Gujarat State Pharmacy Council (GSPC) has started the process to hold elections for the new office bearers which will get completed by December 2013. The five year term of the state council members has already expired in the month of August.

The process of filing nominations has been started and will end on September 27. The process of voting through postal ballot will get over in the first week of November and final results will be announced on December 3.

The new body will comprise of 17 members consisting of six members elected by registered pharmacists from amongst themselves, five nominated by the Government of Gujarat and six ex-officio members including two from Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. GSPC is a statutory body constituted by the Government of Gujarat under the Pharmacy Act of 1948.

Informs Dr H G Koshia, commissioner, Gujarat Food & Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), "Selection of the ex-officio members and nomination of five members has been started and will get completed by December 2013."

With the formation of the new state council, State FDA is planning to conduct several programmes including Continuing Education Programmes (CEPs) for which two Pharmacologists have already been recruited. Weekend CEP Programmes will also be conducted for which modules are being developed to give boost to community pharmacy.

Strengthening of Drug Information Centres (DICs) and framing vocational training programmes and modules for the fresh graduates coming out of the pharmacy colleges in the state is an important area the news council should take up, once it comes into being. "We are targeting fifty per cent of the total 52, 000 registered pharmacists with the council initially for the sake of giving them practical exposure through vocational training programme for the sake of better therapeutic outcomes and patient well being," said Pradip Trivedi, president, GSPC.

Council's initiative to start online registration last year has helped to not only increase registrations but also in the renewal of around 6,000 registrations.