A Glance in the Pharmacy Practices of the ASEAN Countries: Indonesia,Vietnam, Malaysia, India and the Philippines

The term Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) encompasses all related activities including the supply of medication and other health products, the provision of health information and advice for the patient, and patient health outcomes. The Federation International Farmaceutique (FIP) final guidelines defined GPP as “the practice of pharmacy that responds to the needs of the people who use the pharmacists’ services to provide optimal, evidence-based care [1]. The practice of pharmacy is regulated by legislation forming the bases for the further development of the profession by the law of that particular land. The aim of this review is to present data-based articles about the basic concepts, principles and activities of Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP), in ASEAN countries with the emphasis on the context of professional practice (Health Care System, Pharmacy Practice, and Pharmacy Education). The Federation International Farmaceutique (FIP) promotes the principles and activities of GPP, and based on its recommendations, it is necessary that every national pharmaceutical association should adopt its own GPP standards that would serve as guide for their practice. Presented also in this review are the context of professional practice (Health Care System, Pharmacy Practice, and Pharmacy Education); good pharmacy practice settings that include: Rational use of medicines (RUM); Pharmaceutical care services where pharmacists are involved and function according to their mandate. Importantly, this paper presents that every pharmacist, should acquire and fulfill the GPP Standards, in order to give full professional and personal contribution to the improvement of service quality and health promotion in their respective areas in ASEAN countries.