The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has notified specific rules and regulations for the appointment of pharmacy teachers with prescribed qualifications and experience in various departments of a pharmacy institution imparting diploma, graduate and post-graduate education to maintain the minimum standard of teaching in pharmacy institutions.
As per the new notification, which has been brought by the PCI to make the appointment of pharmacy teachers in a systematic way in the country, all pharmacy teachers must possess a basic degree recognised by the PCI in pharmacy obtained from an examining authority (University) approved by the PCI under section 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 and the candidate should be registered in the register of pharmacists maintained by a State Pharmacy Council. The appointing authority can also consider the candidatures of the holders of equivalent qualifications approved and notified by the PCI from time to time.
The new notification prescribes that all teaching faculty shall be full time except in respect of the subjects like mathematics and statistics, basic electronics, computer applications, pharmaceutical business management, engineering drawing and pathology etc. where part-time teaching staff shall be permitted. Only those teachers with M.Pharm/Pharm.D or Ph.D qualifications recognised by the PCI who have undergone B.Pharm course from an institution approved by the PCI under Section 12 of the Pharmacy Act,1948 shall be recognised as pharmacy teachers.
According to the new PCI notification, Only those teachers who possess at least five years teaching experience obtained in approved/recognised Pharmacy College after passing M.Pharm/Pharm.D course or three years teaching experience after Ph.D shall be recognised by the PCI as post-graduate pharmacy teachers.
Any teacher who is found to be involved in malpractices or guilty of misconduct or misdemeanour shall be debarred from teaching in an institution approved by the PCI for a period of three years; and a teacher working at more than one place simultaneously shall render himself liable to disciplinary action.
As per the notification, the employer Pharmacy Institution shall be responsible to ensure that the faculty employed by it as teacher is not working simultaneously in any other institution. In case the employer Pharmacy institution submits false Staff Declaration Form (SDF) in this regard then action shall be taken against it under Section 13 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948. A Pharmacy teacher shall be considered teacher in one pharmacy college in one academic year (1st July to 30th June of next calendar year). In case the person was already considered teacher during particular academic year in any pharmacy college, he shall not be counted/considered as teacher in other institution in same academic year.