Around registrations of 12,000 pharmacists may be subjected to cancellations as Delhi Pharmacy Council (DPC) has sent repeated reminders and notices to the candidates for renewals of the same. The council has done 27,000 registrations since 1949 of which 12,000 registrations require renewals.

This, according to official sources, among other reasons is also attributed to the fact that pharmacists have not updated their respective professional addresses with the council.

According to a DPC official, "Renewals are not being done due to reasons among like pharmacist's transfer to other states, professional compulsion, death and in some cases lack of official correspondences on the part of pharmacist."

Cancellations may be done if the council does not receive due responses on the letters sent to the candidates for renewals, according to a DPC notification for renewal of registration which states that renewal is mandatory under section 34(1) of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 failing which your names will be struck off from the pharmacist register and you will also be not entitled to cast your vote in the coming Delhi Pharmacy Council Election.

For renewals of registrations, pharmacists should bring the following documents like a Bank draft of Rs.550 in favour of “Registrar Delhi Pharmacy Council” of SBI as renewal fees for five years, three passport size photographs, original registration certificate issued by this council, identity card issued by this council, photocopy of the registration certificate, residence proof in case of change of address and renewal form to be filled by the candidate (Available in the council office).

As per the details shared by DPC, a fee of Rs.500 is charged one time for five years by DPC for the registration and 900 pharmacists are registered annually on an average. The DPC official reasons out that many of the pharmacists might have joined the pharma industry in various capacities and even gone abroad to pursue advanced studies. Due to this, they have failed to update their addresses with the council.