Pharmacy Council Hosts National Pharmacy Week in Assam

Guwahati: Assam Don Bosco University hosted the state-level National Pharmacy Week on Saturday. The Sonapur campus welcomed 2,000 students and delegates from 34 different institutions across Assam and Meghalaya. The Pharmacy Council of India organized the event under the theme Swasth Bharat: Combating Antimicrobial Resistance. Everyone stood for the National Anthem before watching a traditional Bihu dance.

Chief guest Jashubhai Hirabhai Chaudhari, Vice-President of the Pharmacy Council of India, touted federal policy shifts in the Northeast. He praised the sector's growth. Other attendees included Vice-Chancellor Fr. Dr. Jose Palely, Assam BJP spokesperson Ranjib Sarma, PCI coordinator Mohd. Bashir, and Meghalaya PCI member Antony Laloo.

Students from schools like Dibrugarh University, Assam University, and Krishnaguru Adhyatmik University competed in a poster contest. Guest speaker Sailendra Pandey handed out prizes. He compared modern pharmacy work to mythological healing, noting, "medicines could save lives when administered in the correct dosage and according to prescribed standards, but could also cause serious harm if used improperly."

Pandey also credited local pharmacists for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. State convener and PCI member Sudhir Chandra Saha closed the day. He demanded more public awareness campaigns regarding antimicrobial resistance. The event ended with a group promise to improve public health standards.