Establishing a foundation and empowering education & research: A 'student-professional' partnership

The profession of pharmacy is recognized mainly as an industry oriented field in India. The pharmacy students and professionals in general lack the knowledge and training on clinical as well as community based activities. The role of pharmacists in health promotion is not been significant in the country. Health promotion goes beyond health care. Thus, we, ten people from various branches of pharmacy (students & professionals) came together in a single platform and started a trust, named ‘Pharmascope Foundation’ (in 2008), which aims at supporting every effort to empower pharmacy education and research; it also strives to promote access to health for all. Through various community-based projects, it ensures that the fundamental conditions and resources for health such as peace, food, stable ecosystem, sustainable resources, social justice and equity are protected. We understand that the prerequisites and prospects for health cannot be ensured by the health sector alone. More importantly, health promotion demands coordinated action by all concerned. Being an important lot of healthcare professionals, we have a major responsibility to mediate between differing interests in society for the pursuit of health. We desire to do health promotion works through concrete and effective community action in setting priorities, making decisions, planning strategies and implementing them to achieve better health. We have active involvement in the ‘Stand Up Against Poverty’ and ‘Stop TB’ projects. Through the foundation, a website has been created (www.pharmascope.org) and has been regularly updated. The resources like pharmacy teaching aids, lesson plans, e-books, curricula, links to important sites/journals/institutes/industries, course notes, example and problem sets, computer simulations, reading lists, latest industry happenings are provided for professionals and students. With the concept of students-professionals partnership, we strongly believe that the deficiency in the health care and health promotion arenas will be nullified.