The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has approached the Medical Council of India to make amendments in the Medical Council Act to ensure that the hospital pharmacies and drug information centres in all teaching hospitals of the country are managed by M Pharm graduates. The objective is to increase the job opportunities for postgraduates in pharmacy in the pharmacy practices sector of the country.

Informing this, Dr B Suresh, president, PCI said that the response from MCI to their suggestion has been very positive. The MCI is likely to put up the issue before its central council and PCI is to present its case before the council, Dr Suresh added.

There are over 300 teaching hospitals in the country. The PCI hopes that once it convinces the need for highly qualified pharmacy professionals to head the hospital pharmacies and drug information centres in teaching hospitals, the practice can be easily extended downwards to all major hospitals.

According to A K Adhikari, president, Indian Hospital Pharmacists Association (IHPA), hospital pharmacy is fast turning into the most lucrative area in pharmacy profession. According to him, all multi-specialty, corporate hospitals that are coming up in the country are employing graduates or post graduate in their pharmacies. In order to cater to the growing demand for hospital pharmacists various universities and institutions have also started pharmacy practice courses, Adhikari pointed out. While Jamia Hamdard and NIPER are among the premier institutions that offer courses in pharmacy practices in North India, there are several South Indian universities that have forayed into this area, he added.