Indian pharmacy education is not on par with standards of the western world. There is a need for key additions like research- based programmes in graduation courses and a syllabus revamp which is in sync with the current advances of the pharmaceutical industry, according to Neha Dembla, chairperson, 61st International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) World Congress.

The current challenges faced by students is the existence of a huge gap between the knowledge acquired during the degree course and what is required by the industry, research lab and healthcare providers. The paucity of infrastructure like lab equipment and instruments required for the research activities in colleges add to the woes of the pharmacy candidate, said Dembla.

As the chairperson of the 61st IPSF World Congress, which will be organised in India for the first time in July this year in association with the Indian Pharmaceutical Association, Dembla told Pharmabiz that several issues impact pharmacy graduates and post graduates including lack of recognition. For instance B Pharm candidates are offered stereotypical jobs and are hardly given a chance to be part of industrial research which stalls their exposure to present advances in R&D that is vital for career enhancement, she noted.

However at the same time industrial, community and hospital pharmacy internships should be mandated during every year of their study to enable assess their line of interest. A focus on the job opportunities for Pharm D, B Pharm and M Pharm students is required. It is imminent that job openings are saturated for pharmacy candidates as those from other subject specializations are hired by the drug companies which should change. Pharma companies should attract only pharmacy graduates and post graduates since they have the theoretical knowledge that would give them a head-start to take off with responsibility in either drug research, manufacture or marketing, noted Dembla.

Another issue is the inadequate pay package which disillusions candidates who seek jobs and deter the rest of the students from opting for pharmacy degree. As the host of the IPSF World Congress with its theme ‘Bridging Gaps in Current Pharmacy Education’, the intent is to have varied opinions and information to improve the Indian pharmaceutical education and create better future with brighter prospects for the budding pharmacists.

Moreover, this theme was voted for and finalized by the General Assembly of the 60th IPSF World Congress at Porto, Portugal in August 2014. Being a part of IPSF, we understand that shortfalls in pharmacy education are common globally. However, particularly with Indian pharmacy education, it is the research which is not contemporary, she said.