Pharmaceutical Education in India has progressed much during the last 50 years. Almost non-existant at the time of Independence, it has grown sufficiently enough to generate highly skilled and technical manpower to man the wide spectrum of pharmaceutical activities associated with the drugs/medicines in the country. Indian pharmacy educational institutions churn out about 20,000 diploma holders in every batch. The number of graduates and post-graduates passing out annually is 5,000 and 700 respectively.
The uniqueness of the pharmacy profession is that it covers the entire spec-tra of the chemical, pharmacological, biochemical and biotechnological discoveries and also the process of converting them into suitable dosage forms. The manufacturing activity, regulation of drugs, retail chain, are all manned by professionals. As on today, the manpower requirements of pharmacy profession are met by a three-tier educational system offering diploma, graduate and postgraduate courses.
Diploma in Pharmacy
The minimum qualification to practice pharmacy as ''registered pharmacist'' under Pharmacy Act 1948 is a two-year study course followed by three months training. The curriculum comprises of pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutics, pharmacology and pharmacognosy. Medical subjects like clinical pathology, biochemistry and health education are also taught to prepare them as health educators.
Master in Pharmacy
M Pharm is an 18 - 24 months course with specializations on subjects like pharmaceutical biotech, IPR, QA, hospital and clinical pharmacy drug screening etc.
Pharmaceutical education in India has reached a take off stage to leap forward to meet the challenges of the new millennium. Three important aspects have to be considered seriously at this juncture.
1) The future depends on the quality of education offered by the institutions. Upgrading the present institutions by all means, including the strengthening of faculty, equipment, research and optimizing them should be given priority than trying to create new ones. Creating more centers of excellences equally distributed in all parts of the country will also help the advancement of pharmacy education.
2) Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) should be given more attention. The therapeutically important drugs based on centuries of human trials should be given due recognition. Toxicity studies, clinical trials and standardization of such drugs should be given priority.
3) Upgrading the level of education of the existing diploma holders to graduate level is also essential before making B Pharm, the minimum qualification to practice pharmacy.
--- The author is a academician