It is high time for the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to learn lessons from other professional councils like MCI, NCI and DCI as to how to function as a statutory body with regulatory powers, according to veteran pharmacy professional and registrar of TNPC, Dr T Elango.

He said that unless PCI, takes proactive steps for strengthening pharmacy profession and creating job opportunities through amendment of its policy guidelines, it cannot go on par with other professional councils. Inefficiency and inactivity are the two evils that afflict the council, he said.

Commenting on the recent takeover of control of Pharm D programme by the AICTE, he said it happened because of the attitude of the PCI. Although the decision to bring the doctoral pharmacy program under the technical education regulator was taken by the Union government, the Pharmacy Council of India could have made efforts to apprise the government that it is purely a clinical pharmacy course and not a technical course meant for industry. The PCI has failed miserably in this policy matter.

“From 1948 onwards the PCI is inactive and they are not taking any step for making the council a strong professional body. Even for amending education regulations, the PCI has not anything all these years. This is the ideal time for the council to think of more reforms because the government at the centre will provide all support. But it seems that PCI is silent and inactive. They are concerned only about introducing new courses and approving colleges. They have no policy for strengthening pharmacy profession and creating job opportunities. As long as it continues to be an idle body, it cannot survive the present crisis. The state pharmacy councils can do nothing with regard to education regulation. It is the sole responsibility of the PCI and it should take up the matter with the government,” said the registrar of TNPC.

Sharing his views on taking over the control of Pharm D by the All India Council for Technical Education, Dr. Gopal Veni, principal of the pharmacy department of Mother Theresa College of Pharmacy in Pondicherry, said the doctoral pharmacy programme is purely a clinical pharmacy course and it is for hospital based profession. Whereas, other courses in pharmacy like B Pharm and M Pharm,  are industry oriented. Hence they are technical courses, so they come under the purview of the AICTE.

He clarified that in the case of Pharm D, the Kerala High Court has given a verdict on a petition filed by a group of college managements recently and it is on the basis of this aspect that Pharm D is not a technical course. Dr. Gopal is a member of the pharmacy education division of the AICTE.

To a question he said all pharmacy courses cannot be brought under the exclusive control of the PCI. There are two types of pharmacy courses, one is on pharmacy practice and the other is on pharmaceutical technology. So, pharmacy course is a technical course and it comes under AICTE. Medical course, nursing course and dental course are not technical course, pharmacy is not like that, he said.