Concerned by the deteriorating professional value of pharmacists in the country, experts want the Centre to chalk out a time bound roadmap for the upliftment of the pharmacy profession by collaborating with the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), and various professional pharmacy associations across India, at the earliest. Experts stressed that unless some concrete efforts are put into developing and implementing a progressive educational system in tune with current requirements, pharmacy practice will further suffer huge blow.

It is understood that majority of pharmacists working in the community pharmacies in the country have a D Pharm degree, a two-year course, that was last updated 25 years ago. Raj Vaidya practicing community pharmacists from Goa who played a key role in introducing the Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP) concept in India, pointed out that though pharmacy education in India have made some strides, it still has a long way to go to be at par with the advanced pharmacy practice followed in other developed countries.

He stressed that it is high time for the Centre to upgrade and implement a more practical and knowledgeable diploma curriculum immediately and decide on a cut off date to phase out diploma and make at least a four-year course as the minimum qualifications to practice pharmacy.

He further advocated to increase the practice component in the B. Pharm curriculum along with practical training in community and hospital pharmacy, or allow the student to specialize in industrial pharmacy or pharmacy practice in the third and fourth year, or have two separate courses for pharmacy – four-year industrial pharmacy or four-year pharmacy practice, along with adequate hands on exposure.

Recently, PCI had made it mandatory to complete two days of continuing education over five years as a pre-requisite for a pharmacist to renew his practice license. Vaidya pointed out that compared to the key role that a pharmacist plays, the requirement is hardly enough, especially since alternate qualification to practice pharmacy is the four-year B Pharm course. He stressed that the number of hours for compulsory continuing education should be increased to be equal that in the advanced countries.

The curriculum for this course is largely industry oriented with minimal pharmacy practice content and no hands on exposure. Yet, without having any such exposure, the pharmacist is eligible to be the authorized person to supervise and dispense prescriptions from day one, said Vaidya.

These students are in the mental framework of going into the industry, and if at all some of them do join community pharmacy, it is with reluctance, with no other option left. To add to it, there is no pre-registration compulsion for training nor any pre-registration examination.

Vaidya added that pre-registration training and exam must be a compulsion for permission to practice pharmacy. Simultaneously, efforts should be made for stricter implementation of laws to ensure that pharmacists are always present at the pharmacy. Efforts to be made to set up pharmacy colleges in locations/states where there is shortage of pharmacists.

He informed that though pharmacists with Pharm D which requires six year practice oriented qualifications have started passing out since the last two years, hardly any students have shown interest in working in the community pharmacy because of poor remuneration, lack of professional approach and status of community pharmacies.

Besides, he pointed out that the Pharm D students barely have any hands-on exposure in community pharmacy environment which can lead to public health taking a serious beating.