The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has initiated talks with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), USA, for recognition of Indian post-graduate and graduate programmes in pharmacy in the United States. The talks, if turned fruitful, would make life easier for pharmacy professionals aspiring to find jobs in USA.

Informing this to pharmabiz.com, Dr B Suresh, president PCI said that the initial meeting with the US council is already over. "We are developing a dialogue for cooperation. The PCI could even think of designing specialized programmes keeping in mind the requirements of the US council," he opined.

The PCI is planning to invite the Accreditation Council representatives to India for a visit to the pharmacy colleges in the country before they could go ahead with their plans for international recognition. The idea is to have them here in March 2006, Dr Suresh informed.

Interestingly, the demand for Indian pharmacy professionals is so high that bulk of the students who pass out of prestigious Indian pharmacy institutions are finding their way to the US.

The ACPE is the national agency of USA for the accreditation of professional degree programmes in pharmacy and providers of continuing pharmacy education. ACPE was established in 1932 for the accreditation of pre-service education, and in 1975, its scope of activity was broadened to include accreditation of providers of continuing pharmacy education.

"The demand is not confined to the US alone. Quality professionals are needed in India as well. A Bangalore-based pharma company has assured that they would need 60 post-graduates in pharmacy every year for the next 10 years. This shows the kind of demand that is there for talented people in pharmacy profession," Dr Suresh said.