In an effort to update the pharmacists about the latest developments in the pharma industry through continuing education programme, the Kerala State Pharmacy Council (KSPC) has decided to appoint resource persons in all the districts of the state. These resource persons will be conducting the education programme in each district of the state on Sundays.

This is for the first time resource persons are being appointed for educating the pharmacists. So far, the pharmacy college teachers or drug inspectors have been taking classes during the continuing education programmes. Only the B Pharm holders will be roped in to conduct the programme as only they will be able to impart knowledge about the latest developments in the pharma industry.

According to KSPC president K M Ishac, this would be a good move to employ a large number of B Pharm holders in the state. Though the resource persons would not be permanent employees, he said that this move would help the resource persons to learn a lot of issues about the pharmaceutical industry by teaching others and also earn a reasonable salary.

The decision to appoint resource persons has been taken in response to the Pharmacy Council of India's (PCI) rule that the pharmacists should attend at least one continuing education programme once in three years. The PCI also states that the registration of pharmacists should be renewed only if he upgrades his knowledge by attending the education programmes.

According to Ishac, the KSPC wanted to conduct the continuing education programmes in the districts, as they would be able to conduct more number of education programmes and meet the requirement of the PCI. "Earlier we could conduct only 2 classes per year in a district and we could cover only a small number of people. But if we do it in all the districts on every Sunday through the resource persons, then more number of education programmes can be conducted and more number of people can be covered," he said.

Speaking about the proposed MNVG Adiyodi College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ishac said that the decision would be taken after a meeting, which would be held in the coming days.

As Pharmabiz had reported earlier, a pharmaceutical science college was proposed to be built on 5 acres of land in Pandheerankavu near Kozhikode in Kerala. The estimated investment for the college will be around Rs 5 crore and it will be in line with the latest developments in the pharma industry. The college will be named after M N V G Adiyodi, the former president of KSPC and there are also plans to conduct research programmes in the college.