Perturbed over the poor state of affairs of the pharma education in the country largely due to the dual regulatory authority, the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has urged the central government to put an end to the dual regulatory authority in pharma education in the country by divesting the powers of AICTE in this connection.

In a proposal to the Union government, the PCI has urged the central government "to delete the word pharmacy from section 2G of the AICTE Act 1987 and thereby give sole authority to the PCI to control pharma education and practice of the profession in the country."

According to PCI president B Suresh, the problems caused in the Pharma education in the country was mainly due to the dual control over the pharmacy education prevalent in the country. The colleges would function in a better manner if one body regulated them. "We have urged the government to amend the AICTE Act to end this dual system," said Suresh.

"The pharmacy colleges in the country should be controlled by one agency and the same body should also give approval. This is the argument we are placing in front of the government. When the norms set by different bodies vary, the colleges are left in dilemma as to which one to follow. If there is one monitoring body then they can function in a better way. As PCI is a dedicated body of the pharmacists, I think the job can be done more efficiently by the PCI," said Suresh.

As Pharmabiz had earlier reported, the PCI had passed a resolution demanding to entrust the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) as the sole authority to regulate pharmacy education in the country. The demand was made during the second National Convention of Pharmacy Educators, organized under the education division of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) at Coimbatore in March last year.