Pharmacy Office

The Pharmacy office is responsible for the general administration of the department. All the activities relating to the calling of local quotations, procurement, receipts, storage, distribution and dispensing of drugs, preparation of purchase proposals, liaison with departments, excise and drug control departments of Government of Pondicherry and vendors, initiation to get the renewal of narcotic licenses, issue of not available certificates, arranging to convene the DP&UMC meetings, monitoring the quality issues and controlling all the units of Pharmacy under the guidance of Head of the pharmacy. There are 525 not available certificates are issued from the pharmacy office. The Clinical Pharmacist and Chief Pharmacist are supervising all the sections of the Pharmacy.

Tablet Store

About 242 drugs are stocked in tablet stores. One senior pharmacist and two pharmacists are posted along with 3 helpers. The average number of indents issued per week is 120. The drugs are issued to different wards and pharmacies on weekly basis. The purchase proposals which are prepared based on the monthly consumption are sent to the pharmacy office for preparation of supply orders and then to the purchase section. Issue of Non-availability certificates to the staff and students is given for the not available drugs. Inventory control of drugs and receipt of drugs as per the supply orders are monitored. If any quality or quantity issue is  noticed it is brought to the notice of the Head of Pharmacy for further action.

Injection Store

About 291 injections are available in the injection store. One Sr. Pharmacist and three Pharmacists along with four helpers are posted in the injections stores. The average number of indents issued per week is 280. Injections are issued to different wards, operation theatres and emergency medical services on weekly basis. Non-availability certificates are issued to the SSHC beneficiaries. Inventory control of drugs, receipt of drugs as per the supply orders is monitored. If any quality or quantity issue it will be brought to the supplier’s knowledge for correction. Injections are issued 24x7 based on the emergency requirement.

Narcotic Drugs

Ten narcotic drugs are stocked in the narcotic stores. These drugs will be issued as per the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act against the special dangerous drug indent, duly signed by the head of the dept/consultant which is verified with the specimen signature available in the pharmacy. These narcotic drugs are purchased from the authorized firms after obtaining special storage and transport licenses from the excise and drug control department, Government of Puducherry. Every first week of the month Narcotic utilization certificate will be sent to the excise commissioner. Local Purchase "A sum of Rs.13,56,961/- was utilized for the local purchase of drugs for the year 2020-21.". This service adds to the palliative care of the patients in the Regional Cancer Centre.

I.V. Fluids, Medical Gas and Miscellaneous Store

The IV fluids and medical gas store is managed by a Senior Pharmacist and one Pharmacist. On an average of 69 IV Fluid formulations are available in the stores along with 900 numbers A & B type Oxygen and nitrous oxide cylinders. The average number of indents per week is 60 for IV fluids and 70 for medical gas cylinders.

Cold Storage /Special storage

Human Insulin, vaccines and certain antibiotics are generally more delicate and sensitive to temperature these drugs are to be stored between 2 to 8 degrees celsius. Four walk-in coolers are available for storing lifesaving drugs/vaccines at the recommended temperature range in order to retain the potency and efficacy of life-saving drugs/vaccines. There are 68 lifesaving drugs stored in the walk-in-coolers.

Surgical Store

Sixteen surgical items are available in the surgical store. The issue is done once in a week on Wednesdays. The average number of indents issued per week is 50.

Disinfectant Store

Fifteen disinfectant solutions are stocked in the store. The disinfectants are issued every Friday on average, 210 indents are issued per week.

Chemical Store

69 chemicals and formulations are available in the store. On average 15 indents are issued per week.

Local Purchase

Any lifesaving drug or essential drug which is not available in hospital pharmacy or not quoted in the tender or not listed in the tender and drugs for Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (TNCMCHIS) and Ayushman Bharath Insurance scheme are procured through local purchase procedure from the registered local chemists through local tender. The selection of firms will be approved by the Local Drug Purchase Committee. The drugs are purchased only after obtaining the financial sanction from the Medical Superintendent and Director. A sum of Rs.13,56,961/- was utilized for the local purchase of drugs for the year 2020-21.

TNCMCH/PMJAY Insurance Schemes

For the patients undergoing treatment under the TNCMCHI scheme, drugs are purchased under a separate Local Purchase and the cost of purchase is reimbursed to the institute by the insurance company. One pharmacist is posted in the pharmacy office for local purchase and Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme and Pradhan Manthri Jan Arogya Yojana Insurance scheme.

"One pharmacist is posted in the pharmacy office for local purchase and Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme and Pradhan Manthri Jan Arogya Yojana Insurance scheme."

Preparation Section

There are 32 different extemporaneous preparations prepared in this section most of which are not available in the open market. Some special preparations are also prepared based on the special request from the user departments. The annual budget for this section is approximately 15 lakhs per year. Some of the extemporaneous preparations prepared are Lugol’s Iodine, Shohl’s solution, Joulies solution, Eusol, Glycerin tannic acid, Mag- sulph glycerin and Gentian Violet Solution. From August 2019 onwards ready-made preparations of ointments and lotions are procured. There are 45 indents issued per week. The ward issues are done three days a week.

OPD Pharmacy

125 drugs and 50 different ointments, lotions, liniment, ear drops, mixtures, syrups, and solutions which are prepared by hospital pharmacy preparation section are available in the OPD pharmacy for the patients attending Medicine, Surgery, ENT, Psychiatry, Skin Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Pulmonary Medicine Outpatient Departments and the special Clinics like HIV, Geriatric, Allergy, De-addiction, and Hematology. Drugs are dispensed to an average of 2500 patients daily. Drugs are issued for 4/5 days to all patients attending the OPD’s and for 30 days for special clinic patients, medicine, pulmonary medicine, Geriatrics, HIV, Dermatology, Hematology and leprosy patients. Regular drug counselling is given to needy patients. Every month the list of available drugs is being circulated to all OPD’s. It is managed by one Senior Pharmacist, 13 Pharmacists and 3 Contract Pharmacists along with 3 Helpers.

Staff and Students Health Clinic Pharmacy (SSHC)

The staff and students pharmacy dispenses drugs to patients attending Staff and Students Health Clinic. 197 drugs are available in the staff pharmacy. Drugs are issued for 30 days for follow-up clinic patients and for 5/7 days for OPD patients. The average attendance per day is around 300. The SSHC beneficiaries are entitled to the reimbursement of drugs that are not available or not stocked in JIPMER pharmacy. One senior pharmacist and one pharmacist are posted in the SSHC pharmacy.

Super Specialty Block Pharmacy (SSB Pharmacy)

150 drugs are available in this section. Drugs are dispensed to the patients attending super speciality clinics of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Plastic surgery, Urology, Nephrology, Clinical Immunology, Cardiology, Cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, Diabetic, Endocrinology, Medical Gastroenterology, and Surgical Gastroenterology. The average patient attendance is 2500 per day. It is managed by 1 Senior Pharmacist, 8 pharmacists and 8 contract pharmacists. Besides dispensing drugs, counselling is also being given to needy patients. Drugs are issued to the above patients for 30 days up to six PM on working days.

Super Specialty Pharmacy (Annex)

There are 98 drugs are stocked in this pharmacy outlet. Patients attending Neurology, Endocrinology and Clinical Immunology are getting drugs from this pharmacy. 30 days drugs are issued for follow up clinic patients. An average of  300 patients attending every day.

Sub Store in SS Block

There are 25 drugs are stored. The sub-store is managed by 2 pharmacists of super speciality pharmacy for the issue of surgical items and IV fluids for the wards of the super-speciality block WCH & RCC Blocks once a week.

RCC Pharmacy

152 drugs are available in the RCC pharmacy. Drugs are dispensed to the patients attending the Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, RCC-ICU, and Surgical Oncology. The chemotherapy injections and drugs are issued to the patients attending the daycare centre as per the advice of the oncologist. The pharmacy is managed by three pharmacists. Most of the lifesaving anti-cancer drugs like Cisplatin, Rituximab, Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), Cyclophosphamide, 5-Fluorouracil, Doxorubicin, Gemcitabine and drugs for Bone marrow transplant are dispensed to the patients. The narcotic drugs are issued as per the NDPS Act. 1985 to the patients through the palliative care unit. An average of 200 patients attended per day.

WCH Pharmacy

Women and Children Hospital Pharmacy is functioning in the WCH block. 127 drugs are available in this pharmacy in which drugs are dispensed to the patients attending Pediatrics, Neonatology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology. OPD’s & clinics like Pediatric diabetic, Nephrology, Cardiology, Neurology, TB, Antenatal, Paediatric Guidance, Gastroenterology. The pharmacy is managed by one Senior pharmacist and two pharmacists.

Screening OPD Pharmacy

The screening OPD Pharmacy was established for catering the patients attending Dental, Geriatrics and covid screening. There are 150 drugs are stocked in the screening Pharmacy.

24 hours EMS Pharmacy

24 hrs Pharmacy started to function from 01.07.2014 near the side of the Super Specialty Pharmacy block for the patients attending Trauma EMS & EMS of the WCH. This pharmacy is working 24x7 one pharmacist per shift is posted ( i.e Three shifts/day).

Drug Analysis Lab

Drug Analysis Lab was established in JIPMER to check the quality-related problems reported in JIPMER. Random samples are taken from the supplies and sent to the Drug Analysis Lab for basic testing. In case any quality complaints are received from the user departments the Analysts will visit the site and submit the report about the quality issues. The final decision will be taken by the Head of Pharmacy thereafter.