The Union government should take urgent steps to make the pharmacy profession in the country to be governed by one national body rather than the present system of being controlled by dual authorities namely by AICTE and the PCI.

Likewise, the higher education and research in pharmacy is looked after by NIPER, which is under a separate body, Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), created last year by the Union ministry of chemicals & fertilizers. The involvement of various departments and agencies in the pharmacy education as well as the profession may create myriad problems. So the pharmacy profession should be brought under one regulatory body, said S L Nasa, president of Indian Pharmaceutical Congress 2010 and registrar of the Delhi Pharmacy Council.

He was delivering the key note address at Amrita School of Pharmacy, Kochi while launching the first Pharm D course in Kerala. Amrita School of Pharmacy has introduced the Pharm D six year regular and three year post baccalaureate courses on July 31.

Nasa said it cannot be justified that AICTE should have some governing powers with pharmacy education. It should be entirely under the control of the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI).

He asked when the Medical education is governed by the Medical Council of India (MCI), nursing education is controlled by Nursing Council and the dental education is under by Dental Council, why pharmacy education cannot be governed by Pharmacy Council of India. What is the need for two governing bodies for pharmacy education only. It should also be under the one umbrella like other medical and paramedical courses.

Regarding higher education, he said, NIPER is conducting many PG courses and researches, which is under the control of department of pharmaceuticals. This is also a sector that needs reform. All the courses of pharmacy should be brought under the control of PCI under Ministry of Health, the IPC president said.

He pointed out that many states in India have still not implemented the section 26 (1) of the Pharmacy Act 1948 which states that every state pharmacy council can appoint pharmacy inspectors to check whether the dispensing, compounding and mixing of medicines are handled by qualified pharmacists only. This is just to implement section 42 of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act. Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have implemented this. The remaining states should implement the act immediately. It will increase the job opportunities of the qualified pharmacists also, he said.

The inauguration of the Pharm D courses were done by the state minister of co-operation G Sudhakaran, who said the introduction of Pharm.D courses in Amrita School of Pharmacy adds one more golden feather to the professional education in Kerala.

While welcoming the audience, Dr K G Revikumar, Principal of Amrita School of Pharmacy, said the School has full-fledged facilities to run the courses at par with international standards.

Dr Prem Nair, medical director, AIMS delivered the presidential address. Dr T K Ravi, Principal of SRIPMS, Coimbatore and Dr P G Nair, department of pharmacology, AIMS, New Delhi, were felicitated. Professor Emmanuel James, department of pharmacy practice, Amrita School, proposed a vote of thanks.

In the following scientific session, Dr R Manavalan, HoD of pharmacy, Annamala University and Prof Surulivel Rajan, HoD, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences shared their experiences about the Pharm.D course. Dr M G K Pillai, professor of general medicine chaired the session.