Indian pharmaceutical sector has grown to a world class industry during the last three decades with almost 45 per cent of its production is being exported to the US, Europe and many developing countries. The growth of this industry over the years has also pushed up the demand for quality pharmacy professionals in the country. The spurt in the number of pharmacy colleges in most parts of the country in recent years is a clear indication of this growing demand. There are more than 800 pharmacy colleges in the country at present, which was around 300 just four to five years ago. Although the number of pharmacy colleges has gone up over the years, the quality of pharmacy education is not up to the mark on account of various factors. The main reason for this situation is the shortage of competent faculty in the colleges. It is fact that a large number of the 800 pharmacy colleges is being run without adequate number of pharmacy teachers and some even do not have principals. Some of the colleges are found to be lacking even the basic infrastructure such as laboratory and equipments. As these pharmacy colleges are controlled by managements having mainly commercial interests, such lapses in maintaining standards of education are common. But, what is surprising is the indifferent attitude of All India Institute of Technical Education in periodically inspecting the colleges and taking action.Now the Pharmacy Council of India is the designated authority to ensure uniform implementation of educational standards in pharmacy colleges throughout the country by approving courses of study and examination for qualifying for registration as a pharmacist. PCI had thus issued show cause notices to several pharmacy colleges in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the past for flouting rules in running these institutions. Early this month, Pharmabiz carried a report that some of the pharmacy colleges in the country are planning to change the duration of Diploma in Pharmacy course to four years and minimum qualification for applying to the course to 10th standard from 12th with the sanction from AICTE. This is actually in contravention of the Education Regulations, 1991 (ER-91) for Diploma course in Pharmacy framed by PCI.
Now PCI has warned the colleges that in the event of any deviation from the statutory provisions with regard to admission qualification and duration of the D.Pharm course and will disqualify passed out students to be eligible for registration as a pharmacist and practise the profession under the Pharmacy Act. What is emerging from all these developments is the confusion that is being created by having dual authority in regulating pharmacy education in the country. This is not a desirable situation to have an atmosphere of uncertainty for the young pharmacists coming out of the colleges. In fact, it does not seem appropriate to have AICTE as the sanctioning authority of pharmacy colleges while PCI has to oversee the quality of pharmacy education. Central government should have thought of assigning PCI as the sole authority to regulate the pharmacy education and profession in the country.
