The Gujarat state division of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) has urged the pharmacy colleges in the state to initiate steps to bridge the gap between the industry and educational institutes so as to customise their curriculum according to the demands of the industry. The association pointed out that even though Gujarat is the pharmaceutical hub of the country it is not able to generate job opportunities for pharmacy graduates as expected since they are not able to meet the demands of the industry.

IPA stated that the main reason for this disconnect between the demand and supply chain is because of the random mushrooming of pharmacy colleges in the country that have come up in the recent times. According to Dr Hemant Koshia, president of the IPA Gujarat state division, as of now there are around 116 pharmacy colleges in the state of Gujarat which churn out hundreds of pharmacy graduates every year. Ironically in spite of having requisite degree, many have difficulty in getting an opening in a pharma company.

He pointed out that this trend is because of the lack of understanding and coordination between the two as one does not know what the other wants. “Our educational system does not provide qualification that the industry demands. To address this issue the government should take initiatives to develop a culture that will boost strong working relation between the colleges and the companies. But most importantly steps should be taken to ensure that all the colleges go through stringent scrutiny by the regulatory authorities before getting clearance to commence their activities to ensure high standard of education,” Dr Koshia said.

He further stressed that there is a need to address the lacuna that is there in the pharmacy education in the country, which can be done only by upgrading the educational system according to the demands of the industry.

IPA feels that one of the effective ways to address the challenges faced by the pharmacy students is to take steps to ensure quality education that is even acceptable internationally.

Stressing on the changes that is needed in the country's pharmacy education Dr Koshia added, “Colleges should come forward and meet with the industry on a regular basis by co-organising events and workshops so that both of them can understand other's needs accordingly. Developing a symbiotic relation between the industry and the educational institutes will not only help the educational institutes to understand the trends and the requirements of the industry but it will also provide huge job opportunities for the pharmacy graduates by way of internship and campus selections.”