Expressing concern over the menace of spurious drugs, Haryana State Drug Controller RK Singla has advocated pharmacists' key role in ensuring the quality standards in drug production.

Speaking as chief guest at the second annual conference of Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI) Haryana state branch at Maharshi Dayanand University, Singla said ‘zero-defect medicines’ need to be made a mission.

He also called for close and regular interactions between drug regulatory affairs officials and pharmacy-academia. He also advocated the cause of pharmaceutical start-up to boost employment amongst pharmacy students.

President of APTI central branch Prof. Mahesh Burande has also emphasized the need of introducing and promoting pharmaceutical entrepreneurship.

He said that concerted efforts need to be made so that India becomes pharma-super power by 2020.

Presiding over the inaugural session of the two-day conference, Prof. Sunita Malhotra, dean, academic affairs, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak said that pharmacy teachers have a key role to play in honing the skills of pharmacy students. She called for socially useful research in pharmacy sector.

Prof. SK Kulkarni, former vice chancellor, Punjab University, Chandigarh emphasised the need to uplift the standards of pharmacy education in India. Global standards in this sector need to be kept in the mind, he added.

The conference which was held on the theme “Future of Pharmacy Profession, Role of Pharmacy Teachers” witnessed participation of around 800 delegates from different parts of the country.

The second day of conference ended with the award ceremony. Ram Gopal Gupta Memorial Life Time Achievement award 2015 was conferred to Prof. AK Madan. Prof Narasimhan B. received Anirudh Kumar Bishnoi Memorial Best Pharmaceutical Scientist Award. APTI Haryana state branch Young Pharmacy Teacher Award was conferred to Dr. Rohit Dutt, and Prof Milind Parle received Prabhu Dyal Memorial Best Pharmacy Teacher Award for 2015.