Coming down heavily on the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) for its alleged failure and inaction in implementing measures for upgrading the status of pharmacy education and profession, the veteran pharmacy academician and AICTE expert, Dr KG Revikumar said it is high time the PCI stopped registration for diploma holders as pharmacists.

In no other country in the world, except India, a diploma holder is allowed to work as registered pharmacist. Pharmacy profession is getting developed day by day, but the education system in India is regressing. No healthcare institution in the world will accept a diploma holder in pharmacy from India. All over the world, it is the graduate in pharmacy who becomes a pharmacist or carries out the work in an approved pharmacy.

He blamed the PCI for remaining a silent spectator towards all the developments taking place in the field of healthcare system in the country and not initiating any developmental schemes in the educational system in order to strengthen the pharmacy profession. Time is already over for the D Pharm holders to register as pharmacists with any state pharmacy council. Registration and profession to work as pharmacist should be allowed only to the graduates and those with higher qualifications. Diploma holders should either upgrade their qualification or become prepared for working as ‘Pharmacy Assistant’ or ‘Pharmacy Technician’ for which registration is not required.

In the field of medical profession, there are a host of technician posts and assistant posts. In the operation theatre, laboratory, X-Ray unit and in various departments there are healthcare technicians and assistants working with diploma qualifications in each segment. There is Nursing Assistant to assist nursing professionals. Similarly, the D Pharm holders can work as Pharmacy Technicians or Pharmacy Assistants in hospitals settings and in other licensed pharmacies.

“The registration to become a pharmacist should be restricted to the graduates (B Pharm) only. The pharmacy profession should become professional oriented on par with international standards. Minimum qualification should be made degree and diploma holders should not be allowed to register as pharmacist. Quality services can be provided to a patient by a pharmacy degree holder. So, in future B Pharm should be made the minimum qualification for registration and profession as a pharmacist,” said Dr Revikumar.

When asked if the PCI is not interested to work out on the concept, he said associations of healthcare and pharmacy professionals can take up the issue with the AICTE to get it implemented in the country. It is for the health of the people. Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA) National Association of Pharmacy Graduates (NAPG), Pharm D Association, Indian Hospital Association (IHA), Indian Hospital Management Association (IHMA), Indian Medical Association (IMA), QPMP etc can take the issue with the AICTE and the ministry of human resources development.

Dr Revikumar said, PCI has to be made aware of the necessity in upgrading the minimum qualification of a registered pharmacist in India in the wake of international progress in pharmacy profession.