The President Mrs Prathiba Devi singh Patil has called upon the pharma industry to provide quality and safe medicines at affordable prices to people . Inaugurating the World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Hyderabad today, the President expressed concern that 50 per cent of medicines worldwide prescribed or sold inappropriately .

She said the pharmacists are entrusted with task of ensuring safe and judicious use of medicines and also check the availability of spurious drugs in the market. Mrs Patil asked the pharma industry to have a separate wing to keep a tab on unscrupulous elements engaged in manufacturing spurious drugs and bring them to the notice of government to take action. She said pharmacists should be imparted state-of-the-art skills in meeting the emerging challenges in pharma sectir.

On the occasion, the President called for expansion of coverage of health care in urban poor and rural areas. She also called for more research on ayurvedic and alternative medicine. Mrs Patil asked the developing countries to work closely with developed countries in addressing health care issues. The five-day event is expected to throw light on various issues related to emerging challenges in pharma industry.