Dr Grace Mary John, PharmD BCIDP - The First Indian to Pass the American Board Certification of Pharmacy Specialist in Infectious Diseases.
Dr Grace Mary John is the first Indian pharmacist to be an American Board Certified Infectious Disease Specialist. The American Board of pharmacy specialists has been known for its certification since 1976. This is the gold standard for determining whether a pharmacist is qualified to practice at advanced levels in his or her field of expertise.
BCIDP stands for American Board Certificate Infectious Diseases Pharmacist. The purpose of the BPS Board Certified Infectious Diseases Pharmacist (BCIDP) program is to validate that a pharmacist has advanced knowledge and experience.
Develop appropriate antimicrobial therapies that reduce adverse events, complications, and resistance using clinical and evidence-based knowledge;
Providing direct patient care through interprofessional health care teams, collaborative leadership of antimicrobial stewardship programs, and provider education, including immunizations; Promoting the appropriate use of antimicrobials; and Optimizing the antimicrobial potential of individuals while preventing the progression of antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases in society.
Her interest in antimicrobial stewardship began in college when she wanted to prevent Indian hospitals from prescribing drugs recklessly. During her graduation, she received the Best Outgoing Student - Gold Medal from PSG College of Pharmacy. Then, she completed training in Infectious Diseases and ASP at Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, a quaternary care hospital and India's leading ID centre. Throughout her life, she has been passionate about Antimicrobial Stewardship and has strived to change prescription practices in her country. She attended Tufts Medical Centre, Boston, to learn about Antimicrobial Stewardship. She has undertaken the SIDP certification in Antimicrobial Stewardship in Acute Care.
She is now working as the Lead Pharmacist and Infectious Diseases Clinical Specialist at our hospital. She was a driving force behind the establishment of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy. She leads a team of 46 clinical pharmacists. Also, the department trains over 60 interns every month. She advocates the role of clinical pharmacists in promoting antimicrobial stewardship programs.
