Total number of registered pharmacists in Karnataka

The total number of registered pharmacists in Karnataka as on 16th June 2010 is 43652.

One Day Seminar on How the Indian Patent Office Decided in 2009

Year 2009 was an active year for the Indian Patent office, with more than 150 decisions involving patent applications being rendered. The choices the Patent Office makes in coming to these decisions gives an insight into the decision-making process at the Patent Office. More than the Patent Manual, it is these decisions that provide real-life situations of how applications are decided at the Patent Office. The orders of the Patent Office cover a wide array of matter ranging from application refusals under section 15 to pre-grant opposition . Your interest may lie in seeing your patents granted or in opposing others patents before their grant. Either way, you need to know the mind of the Patent Office this Seminar will tell you how the Patent Office decided in 2009.

The Agenda will include:
- Brief survey on the adjudicatory functions of the Patent Office with specific focus on section 15 and section 25 orders.
- Survey of all the cases decided by the Patent Office in 2009
- Analysing general trends on how the patent office decides in particular situations involving:
* Request for examination of applications
* Refusal of applications
* Divisional applications
* Abandonment of applications
* Pre-grant opposition of the application

Specific case studies to understand why and how patent applications get rejected

Venue: Academy of Intellectual Property Studies, Mumbai'

Date: Saturday, June 26, 2010-06-04

For more details :call 91 22 2874 6123 / 6522 1097 or e-mail info@aips.ac.in

One Day Seminar on Pre Grant Opposition

The Patent Office offers a level-playing field for challenging patents before their grant. This mechanism of a Pre-grant Opposition is a legal and cost-effective option, allowing companies to avoid expensive and time consuming infringement suits being brought against them. It also provides a good way to expand business opportunities, and companies have used pre-grant opposition to effectively challenge some of the biggest drugs in history such as Glivec, Forteo, Cialis, Diovan, Iressa, Viread, Caduet, Prezista, Nexium, Hepsera, Tamiflu, etc. The Seminar will study pre-grant opposition as an option, and the Agenda for the day includes:

1. General introduction on pre-grant opposition
2. The mechanics of drafting, filing and contesting a pre-grant opposition
3. Pre-grant opposition and the aftermath: What to do when the matter goes beyond the Patent Office
4. Survey of pre-grant opposition cases decided by the Patent Office since 2005 to 2010
5. Specific case studies to study the trends in pre-grant opposition

Venue: Academy of Intellectual Property Studies, Mumbai

Date: Friday, June 25, 2010

106 new drug inspectors to be appointed in Andhra Pradesh.

The state public service commission has almost finished the selection process and the appointment will take place in one month's time.

Currently there are 24 Drug Inspectors serving in Andhra Pradesh which has 23 districts. Apart from these 24, three ADCs are are working with additional charges of drug inspectors.
The current recruitment would take the total no. of Drug Inspectors to 130!

Andhra has 50,000 medical shops, 2200 manufacturing companies, 233 blood banks and an equal number of blood storage centres and the state would require 500 Drug Inspectors as per the recommendation of Mashelkar Committee.

Finally there is some good news for Pharmacists in the state to find a job in Government sector. This move would definitely strengthen the Drug control body and the government can effectively regulate Pharmacy related matters. With fake drug rackets and spurious drug scandals hitting the News headlines everyday, this step by the Andhra government is greatly appreciable.

Pharmacy Practice Regulation

The Government of India under the direction of Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) is in the process of finalizing the Pharmacy Practice Regulation which will mandate all hospitals to set up departments of clinical pharmacy manned by Pharm D graduates.

When Pharm.D was introduced in India in 2008 and there was a big question on the employment opportunities for those who complete this course. Hospital Pharmacy was (and is) a not so preferred job option by Pharmacy graduates due to the remuneration and the scenario was dreadful for those who will complete Pharm.D. Regulations made it mandatory that Pharmacy outlets should have a Pharmacist to dispense drugs but the real picture is that many Pharmacies, even in metros, are run by non-pharmacy people (sometimes a high school drop out dispenses drug).

Pharmacy graduates simply rent out their certificates to these shops and make a physical presence in case of an inspection. The blame is not on those who run the shops but the Pharmacists who make a hue and cry that there is unemployment and low salary.

With the introduction of the Pharmacy Practice Regulation, PCI may make an attempt to justify its stand in introducing Pharm.D course in India to take Pharmaceutical education in India to world standards. But what about the thousands of Pharmacists in the country with a Diploma or Degree in Pharmacy. A release stated "Pharm D will be the minimum qualification to seek postings at the departments of clinical pharmacy in hospitals"

Is this going to help the Pharmacist community or is it going to make things even worse? Most students in Pharmacy are aware of job options only in Marketing, Manufacturing, Teaching and Research. Clinical Research boom created a new career option but these days a fresher getting a job in a CRO is next to impossible. Also there is an influx from Medical doctors with M.B.B.S who are ready to work as CRAs or in Clinical Data Managment and Pharmacovigilance. So Pharmacists are still left with minimal job opportunities. Pharmacists hardly look for Government jobs (do not ask me the reason!)

PCI and the Government should consider improving the status of Hospital Pharmacy and also create more job opportunities for Pharmacists in both public and private sector.

Number of colleges offering Pharm.D in India to increase

PCI is making efforts to increase the number of colleges offering Pharm D to 60 from this academic year in August 2010-2011.

Currently 40 colleges in Five states Pharm.D in India.
Inspections are done at 15 more colleges.

More details at the following links:
Details of Pharm.D Colleges in India
Pharm.D in Karnataka
Pharm.D in Tamilnadu
Pharm.D in Andhra Pradesh
Pharm.D in Maharastra and Madhya Pradesh

Indian Pharmaceutical Congress 2010

The 62nd Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC), hosted by Indian Hospital Pharmacists’ Association (IHPA), will be held from December 17 to 19, 2010 in Manipal University.

It was at the 61st edition of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPCA) at Ahmedabad in December 2009 that the announcement was made. This event is taking place in Manipal for the third time.

The IPC is organized every year by IPCA, which is a federation of five professional bodies, viz., Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), Indian Pharmaceutical Graduates’ Association (IPGA), Indian Hospital Pharmacists’ Association (IHPA), Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers’ of India (APTI) and All India Drugs Control Officers' Confederation (AIDCOC).

Important Dates

Online Submission Starting from 1st August 2010
Last Date for Online Submission 30th September 2010
Announcement of Acceptance 15th October 2010