In order to make the pharmacists industry-oriented, the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) is working on setting up 10 National Schools of Pharmacy in the country on the lines of Mission Reach Project of the Union health ministry. The PCI has already sent a proposal to this effect to the health ministry for the final nod.

As per the proposal sent to the health ministry, the PCI will set up 10 National Schools of Pharmacy in different parts of the country. While, five existing pharmacy colleges will be converted into National Schools of Pharmacy, PCI will set up the rest five schools in different regions of the country. It will be projects involving the PCI, industry and the government. It will be executed on the same lines of Mission Reach Project.

PCI chairman Dr B Suresh said that the ministry is expected to give its green signal for the project early next year as the Minister is also seized of the importance of such a project. Once the nod is received from the ministry, PCI will first identify the existing five pharmacy colleges for converting them into National Schools of Pharmacy.

Dr Suresh said that the concept of setting up such institutions of excellence is to provide good pharmacists to the industry, which is the major user of pharmacist workforce. "On interaction with industry, we learnt that we are not providing pharmacist as per the need of industry. As a result, industry has to invest a lot in training them according to its needs," he said.

Under this project, the PCI proposes: to produce high quality manpower in areas of direct and immediate relevance to industry (manufacturing, analysis, R & D, marketing, etc.); to take-up industry/user organization oriented activities such as sponsored/ contract research and consultancy towards revenue generation; and to provide continuing education support to pharmacy institutions and pharmaceutical industry.