Indian Pharmacist Association (IPA) has demanded to the Union health minister to upgrade the minimum qualification of the pharmacists from D.Pharm to B.Pharm. In a letter written to the union health ministry, IPA has also demanded the grade pay of Rs. 4,200 for the pharmacists.

Abhay Kumar, National President, IPA, says “All countries including underdeveloped countries have minimum qualification of B.Pharm for becoming a registered pharmacist. India is a developing country and it is expected to become developed country shortly but we are lagging behind in pharmacy from underdeveloped countries because minimum qualification for becoming a registered pharmacist is still D.Pharm. There is an urgent need that minimum qualification for registering as pharmacist should be upgraded to B.Pharm at par with other countries.”

IPA has also expressed the need to start a part time B.Pharm from IGNOU or other Open University for those diploma pharmacists who want to join government service or upgrade their knowledge like other professionals.

Highlighting the issue of low grade pay in Madhya Pradesh, Kumar said that the 6th Pay Commission had placed pharmacists in entry level pay in PB-1 (Rs. 5,200 – 20,200) with entry grade pay of Rs. 2,800 at the central level, adding that the Uttarakhand government had introduced the  entry grade of Rs. 4,200. In Madhya Pradesh the pharmacist are paid with entry grade of Rs. 1,800 only with the same qualification as their counterpart in Uttarakhand.


“We demand that the entry level pay scale for the pharmacists should be fixed in PB-2 (Rs. 9,300 – 34,800) with grade pay of Rs. 4,200,”says Kumar adding that other professionals with same or low qualification such as Dental Hygienist, Speech Therapist, Primary Teacher, Jr. Engineer received the grade pay of Rs. 4,200.

Another significant point raised was the disparity in pay scale in different states for National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) pharmacists as it is pertinent to note that though this is a national programme, the pharmacists are paid low.

Further, IPA informed that there was no promotion or promotional avenues  for pharmacists who work in hospitals and under central government including various state governments. However, some states such as UP, Karnataka, have well-defined promotion avenues and other states such as Chattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi are also in a process to give promotions to pharmacists.

Meanwhile, IPA also insisted necessary posts for the pharmacists under central and state government and to fill the vacant post of pharmacists on regular basis rather than opting out for contractual under NRHM. It has raised a strong objection and protest against the B.Sc community health programme."If the government wish to introduce non-doctor based cadre in India; working and experienced pharmacists can serve the purpose with a short duration up-gradation training curriculum,” says Kumar.

Abhay Kumar said that pharmacists are vastly available with qualification ranging from D.Pharm, B.Pharm, M.Pharm, PhD to Pharm D. Pharmacists are already well-trained in pharmacology of drugs and other related subjects. They only need to be trained in basic diagnostic techniques, which can be imparted by in-hospital training or internship prototype.

“We hope that our demands will be looked into seriously and the pharmacists will be included in major health programmes of the government of India thereby giving an ample opportunity to the pharmacist to play their role in wider prospect in the health sector by the government,” says Kumar.