Principal’s Desk

The medical science and the Pharmaceutical Industry have seen a phenomenal change in the last hundred years. The pharmaceutical sciences and technology have experienced exponential growth and expansion during this period. We have seen the virtual elimination of polio and smallpox; we have drugs for pain, infectious diseases, and mental health.

Today, drugs are purified from natural sources, synthesized, rationally designed, fermented, and engineered. Global genomic initiatives and marvels of miniaturization have set the stage for the new pharmaceutical discoveries to come. Harmonization of pharmaceutical education has made a global impact to harness the developments that have taken place in basic medical and pharmaceutical sciences, and technology, in pursuit of serving social needs and expectations.

A pharmacist plays an important role in all the branches of the health care system including hospitals, industry, marketing activities, education and research, and development. But, the crucial role of the Pharmacist as part of the health care team, or even the acceptance of pharmacists’ role in the health care needs of the nation remains to be recognized.

This is changing with the establishment of pharmacy institutes and health universities in the last ten years. In view of this, the Shrimanta Shankar Academy has taken a bold step to start a pharmacy institute, namely, Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Pharmaceutical Science.

It gives me immense satisfaction to see the successful completion of the first year. The institute still has a long way to go to achieve its goal. The major task of its future plan is to develop an internationally recognized center for the excellence of pharmaceutical education and research in the North East.

Dr. P. Malairajan
Principal,
M. Pharm, Ph.D.