The KIIT School of Public Health (KSPH), KIIT-DU organized a training workshop titled “Enhancing Awareness and Knowledge on Prevention of Antibiotic Resistance (ABR) among the personnel manning the retail pharmacy stores” on 13th March 2022. The personnel manning the retail pharmacy stores in Bhubaneswar were the key stakeholders of this workshop. Access to antibiotics at pharmacy stores without prescription is an important driver of ABR, among the various human factors accelerating the ABR. This workshop is probably one of its kind in India, to make aware the pharmacists/drug dispensers about the growing burden of ABR and their role in containment of ABR.
This workshop was organized as part of the “THIS IS PUBLIC HEALTH” Project supported by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, USA. Prof. J. R. Mohanty, Registrar, KIIT-DU inaugurated the workshop. Keynote address was delivered by Dr. Sasmita Mallick, State Microbiologist, IDSP, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Odisha. Associate Prof. Himanshu Sekhar Pradhan welcomed the guest and participants and Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Kuamr Satapthy, Director, KSPH delivered the opening remarks.
In the scientific session, Associate Prof. Himanshu Sekhar Pradhan of KSPH presented on the topic “Insights about ABR and Global & National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)”. Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Kumar Satpathy, Director, KSPH presented on the “Role of the Personnel manning the pharmacy stores in containment of ABR”. This was followed by an open discussion forum to deliberate the issues, challenges and clarifying the queries of the drug dispensers, which was facilitated by the speakers along with Dr. Ratikanta Tripathy, Associate Prof. Pharmacology, KIMS. Besides the drug dispensers, the students and faculty members of KSPH attended the workshop. The word of thanks was given by Mr. Jyoti Prakash, Research Associate, KSPH.