Now PharmD(PB) course is unavailable in Indian Government Colleges.

Pharm.D (Post Baccalaureate) was unavailable in India's government colleges as of the 2021-2022 academic year. This decision was made to close the Pharm. D (PB) program starting from the 2021-2022 session, subject to the examining authority submitting a disaffiliation letter. While Pharm. D was approved for the 2022-2023 academic session with 30 admissions, the closure of the PB program was finalized for the following year. 

The main reason why Pharm. D (Post Baccalaureate) courses are often unavailable in government colleges is due to regulations and funding constraints, particularly regarding the need for extensive hospital infrastructure and faculty. Privately run colleges are often better positioned to meet these requirements due to potentially higher funding and flexibility in resource allocation.

Will Pharm-D course bringup such Pharmacovigilance Centers and Pharmaclinic Setups where FDI will be huge ?

Will Pharm-D course bringup such Pharmacovigilance Centers and Pharmaclinic Setups where FDI ( Foreign Direct Investment) will be huge ? 

Really ??? ... Not Confirmed...!!! 

#PharmacyAct1948- Replace

##PharmacyAct1948- Replace

The Pharmacy Act, 1948,  has not evolved in tandem with the dynamic growth of healthcare in India. Its structural and functional inadequacies have led to serious consequences in producing professionally sound pharmacy councils, quality educational institutions, and competent pharmacists capable of earning parity and respect alongside co-professionals.

1. Outdated Obsolete Act:

The Act lacks provisions that reflect the current needs of the pharmacy profession. It does not address modern clinical roles, inter-professional collaboration, digital health integration, or pharmaceutical care responsibilities that are now vital for pharmacists globally. The absence of contemporary revisions has rendered the Act obsolete in nurturing modern pharmacy practice.

2. Weak Regulation sans Authority:

The Act provides limited authority and accountability mechanisms for the Pharmacy Council of India and State Councils, as they lack vision, functional autonomy, and performance standards, resulting in inconsistent regulation of pharmacy education and practice. Council elections are often politicized rather than merit-driven, leading to compromised leadership.

3. Deficient Educational Standards:

The Act’s provisions for approving institutions and courses have not kept pace with advancements in pharmacy science. There is no robust mechanism to ensure teaching quality, infrastructure adequacy, or continuous curriculum revision. As a result, many institutions focus on quantity over quality, producing graduates with inadequate clinical skills and limited inter-professional exposure.

4. No mandate on Continuing Professional Development (CPD):

The Act does not mandate or promote structured CPD or re-licensing causing professional stagnation, with many pharmacists failing to upgrade their knowledge or adapt to changing healthcare paradigms.

5. Limited Scope for Practice. There is no body to, Regulate and issue license for Clinical Practice.

The Act fails to recognize or  to facilitate expanded pharmacy roles such as clinical pharmacy, Specialized therapy management,  emergency response preparedness etc.This restricts pharmacists and limits their recognition by other healthcare professionals.

6. Poor Integration with National Health Policy:

Pharmacy as a profession remains sidelined in policy discourse due to the Act’s failure to align pharmacy practice with national health goals. Pharmacists are underutilized in public health programs, disease prevention, and primary healthcare delivery.

To restore professional credibility and produce pharmacists who are clinically competent, ethically grounded, and respected by co-professionals, the Pharmacy Act requires comprehensive overhaul. It must be modernized to enforce strict educational standards, support CPD, empower councils, and formally recognize pharmacists as vital healthcare providers. Without these reforms, the Act remains a missed opportunity in strengthening India’s healthcare workforce.

#MoHFw, #PMOIndia, #PCI

Pov: Bhagwan P. S

#BlunderHasHappened - Time to wakeup

#BlunderHasHappened - Time to wakeup 

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), as the statutory body governing pharmacy education and practice in India, introduced the Pharm.D program in 2008 with the vision of integrating pharmacists into clinical settings as vital members of the healthcare team. However, despite its ambitious goals, the PCI bears partial responsibility for the lack of opportunities faced by Pharm.D graduates today.

Where PCI went wrong:

1. Inadequate Stakeholder Engagement:

The program was introduced without a strong framework involving collaboration with major healthcare stakeholders such as the Medical Council of India (now NMC), hospitals, healthcare policy makers, and employers. This resulted in a lack of formal recognition of Pharm.D professionals in clinical roles within hospitals.

2. Poor Integration with Healthcare System:

PCI failed to ensure the creation of structured job roles for Pharm.D graduates in both public and private healthcare systems. Unlike MBBS or BDS programs, there was no mandate or roadmap to integrate Pharm.Ds into government hospitals or primary health centers.

3. Insufficient Policy Advocacy:

PCI did not effectively lobby for Pharm.D graduates to be recognized as Clinical Pharmacists or Pharmacotherapy Specialists under national health schemes or in state public health systems. Consequently, there are limited government posts specifically designed for Pharm.D graduates.

4. Lack of Outcome-Based Evaluation:

PCI has not periodically assessed the program outcomes in terms of employment, career progression, or role recognition of Pharm.D graduates. This has allowed gaps to widen between academic training and real-world practice.

5. Overexpansion Without Planning:

Many colleges were allowed to start Pharm.D programs without adequate hospital tie-ups or infrastructure, leading to variable quality of training and overproduction of graduates without matching demand in the healthcare sector.

6. No Defined Scope of Practice:

PCI has not succeeded in securing a legal and professional scope of practice for Pharm.D graduates that is distinct from other pharmacy qualifications, leading to confusion and underutilization of their clinical skills.

While PCI’s intention was commendable, its execution lacked foresight, planning, and collaboration. 

The responsibility now lies with PCI to rectify this through policy advocacy, defining roles for Pharm.D graduates, ensuring integration with national health systems, and creating a viable career pathway to prevent further professional disillusionment and brain drain.

Government of India should intervene, dismiss the Deadwood's and appoint an administrator of IAS  cadre to save the Profession in public interest.

#PMO, #HFW

Pov: Bhagwan P. S

Pharmacy - beyond the counter - Patient centric.

Pharmacy - beyond the counter - Patient centric.

Pharmacy, once seen as a profession behind the counter or within the factory walls, is today poised for a transformation. 

The pharmacist is evolving into a critical member of the healthcare team, contributing to patient care, therapy optimization, public health, and even disaster management. 

Yet, despite this exciting evolution, our pharmacy colleges are struggling to match pace. The ailments are deep-rooted, but curable—with vision, reform, and a renewed commitment to quality.

At the heart of the issue lies the quality of student admissions. For many, pharmacy is not a first-choice profession. It is often a fallback, filled through vacant seats rather than merit-based enthusiasm. This has diluted the academic ecosystem, resulting in a large number of graduates who lack the passion or preparedness for a demanding healthcare role. 

Equally urgent is the need for high-caliber faculty. A great teacher can ignite a lifelong spark, but many colleges lack such mentors.

 Faculty development programs have to be more effective and impact ful,  salaries are uncompetitive, and industry or clinical exposure is minimal. Institutions must invest on faculty, their training, research engagement, and continuous professional development, aligning educators with global standards. Strong mentors alone can produce , strong professionals.

The absence of a central body like a National Pharmacy Council (NPC) to replace weak fragile PCI to standardize education, licensure, and practice scope adds to the vows of the colleges and education in general.  

An empowered NPC can uplift the profession by enforcing quality norms in admissions, curriculum design, institutional infrastructure, faculty competency, and student assessment—just as the NMC does for medicine or INC for nursing.

Exposure of Students graduate with  to real-world challenges. Internships, interdisciplinary learning, clinical postings, and innovation labs should be made compulsory and meaningful.

When the Pharmacists come out with inbuilt professional quality the demand for their service increases.

The time to heal is now—and with the right reforms, pharmacy education can not only recover but qualitatively support healthcare service.

Pov: Bhagwan P. S

POV :

Earlier there was MCI equivalent to PCI.

Then MCI got changed to NMC.

Now he is talking about bringing up NPC equivalent to NMC. 

What a mess? 

PCI & MCI now NMC.

Whats the job of the Representative from MCI now NMC in PCI?

Do we have PCI Representative in MCI now NMC?

Indian Health System practices untouchability towards Pharma Professionals!

Looks PCI failed to gel and coordinate with MCI now NMC in professional matters.

When PCI doesn't gel, how can the Pharmacists gel with Healthcare professionally.

This appears to be the root cause for B, M Pharm and Pharm Ds being stranded with no opportunity to serve in Healthcare.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Please narrate your experience, observation, views in the comment box.

Reactions like 👍 mean nothing.

POV: Bhagwan P. S

#PharmacyCouncilOfIndia – A Body with wasted muscle! 😢

#PharmacyCouncilOfIndia – A Body with wasted muscle! 😢

PCI governs but fails to enforce!

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), established under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, was meant to uphold the standards of pharmacy education and practice in India. 

But over the decades, while pharmacy evolved globally into a clinical and patient-centric profession, PCI has largely remained a regulator with outdated tools, limited vision and action short of reach.

At the heart of the problem is the Pharmacy Act itself — a law that has not kept pace with modern healthcare demands. It offers regulatory control but not reformative power. There is no legal push for advanced clinical training, integration into hospital systems, or patient care competencies. PCI continues to regulate based on a mid-20th-century model while the 21st-century healthcare system demands innovation.

Equally concerning is the composition of PCI’s council. Though it includes representatives from states, universities, and other bodies, the quality and commitment of members vary widely. Many are driven by institutional or political loyalties and it is a decoration for majority rather than professional advancement. As a result, council meetings become administrative rituals to clear 100+agenda, not platforms for national vision.

The approval and inspection process — central to PCI’s role — is also deeply flawed. Inspections often focus on paperwork over substance. Colleges with poor infrastructure, unqualified faculty, and negligible hospital exposure continue to get approvals.

 Allegations of bias and irregularities have further eroded trust in the system.

Meanwhile, thousands of pharmacy graduates face unemployment or underutilization due to diluted quality, no direction, outdate Curricula . Clinical exposure is minimal, in total degree without skill

PCI has not done enough to push for curriculum reform, standardized hospital training, or alignment with national health priorities.

Instead of being a think-tank and  thought leader, PCI often functions as a passive regulator. 

It has failed to advocate strongly for pharmacy graduates roles in public health, disaster preparedness, or clinical care. It has missed collaborating opportunities with AICTE, NMC, and global pharmacy bodies. Even in times of health crises, the pharmacist’s potential role remains un-recognized  underutilized — PCI has done little to break.

Above all, PCI lacks a National vision and Professional mission. It governs but does not lead. It regulates but does not inspire.

If pharmacy is to rise as a pillar of India’s healthcare system, PCI must transform — from a bureaucratic mode to a reformist force. This means amending the Act, raising the quality of its members, enforcing outcome-based education, and embedding pharmacy into the core of public health systems.

Until then, the profession will remain full of potential on paper and PCI, a symbol of how not to use it.!!!

Hope the message is  clear.. 👍

Lets debate...

Pov: Bhagwan P. s

Clinical Subjects like Pathophysiology and Clinical Pharmacokinetics require qualified faculty like M. D Pharmacologists for teaching in these universities and colleges with Pharm D and Pharm D (PB) courses in its initial stages.

Clinical Subjects like Pathophysiology and Clinical Pharmacokinetics require qualified faculty like M. D Pharmacologists for teaching in these universities and colleges with Pharm D and Pharm D (PB) courses in its initial stages.