practical exposure who canefficiently meet the demands of the pharmaindustry and serve the requirements ofpatient care and pharmacy practice. A vastmajority of pharmacists generally seekopportunities with the thriving pharmaceuticalindustry in which services are well definedand well remunerated1. In recent times, thepharmaceutical industry has undergoneextensive globalization and harmonization ofregulatory affairs. However, the educationsystem has been struggling to keep pace withthe rapidly changing industrial scenario.Since the pharma industry draws in a majorityof the pharmacy professionals, it is importantfor the education system to strengthen andupgrade as per the current industrialrequirements, in order to generate a morecompetent workforce.

Indian PharmaceuticalIndustry: Current Scenario

The Indian pharmaceutical industry,which had little technological competence to

Article

Emerging role of IT in Indian pharmaceutical industryand its implications for the education system

Shyamal Kalani*Oasis Test House, Jaipur, Rajasthan.

manufacture modern drugs locally in the1950s, has emerged today as the mostdynamic manufacturing segment of theIndian economy2. It has achievedtechnological capabilities to manufacturequality drugs indigenously and costeffectively, and emerged as a majorcompetitor in the world market2. Today, theIndian pharma industry ranks 3rd in volumeand 14th in value in the global pharmaceuticalmarket.

The pharma and life sciences sector arehighly regulated and the past few years haveseen a dramatic rise in the level of regulation.The introduction of new Schedule M andSchedule L1 under Drugs and CosmeticsRules, has started a new chapter in thehistory of Indian pharmaceutical sector,leading to vast scale up gradation of theindustry. The regulations have implicationsfor the entire industry, and as a result,pharmaceutical organizations are reviewingtheir compliance strategies, methodologiesand associated costs3. The Indianpharmaceutical industry is looking at this eraboth as an opportunity and as a challenge.

In order to achieve regulatorycompliance and keep abreast with thefrequent technological advances, InformationTechnology (IT) solutions are increasinglybeing implemented across the pharmasector. IT now plays a strategic role inorganisations rather than just as a supportsystem. In addition to compliance issues, theneed for rise in productivity is also asignificant driver for IT adoption and

implementation3. Software solutions aid thesmooth functioning of pharma units andimprove efficiency, accuracy and decision-making. Now, IT solutions are incorporatedinto businesses to simplify the work ofmanagers and increase company returns.

As a result of the regulatory changes,documentation has become a necessary andintegral part of the functioning of pharmaindustry. And, software systems make thedocumentation work simple, more reliableand time efficient. Above all, the data-sensitive nature of the pharmaceuticalindustry makes it especially vigilant aboutavoiding information disclosure, and securityis perceived as a business necessity2. ITsystems provide increased security to thecompany data and prevent unauthorizedaccess to the company procedures,documents, STPs, SOPs, etc.

Role of IT in Pharma sectorIn the area of pharmacy, there are

volumes of data with respect to drugformulations, chemical compounds for drugs,details of clinical trials, etc. which can bestored using IT4. Pharmaceutical companiesare using IT across various functional areaslike R&D, QC, QA, Clinical Development,Manufacturing and Supply Chain, Sales,Marketing and Corporate Management. Notonly the industries, but also hospital, clinicaland community pharmacies areacknowledging the importance of ITsolutions. Information Technology is used toassist the delivery of pharmaceutical care,medication regimen adherence, patient

The Indian pharmaceutical sector has made phenomenal progress in the last few years, making its presence felt in the world market.The introduction of new Schedule M and Schedule L1 has led to widespread technological advances and changes in the industryoutlook. The pharmaceutical companies in India are identifying various strategies such as adoption of Information Technology (IT) toolsto increase productivity, efficiency and achieve regulatory compliance. Various software systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP), Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), etc. are being increasingly accepted and implemented across the industry.With the growth in the pharma sector, there are abundant opportunities opening up for pharmacy graduates with the right combination ofIT skills and industry knowledge. Thus, there is immediate need to acquaint the pharmacy students to the latest terms, regulations andtechnologies.

Keywords Pharmacy education, information technology, software systems

*Email: kalanishyamal@gmail.com

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safety, measurement of therapeuticoutcomes and patients' self-caremanagement5.

Today, a number of software solutionsare commonly used in the pharmaceuticalindustry. Some of the popular ones are:

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Laboratory Information ManagementSystem (LIMS)

Sales Force Automation (SFA)

Customer Relationship Management(CRM)

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)An ERP system integrates all data and

processes of an organization. Suchintegrated systems reduce information silosin various departments. ERP consists ofvarious modules such as production andinventory management, weighing anddispensing, electronic batch records,electronic packaging records, financialaccounting, personnel management, trainingand development, etc.

Laboratory Information ManagementSystem (LIMS)

LIMS enables laboratories handlecomplex work flow and sample datamanagement requirements. It automates labprocesses to increase productivity, efficiencyand quality in analysis. LIMS can also takecare of about 70% of the activit ies /requirements of GLP. It offers variousfeatures such as automatic calculations oftests methods, specification maintenance,sample management and tracking,generation of worksheets & certificate ofanalysis, etc.

Sales Force Automation (SFA)

In the current scenario, wherepharmaceutical marketing has becomeextremely competitive; information, data, on-line controls of movement of goods andmanpower, including distribution networkhave become very vital. These can be bestmanaged through IT. Web-enabled fieldsales force automation solutions on-linerecord doctor visit reports, tour plans andapprovals, sales summaries, booking salesorders, expense details, stockist inventory,etc.

Customer Relationship Management(CRM)

CRM applications automate andmanage the entire customer life cycle withinan organization including, sales, marketing,customer support, and contact centres3.These are on-line customer portals fortroubleshooting and support, sales schemesand resolving queries. CRM solutions arealso used for market surveys, identificationand development. Also, systems areavailable for providing medical

representatives with sales and marketingstrategy and in-field computer aidedinstructions. It aids the conversion of aprospect into a customer and helps anorganization retain its existing customers bybuilding and maintaining successfulrelationships3.

Besides these, software solutions arealso used for providing integration of variousactivities such as stability studies, vendorrating, reference / working standardsmanagement, equipment calibration, reservesamples management, market complaintsmanagement, project management, etc.

High competition, less time to reach themarket and a highly regulated environmenthave forced Indian pharma companies toadopt advanced and latest IT and automationsolutions. In the recent years, there has beena significant rise in the use of computer-related systems in the pharma industry. Manyindustries have got most of their operationscomputerized. Not just the big pharmacompanies, but even about 70% of the smalland medium enterprises utilize automationin one form or the other. Software systemsare being increasingly accepted as anessential part of a modern and progressivepharma industry.

As a result of computerization ofpharma enterprises, industries requirequalified and skilled manpower exposed toIT systems, with up-to-date knowledge of thecurrent industry practices. And in order toexploit the numerous job opportunitiesoffered, it has become necessary forpharmacy graduates to keep themselvesabreast with the current practices,information technology in use and industryrequirements.

Implications for the pharmacy educationsystem

Over the past decade, there has beena significant expansion in pharmacyeducation in India in terms of the number ofinstitutions offering pharmacy programmes.There are thousands of pharmacy graduatesavailable in the country today. However, theirexposure to the latest systems and IToperations is inadequate.

Though the pharmacy curriculum inIndia is primarily industry and productfocussed1, lack of practical orientation andtraining makes it difficult for the students tokeep pace with the changing trends of theindustry. Also, the students lackinterdisciplinary knowledge, practicalorientation, communication and interpersonalskills6. According to the report of the PlanningCommission of India for the eleventh fiveyear plan, there is an immediate need toacquaint the pharmacy students in GLP,validations, analytical techniques,innovations in pharma formulationtechnology, clinical research, quality

management, regulatory management,personality development, communicationskills and shop floor relations7.

There is a vast difference between theknowledge and skills received by pharmacygraduates at educational institutes and theactual work requirements at the industry. Incolleges, students are taught on a particularsyllabus, while the industry practices keepchanging and upgrading. There is a dire needto bridge this gap created between theacademia and the industry practices.Industry - Academia interaction is a matterof great relevance in the present context ofglobalization of pharmaceutical education.Such an industry-institute relationship shallbe mutually beneficial. The institutes willbecome self reliant, the course curriculum -practical oriented and the students shall bebetter trained and skilled for a career in theindustry.

Integrating IT with pharmacy educationand practice

Now that the "Decade of HealthInformation Technology" has arrived, thepharmacy education needs a newphilosophical and conceptual basisconsistent with the emerging technology8.The primary focus of pharmacy educationsystem should be on providing scientific andtechnological training in all aspects includingdrug identification, formulation, preparation,distribution, quality control, quality assuranceand drug use9. Imparting knowledge of ITtools and Management Information Systems(MIS) in use across the pharmaceuticalsector is another important aspect.

Information Technology has become anindispensable part of the pharmacyprofession and it should be integrated intopharmacy education and curriculum as well.Pharmacy informatics can be defined as thespecialized application of informationtechnologies that are used to advance thepharmacy profession5. It has becomeessential for the pharmacy education toadapt the new information tools andtechniques, and begin to educate studentsin pharmacy informatics8. Implementation,management, modification, improvementand up gradation of the pharma IT systemsmust be done by and large by thepharmacists, as they are best equipped tounderstand the numerous issues and termsinvolved in all areas of pharmacy practices8.

ConclusionPharmacy education should be

designed and updated to create pharmaciststhat are more competent to apply their skillsfor strengthening the pharma industry. A wellconceived orientation to latest trends andinformation technology would benefit thestudents greatly in their career. Pharmacists

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entering professional practice will need to understand and have thecapabilities to update and maintain pharmacy information systems;utilize, query, report and analyse the data8. It is a relatively newconcept in the country to impart training to pharmacy students basedon software tools; however, it has become the need of the hour withthe changing scenario of the trade. Students can make themselvesmore job-oriented by gaining knowledge of the current industrypractices and consequently, they can achieve success in their chosenfields.

References1. Basak, S., and Sathyanarayana, D., Pharmacy Education in

India. American Journal of Pharmacy Education, 74(4), 2010.

2. Pradhan, J.P., Global Competitiveness of Indian PharmaceuticalIndustry: Trends and Strategies, Institute for Studies in IndustrialDevelopment, Working Paper, 2006

3. Julian, E., What pharma wants from IT today. PharmaceuticalExecutive, July 2005.

4. Mukherjee, R., Application & scope of IT in the Indian pharmasector. Journal of Medical Marketing, 6 (2), 2006. pp. 146-150.

5. Felkey, B., and Villaume W., The Integration of Technology intoPharmacy Education and Practice. The International Journal ofPharmacy Education, 2004

6. Vidya Sagar, G., Future of pharmacy education in India [online].Available at: http://pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=40153

&sid=9 [Accessed: 18 February 2011]

7. Report of the working group on drugs and pharmaceuticals forthe eleventh five-year plan (2007-2012). Planning commissionof India, 1st December 2006.

8. Flynn, A., The Current State of Pharmacy Informatics Educationin Professional Programs at US Colleges of Pharmacy. AmericanJournal of Pharmaceutical Education, 69 (4), 2005. pp. 490-494.

9. Ligade, V., Sreedhar, D., Manthan, J., Ajay, P., and Udupa, N.,Pharmacy Education in India-Marching with Times. The PharmaReview, December 2008.