In order to evaluate the quality and standard of the students of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in pharmacy and to examine their future career prospects in the technology and life-science areas other than pharmacy profession, the Madhya Pradesh Council of Science & Technology (MP-COST) under the department of science and technology (DST), government of Madhya Pradesh, will hold one Young Pharmacy Scientific Conclave in Bhopal in January next year, said Dr. Pramod K. Verma, director general of MP-COST and scientific advisor to the government of MP.

He was delivering a speech as chief guest at the valedictory function of the MP IPA Conclave held in Indore in last week.

Talking about the potentiality of the pharmacy education as a technical one, the DG of MP-COST commented that education in pharmacy, pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical technology has unique position in the coming years and it caters to the various needs of the medical and scientific areas. Without pharmacy education, no education on medical science or healthcare management system can be made. The scope, potential, career prospects and various areas of research in pharmacy education will be discussed in the Young Pharmacy Conclave, he said.

Students of D.Pharm, B.Pharm and M.Pharm from all the colleges in the state and selected faculty members from each institution will be the participants at the conclave. The programme will be attended by academic experts of different areas of the subject and experts from industry, contract research organisations, clinical research organisations and other institutions of ADR monitoring and pharmacovigilance. Academicians with background of life-sciences, bio-technology, bio-informatics and micro-biologists from testing labs are also expected to attend the conclave.

MP-COST is organising this programme in the wake of reports that the quality of pharmacy education in Madhya Pradesh is low compared to that of in other states. Also, the government wants to improve standard of education of the pharmacy students and make it on par with other technical courses. Besides, the students are to be sensitized on higher studies and research in the field. Knowledge increasing courses will be supported, said Dr. Pramod Verma.

While talking to Pharmabiz on the sidelines of the programme, the director general said, MP-DST is planning to scientifically validate and document the quality and efficacy of all traditional medicines manufactured and sold in the state. The state government and the DST are committed to support and promote traditional treatment systems of the country. For this, the traditional knowledge should be made scientifically documented for the benefits of the next generation, both in India and abroad.

On visiting the pharma technology exhibition conducted as part of the industry conclave, he said India has become a global market for pharma technology. He thanked the organisers for bringing all sorts of production machineries of pharma into one platform under the head of expo.

MP IPA president Dr. S.B. Rijhwani said all the exhibits of equipment and machineries for production, packaging and labeling were from domestic manufacturing companies and the event was organised in line with the ‘Make in India’ vision of the prime minister.

Ashish Thiwari, vice-president of the organising partner, Pharma Tech Expo, Ahmadabad, introduced Dr. Pramod Verma to the audience.