With the appointment of a new Registrar, the Pharmacy Council of Pondicherry has resumed the renewal and fresh issuance of registration certificates to graduates of pharmacy from February 10. On Wednesday the Council issued 30 new registration certificates to 30 B Pharm Graduates.

The registration of certificates had been held up indefinitely for want of a registrar for the last five years. The government has appointed a new registrar one month ago.

On February 10, the inauguration of registration was done by the Union Territory’s Health & Family Welfare director, Dr.Dilip Kumar Baliga, said the new registrar, L. Sathyanarayana. Registration for another 66 certificates that are pending, some of which include those of post graduates, will be cleared in another one week.

According to the Registrar, since every pharmacy graduate or post graduate has to renew his or her certificate every year in Pondicherry, it is difficult for them to pursue a job or research work. So he is planning to put his idea into the next council meeting to get the registration validity period extended up to a minimum of five years. He said in certain states, one registration is valid for the life-time except change of photo in five years.

Another initiative from the registrar’s side is nothing but an effort to get the favour of the Central Council. Pondicherry pharmacy council has to give a sum about Rs 10,000, which was also pending for half a decade, to the Pharmacy Council of India. Every state pharmacy council has to give one-fourth of its registration fees to the central council for its functioning, as per the PCI Act. For this, the new registrar has engaged some internal auditors to audit the account balance and, he said, the dues will be cleared in one month’s time.

In the wake of revival of the council after constitution with elected members on September 30 last year, the office of the Council has been shifted to the new building situated in the premises of Government Pharmacy Campus in the city from Muringapakkam Government hospital building where the it was functioning from its inception.

The new registrar, L Sathyanarayana was working as a government pharmacist in the medicinal supply division in Gorimdu. In Pondicherry, as per the Territorial Act, a government servant with B Pharm Degree would be eligible to become the Registrar of the Council.

According to traders of pharmacy in Pondicherry, shortage of registered pharmacists has often put them into quandary as they could not adhere to the norms of D&C Act in appointing pharmacists in their shops.