The students who have completed B Pharm programme from the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Government Thirumalai Devaswom Medical College at Alappuzha in Kerala in December 2015 are unable to register their certificates with the state pharmacy council as the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has put on hold granting of approval to the course citing non-compliance of PCI norms for approvals.

As well, the students who have sought admission for PG course will also become ineligible for stipend from various agencies due to lack of registration with state pharmacy council.

State pharmacy councils do accept the certificates for registration only if the course the students passed is recognized and approved by the PCI. Fourteen students have come out after completion of the bachelor of pharmacy course (B Pharm) from the pharmacy college attached with the Government Thirumalai Devaswom Medical College in Alappuzha.

The PCI conducted its fourth year inspection at the college in September 2015. During inspection, according to sources, the inspectors found several deficiencies in maintaining infrastructure facilities and in the faculty division. The major anomaly was lack of sufficient number of class rooms, library, laboratory, adequate facilities for staff rooms. Another irregularity they noted was shortage of teaching staff. The college lacks four lecturers in the minimum list of faculty members.

While answering queries from Pharmabiz, the head of Department of Pharmacy, Dr P M Sukumaran, said classes are handled by teachers appointed on contract basis and the number of regular staff is very less. He said the request for creation of four lecture posts is with the government and it is the duty of the government to sanction them.

According to the HoD, if the government sanctions the posts before March this year, the approval will be granted to the course by the PCI barring all other defects. But it is in the hands of the government which is in turmoil due to various problems.

“Every year the PCI conducts inspection, but after the fourth year inspection, they grant the approval for the degree course as per Section 12 of the Pharmacy Act. Only with this approval, students can register their certificates with the state pharmacy council. For
those who got admission for M Pharm, even if they are eligible for stipend, registration of the pharmacy council is a must. We hope that in the next inspection, which is due in March this year, we will get the approval, but government should sanction the posts before that”, said Dr Sukumaran.

He said the construction for a big building to house class rooms, staff rooms, library and laboratory is going on and it will take another two years to complete. Regarding shortage of teachers, the HoD said, provided the government sanctions the lecture posts, the college can recruit them on contract basis or under working arrangement from other colleges. He sent a report to the PCI clarifying the present situation and requested for approval.

The pharmacy college attached to the government medical college at Alappuzha was running diploma course until four years ago. It got the approval for conducting degree course from the government, followed by permission from PCI, in 2012. The first batch has completed the programme in 2015, but the students are facing difficulties now.