The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), constituted by the central government to regulate the profession and practice of pharmacy in the country, has cautioned the aspiring pharma students that the B Pharm course being conducted by Lucknow Institute of Pharmacy is not recognised by the PCI.

“B Pharm course conducted by Lucknow Institute of Pharmacy, Chanda Sarai, Near Gosaiganj, Lucknow (UP), is not approved by the Pharmacy Council of India u/s 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 for the purpose of registration as a pharmacist,” the PCI cautioned the gullible students.

Meanwhile, it is noticed by the PCI in the recent times that several pharmacy institutions in the country have started offering different pharma courses which have no approval from the PCI. To save the students from the trap of the educational institutes which very often take the students for a ride by announcing courses without due permission of the concerned authorities, the PCI periodically cautions the pharmacy students against illegal the courses being introduced by the fraudulent educational institutions whose sole aim is to mint money.

Recently, the PCI had cautioned the aspiring pharma students that the 2-year D. Pharm course on experience basis being conducted by Board of Technical Education, Delhi, 77, Vipin Garden, New Delhi, 110059 is not approved by the PCI u/s 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 for the purpose of registration as a pharmacist. Before that, the PCI had also clarified to the aspiring students that it will not approve the 5-½ year integrated course in Pharmacy being introduced by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Earlier in July last year, the PCI had announced that the six month diploma course started by the Kolkata-based Academy of Pharmacy Management & Guidance (APMG) in association with All India Chemists & Distributors Federation (AICDF) was also not recognised by the PCI. In April this year, the PCI had cautioned the aspiring pharma students that the two year non-attending Diploma in Pharmacy course being advertised by the Noble Group of Institutes, Haryana was not approved by the PCI.

The pharmacy education in the country is regulated by the PCI and it ensures uniform implementation of the educational standards throughout the country by approving the courses of study and examination for qualifying for registration as a pharmacist. The PCI is also responsible for approving the Examining Authorities for conducting pharmacy examination for qualifying for registration as a pharmacist; and also withdrawing approval, if the course of study does not continue to be in conformity with the educational standards prescribed by the PCI.