State Pharmacy Councils of Tamil Nadu and in Kerala will pass resolutions against the central government’s decision to amend Section 42 of the Pharmacy Act and concerned provisions in the D&C Act to introduce refresher course for non-pharmacists and pharmacy owners to help them legally eligible to run pharmacies without qualified and registered pharmacists.

It has been decided by Tamil Nadu pharmacy council that a resolution should be brought to the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress 2016 at Vishakhapatnam to be held from 16th to 18th of this month as a general resolution against the government’s move. Before that, the same resolution will be unanimously passed by the state council in its general council meeting, probably in next week, said Dr. T. Elango, registrar of the council.

Whereas, the Kerala state pharmacy council has called a meeting of the general council on December 14 to pass their resolution against the decision of the government to conduct short term training program for non-pharmacists to replace registered pharmacists. The president of KSPC, Rajan B Rajan said any move to modify Section 42 of the Pharmacy Act will be blocked by the pharmacist community in the country.

Rajan, who is also an EC member of the Pharmacy Council of India, said the national council has not yet decided to support the refresher course proposed by the chemists and druggists association, and if any inclination towards the government side giving green signal to the course comes from the PCI president, all the members of the PCI and the state pharmacy councils in the country will unanimously object such support. He said Kerala is the only state in the country which has appointed pharmacy inspectors in all the districts complying Section 42 of the Pharmacy Act.

Highlighting the importance of pharmacy profession, the registered pharmacists in the state will send post cards to the Union health minister and to the DCGI urging them to withdraw from the decision, said Rajan.

According to Dr. Elango, who is also an influential CPM leader in Salem district, the introduction of refresher course is not for the welfare of the society, but for helping the unqualified medicine traders. He said the government is planning about the course at a time when the number of unemployed pharmacists in the country is increasing. About 60,000 B Pharm graduates and the same number of diploma holders are coming out from 1200 pharmacy colleges in the country every year.

Dr. Elango said if the government finds shortage of qualified pharmacists in any part of the country, they must start pharmacy courses in the government medical colleges like Tamil Nadu government has done. Government of Tamil Nadu is pioneer in starting pharmacy courses and a role model for other states. He wanted the pharmacist community to rise to the occasion and fight against any move of the government to quell the profession of pharmacy in the country.

According to information received from various pharmacist associations, several resolutions are likely to be brought to this year’s IPC protesting against implementing the refresher course for the medical store employees. Whereas, the AIOCD is busy preparing to convince the government with their proposal of the course and it is learnt that their second round of meeting with the government will finalize the project. Dr. B. Suresh, president of the PCI, who is in a fix now, is likely to attend the second meeting along with AIOCD leaders, it is learnt.