Are you a vegetarian?

Do you just get the vomiting tendency when you hear something like non-veg? Do you don't   like to share a table with your non-veg friends? 

Now to correlate this article with the main topic, answer these questions.

Have you ever been ill? Have you even been prescribed a capsule as a medicine by your physician ? 

I your answer is' Yes', then this article is dedicated to you. 

Do you Know what are capsules made up of? If you are a pharmacist or in related fields, you must be knowing but If you are not, then it might be a secret for you. Ok Now lets remove the curtain from this secret. 

Capsules are made up of Gelatin which is a proteinaceous material obtained by boiling skin,bones tendons, ligaments with water. it is usually obtained from cows or pigs. The bones and skins are subjected to acid, alkali or enzymatic hydrolysis .Acid treatment is especially suitable for less fully crosslinked materials such as pig skin collagen and normally requires 10-48 hours. Alkali treatment is suitable for more complex collagen such as that found in bovine hides and normally takes several weeks. Within the gelatin industry the gelatin obtained by acid treatment is called type A Gelatin and that obtained by alkali treatment is called type B gelatin. 

Not only in capsules,Gelatin is used in Shampoos, face masks ,thickeners in fruit jellies,candies, cakes ice creams etc. The worldwide production of gelatin is about 400000 tonnes per year.On commercial scale gelatin is made from the by-products of the meat and the leather Industry. 

The process of gelatin production is very closely monitored as a very slight difference can affect its quality.

Too Much Zinc Increases Risk for Clostridium difficile

Researchers found that mice given a high-zinc diet were more likely to experience Clostridium difficile infection at lower antibiotic doses.
While Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is usually related to antibiotic-related disruption to gut microbiota, cases of non-antibiotic associated CDI indicate that other factors can influence it.   Since dietary metals are known to influence infection susceptibility, researchers exposed C. difficile-colonised mice to diets with three different levels of zinc for five weeks.   They found that gut microbiota were significantly altered and showed decreased diversity in mice fed a diet containing excess zinc. No such change was observed in mice fed a diet with low or normal amounts of zinc.   Mice given the high-zinc diet were also susceptible to CDI at lower antibiotic doses and experienced more severe disease than mice given less zinc.   Reporting in Nature Medicine (online, 26 September 2016)[1], the researchers suggest that limiting excess dietary zinc might therefore reduce the risk of CDI or morbidity in high-risk patients.  

Pharmacy Training Institute urges Karnataka govt to give it Finishing School status

Pharmacy Training Institute (PTI), Bengaluru has proposed to the Karnataka government to recognise its facility as a Finishing School for pharmaceuticals. This is on similar lines of the state government’s Biotech Finishing Schools project which is a platform for access to fresh industry-ready candidates. “We are waiting to hear from the state government on this. If the government consents to this proposal then it is a shot in the arm for us. It provides us the much-needed reputation in the pharma training space. So far the industry has picked up every candidate trained by us which indicates the quality of training”, Uma Nandan Misra, dean, Pharmacy Training Institute, Bengaluru told Pharmabiz. Currently, the 9-year old PTI offers eight programmes. The recent addition is a 15-day programme exclusively for Medical Sales Representatives (MSRs). It has partnered with Cornucopia led by Ahmedali, a former pharma industry veteran for specific preparation of human resources for the sector. The Institute has teamed up Mallige College of Pharmacy, Acharya & BM Reddy College of Pharmacy Karnataka College of Pharmacy and Sri Adichunchanagiri College of Pharmacy to provide students a direction on employment avenues in the industry. “The US $22 billion Indian pharma’s top 250 companies face an annual shortfall of  around 200,000 qualified and experienced  MSRs annually. We are gearing up to meet the shortage of this trained workforce. On an average depending on the size of the operations, 500 to 3,000 MSRs are on the rolls of the industry. The need of the hour is to attract fresh pharmacy and science graduates and post graduates. This is where the recognition of PTI a Finishing School of  Karnataka would give a fillip to our services,” he added. Although the present generation of students are adept in technology, internet and cell phone savvy, yet they need to be honed in life skills covering critical decision making, problem solving, competence in negotiation, creative thinking, adaptive to organisation culture and cope with stress and emotions, said Misra. “PTI’s MSR program batch size is minimum 15 students. The fee is of Rs.15,000 and covers both practical and theory training. There is a rigorous selection process because pharmaceuticals in a knowledge driven industry,” he noted. It is also observed that sales and marketing report the highest attrition. There is a constant demand for high calibre candidates who comprehend the importance of drug quality, safety and efficacy. With the Union government set to enforce UCPMP (Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices) norms, the requirement for the right candidate is critical, pointed out Misra. PTIs courses cover industrial curriculum which are dedicated programmes are devised for fresh graduates and company employees. The course will give them a hand-on exposure in facilities and equipment, quality management, packaging of dosage forms, R&D and regulatory affairs.

KSPC urges state govt to direct 24 hour pharmacies to appoint 3 pharmacists for day & night duties

Although the Pharmacy Practice Regulations 2015 introduced by the Pharmacy Council of India, the same could not be effectively implemented in any of the states. In this context, Kerala state pharmacy council made a proposal that all pharmacies working 24 hours must engage three pharmacists for day and night duties.

The state council made the proposal to the government requesting it to direct the drugs control department and all the pharmacies to hire additional pharmacists as required. If a pharmacy is working only for 12 hours a day, it must hire one additional pharmacist and after eight hours duty by the licensed pharmacist. If the pharmacy, whether it is a medical store located nearby some hospital or a hospital in-house pharmacy and working for 24 hours, it must hire two additional pharmacists.

Informing the government that Food and Drugs Control Administrations in states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are strictly implementing the rules (D&C Rules Section 64 and Pharmacy Act Section 42) and the enforcement officials are inspecting the pharmacies there. Though it is a rule to be mandated by the licensee of the pharmacy as per drug laws, very few medical stores have appointed more than one pharmacist. Unqualified persons are often dispensing the drugs to the patients from these 24 hour pharmacies, said B. Rajan, president of KSPC.

Commenting on the issue, M. Abdul Khader, director of drugs control in Tamil Nadu, said as per rule it is mandatory that the licensee of the 24 hour pharmacy must appoint three pharmacists with 8 hours duty for one pharmacist. He said the names and registration numbers of the three pharmacists have to be mentioned in the application form for license and separate declarations must also be submitted by the trio. Khader further answered to a question that all over Tamil Nadu the drug regulators are inspecting all the 24 hour pharmacies regularly.

Kerala pharmacy council has come out with the proposal because, according to Rajan, most of the 24 hour pharmacies are working with one pharmacist and on many occasions non-pharmacists are dispensing drugs. He said the Pharmacy Practice Regulations strictly mandate the duty time of a pharmacist as eight hours a day, and if a pharmacy wants additional service, it has to hire additional pharmacist. According to him, the state drug department is not concerned of pharmacy act or the services of the pharmacy profession.

Pointing to the implementation of Pharmacy Act, the president of KSPC said, without the support of the drugs control departments the state councils cannot insist the provisions of the act. The DC departments in all the states are opposing appointment of pharmacy inspectors. However, Kerala pharmacy council has appointed pharmacy inspectors in all the districts and steps were taken with the government to implement PPR 2015, but objections are everywhere, he added.

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“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

India to soon have separate pharmaceuticals ministry: Union Minister Ananth Kumar

"I have requested our Prime Minister Modiji to have an umbrella ministry for the pharma industry. We are hoping that it will be in place in sometime," said Union Minister Ananth Kumar.
Thanks:http://indiatoday.intoday.in/…/union-minister…/1/776769.html