Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA), established in 1973, has set up a state branch in Andhra Pradesh with G Dharma Data (assistant director-I, drugs control administration, AP) as president. He was unanimously elected by pharmacy graduates in the state in a meeting held on March 21 at Hyderabad.

The pharmacy graduates represented various streams such as industry, regulatory departments, academia, community pharmacy, scientific research and retail pharmacy. More than 100 pharmacists have attended the meeting.

Dharma Data told Pharmabiz that the AP branch would ensure to fulfill the mission of IPGA- uplifting of careers of the pharmacy graduates in the country by securing them right position in pharmacy and allied sectors. AP has today about 25 pharmacy colleges which produce over 1500 B pharm graduates every year, which accounts to about 10 per cent graduates produced from the country.

R Uday Bhaskar, president, AIDCOC who acted as observer for the election of executive council said that there is need to address the problems faced by the pharmacy graduates. He added, pharmacy graduates are often exploited by their employers for a meager salary and they are unable to secure rightful position in their profession.

He also stressed the need of pharmacy graduates, who are technically sound to head the drugs control departments at state and central levels. Pharmacy graduates should fight for the creation of pharmacist posts in the Government offices such as medical stores, defense establishments, purchase of medicines by State Governments and by Central procuring agencies and hospitals, Uday Bhaskar added.

G Koteshwar Rao, first general secretary of the IPGA's AP branch said that only pharmacy graduates should take up jobs of pharmacists, as others fail in doing justice to the profession.

The first executive council consists of Dharma Data as president; PV Joshi, K Tata Rao and J Raja Mouli as vice-presidents; G Koteshwar Rao as general secretary; P Pavan Bapuji, K Raja Bhanu, M Vasudeva Rao as joint secretaries; and M Nageswara Rao Gupta as the treasurer.