Pharmaceutical
industry in India is well developed and achieved global standards in
its manufacturing practices and product quality over the last 25
years but the pharmacy education in the country is lagging far behind
in terms of excellence. This is despite the fact that the pharmacy
education in the country commenced as early as 1932 with a college at
Banaras Hindu University. By the year 2000, the number rose to 300
and by 2010 the number has touched 1086. The intake capacity of all
the colleges comes to around 70,000 but the job opportunities for the
graduates coming out of these colleges every year are dismal. Many of
the pharmacy colleges offering B Pharm course in the country are
facing a serious crisis for last some months. In fact, some of the
Pharmacy colleges in Andhra Pradesh are facing immediate closure. Now
what is worrying the senior pharmacy professionals and industry
leaders today is the declining quality of pharmacy education. There
has been a steady deterioration in the standards of pharmacy
education in the country over the years. This was reiterated by the
leaders of the profession at the 15th Annual Convention of the
Association Pharmaceutical Teachers of India held at Hyderabad early
this month. Most professionals are of the view that that the pharmacy
graduates coming out of the colleges lack the knowledge and skills
required for working in a manufacturing facility, hospital or in a
community setting. This is quite an alarming observation. Dr B
Suresh, president of Pharmaceutical Council of India, himself has
admitted at the Convention that PCI received several complaints from
teachers and students of various pharmacy colleges about the
declining quality of pharmacy education.
One
of the main drawbacks of the pharmacy education is the current trend
of its commercialization by the people who are running these
institutions. They somehow get the permission to start the pharmacy
college without the basic facilities and faculty. Interaction between
pharmacy colleges and industry or healthcare organizations is
necessary to know their needs and it would help them to include what
is possible and appropriate into the educational system. Quality in
teaching and training of pharmacy students with the facilities is the
key to the betterment of the profession. But, shortage of trained and
committed teachers is the major problem faced by the pharmacy
colleges in the country. Academic position in pharmacy institutions
is no more an attractive option for the pharmacists as compared to
many areas of industrial pharmacy. It is interesting to note in this
context that Association Pharmaceutical Teachers of India has taken
up the task of improvement of pharmacy education as a national
mandate. The Association’s proposal for the establishment of an
Academic Staff College for Pharmacy Teachers is thus a move in the
right direction. The facility is expected to give training to the
teachers as professionals and behavioural skill development organ of
the Association. This initiative needs to be fully supported by not
only the government but also the pharmaceutical industry of the
country so as to maintain and enhance quality of the pharmacy
professionals.