The Indian Pharmaceuticals Association - Student's Forum (IPA-SF), IPA's sixth division, may commence its operations formally within a month, as the first executive council of the forum will be formed in April 2006.

The IPA is carrying out identification and nomination of regional and local coordinators and student's representatives all over the country. Students' representatives were identified for 12 major states in the country, which covers more than 80% of the pharmacy colleges, according to sources from IPA.

Prior to the formation of IPA-SF, the association has initiated some long- term projects like database building for Post-graduate courses for pharmacy students. The forum will provide details of various types of higher pharmacy education offered by colleges all over the country. The forum has collected data on MPharm course from 40 colleges, sources said.

"We are trying to provide complete information on pharmacy education. At present, the pharmacy students find it very difficult to identify and choose the right courses offered by each of these colleges, application procedures, admission details and there is no such centralised body to provide such information. Our aim is to compile all such data into our website, so that the students can easily find their way," Kapil.M.Khambholja, one of the members of IPA-SF told Pharmabiz.

IPA has also decided to send two of its student representatives to the 52nd International Pharmacy Students Federation (IPSF) World Congress, to be held at Cairns, Australia in the month of July 2006. The IPA-SF is also planning to host a mega international event for the students, by the year 2008.

The forum has formed an IPASF official discussion group in the yahoo website. The student's forum, which focuses on sensitization, motivation and encouragement of students at various colleges and universities, has commenced career guidance and students counselling through this online discussion forum, according to Kapil. He said that the activities and structure of the forum would be in clear picture by the end of April 2006.

IPA-SF, commencing with an aim of building up a common platform for the pharmacy students all over the country, will have activities in diverse segments like educational and research facilitation activities through symposia, expert guest lectures, interstate, inter college and international student exchange programmes, research projects facilitation for industries, research groups, research institutes, contract literature services etc.

The forum will also conduct social and healthcare activities like healthcare awareness programmes, blood donation camps and vaccination camps, co-curricular and personality development activities such as career development program, PDC (Personality Development Camp) and talent search activities.