Phamacy Council Election

#PhamacyCouncilElection

All ills of Pharmacy councils are due to syndicate grouping of Yes-Men who preplan #MatchFixMeetings and Resolutions.

Hence, Tips to Voters:

👉Do not vote for all in one group.

- They become Yes-Men to their leader to flout all Rules and Regulations and it may lead to loot funds.

👉 Pick Good People from each group and do not ignore independents.

👉 Keep the elected members answerable to the Regd Pharmacists.

Good wishes

POV: Bhagwan PS

'Profession Vs Job' - Professional standards do not compromise whereas Job standards can be compromised.!

'Profession Vs Job'

Professional standards do not compromise whereas Job standards can be compromised.!

Making M Pharm equally eligible as Pharm D for Clinical Pharmacist post has Compromised the Profession.

Hence #NotAWiseMove.

A post in a Wtsp group:

    "Dear Sir/Madam, In a major relief to MPharm degree holders, the Union government has decided to include MPharm (pharmacy practice) as a sufficient qualification for appointing clinical pharmacists to hospitals. The government clarified its stance in the High Court in response to a batch of writ petitions filed by various MPharm degree holders.

Justice Viju Abraham, who considered the petitions, directed the government to implement the decision within three months. Earlier, the government had excluded MPharm as the eligible qualification for serving as clinical pharmacists in hospitals through an amendment brought to the Pharmacy Practice Regulations Act in 2019. Through this amendment, the government made doctor of pharmacy (Pharm D) the qualification for the post."

PCI committed the same blunder while starting B Pharm keeping D Pharm alive.

Had the D Pharm been closed the Hospital Pharmacy would have been in a strong position by now in health

sector.

This is result of having professionally unqualified people in authority.

Pov: Bhagwan PS

Vision Of The Indian PPR Act by Bhagwan PS

#MyVisionOfTheIndianPPRAct

Pov: Bhagwan PS

Given the persistent failure of institutions and systems to provide fair, deserved opportunities to qualified pharmacists, an exclusive legislation with clear empowerment and accountability has become essential.

The Pharmacy Practice Regulations (PPR) Act is envisioned as the legal and professional backbone for safe, effective, and ethical pharmaceutical care in India. It will authorize pharmacists as direct patient care providers, backed by professional accountability, standard operating procedures, and defined service delivery models—integrating them seamlessly into the healthcare continuum.

Under the PharmaCare Clinical Support System, the Act applies across all professional tiers—D Pharm, B Pharm, M Pharm, and PharmD—with structured, competency-based roles:

1. #DiplomaInPharmacy (D Pharm):

Frontline dispensers and community care providers. Trained in medication handling, prescription verification, OTC guidance, and basic counselling. Accountable for legal dispensing, adverse event reporting, and prescription record maintenance.

2. #BachelorOfPharmacy (B Pharm):

Advanced technical and operational support. Skilled in dosage form optimisation, supply chain integrity, pharmacovigilance, and rational drug use promotion. Authorized to conduct prescription audits, assist in therapeutic substitutions under protocol, and support primary care clinics in medication therapy management.

3. #MasterOfPharmacy (M Pharm – Pharmacy Practice / Clinical / Hospital Pharmacy):

Specialised medication experts in clinical decision support, formulary management, and interprofessional collaboration. Lead quality improvement programs, train juniors, develop evidence-based protocols, and support health technology assessment initiatives.

4. #DoctorOfPharmacy (PharmD):

Apex patient-care pharmacists integrated into clinical teams. Conduct medication histories, identify and resolve drug-related problems, perform therapeutic drug monitoring, and provide evidence-based therapy recommendations. Drive clinical governance, patient safety initiatives, and pharmacare research.

The #PPRAct’s PharmaCare model creates a continuous patient-care chain where each cadre complements the next—ensuring medication use is safe, effective, and cost-efficient. It mandates standardised documentation, ICT-enabled monitoring, and continuous professional development to maintain competence.

Ultimately, the Act positions pharmacists as indispensable members of healthcare teams—bridging the gap between prescription and patient outcomes, reducing medication errors, and improving public health metrics. It shifts pharmacy practice from a supply-driven role to a patient-centred, outcome-oriented healthcare service—securing the pharmacist’s place as a critical partner in India’s healthcare service system.

PCI to integrate pharmacists' database with Healthcare Professional Registry

Gireesh Babu, New Delhi Saturday, November 23, 2024, 08:00 Hrs  [IST]

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has sought all the pharmacists who don't have the ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) number to attain a number and ensure registration with the DIGI-PHARMed profile with the ABHA number on immediate basis, as part of its efforts to integrate the pharmacists' list with the Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR). The Council is in the process of verification of all registered pharmacists on the DIGI-PHARMed portal in order to integrate pharmacists with the HPR, and asked all the pharmacists to consider certain action points in order to equip the Council for a smooth integration. "All registered pharmacists are requested to verify their DIGI-PHARMed profile with the ABHA Number on immediate basis. The said verification must be completed within the timeline of 45 days from the date of issuance of this circular," said the Council in a communication to all registered pharmacists. "Failing to this, the pharmacist's profile will be disabled for any further usage on the DIGI-PHARMed portal," it added. In case of new registration, pharmacists must ensure to verify their account with the ABHA number at the time of registration and without verification of the profile with this number will be considered as incomplete registration. If the pharmacists don't have the ABHA number, it is directed to create the ABHA number using Aadhar before initiating the process or the registration of DIGI-Pharmed portal. The Council also requested to all the pharmacy institutions as well to check that all the faculty in their institutions are having the ABHA verified profiles and notified that during the Standard Inspection Format (SIF) applications and for further reference, only ABHA verified profiled of faculty will be considered by the Council from 2025-26 academic session, it added. It also directed all pharmacists that they must ensure that the documents uploaded to the portal while registering are authentic and validated. "If the Council discovers at any stage that any documents submitted during the registration process are incorrect, the respective profile of those pharmacists will be blacklisted," said the Council. In case of any inconvenience or technical issues, the pharmacists or the institutions can share the issues over email to the Council or reach out over telephone, it added. Healthcare Professionals Registry is a comprehensive repository of registered and verified different system of medicines (modern medicine, dentistry, Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, Homoeopathy) and nurses practitioners delivering healthcare services across India.  The ABHA number will be used for the purposes of uniquely identifying persons, authenticating them, and threading their health records (only with the informed consent of the patient) across multiple systems and stakeholders The repository is part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), which empowers healthcare professionals to be part of India’s digital health ecosystem through a unique healthcare professional ID. With last mile coverage, people will be able to interact with healthcare practitioners or vice versa. Healthcare professional profile visible in the ABDM ecosystem is verified and authorised to practice medicine in the country. The HPR ensures that healthcare practitioners suitably trained and qualified to practice medicine with competence and ethical conformity are allowed to register with the HPR. Pharmacists are HealthCare Professionals. Lets be worth it. Really!!!,  then why the term ' PharmaCare ' was coined. Pharmacist A HealthCare professional? If so why pharmacy course is not?. Has the Pharmacy education been got included in National Health Education Manual? ok

So many regulatory bodies and governing bodies in pharmacy education: whims of my mind

PCI(Pharmacy Council Of India) and AICTE(All India Council for technical education) are the governing bodies in the pharmacy education , keeping in mind the compounding and dispensing as well as the technical aspects involved in Pharmaceutical Engineering .

Now with the advent of Pharm D course in pharmacy, which is clinically oriented 6 years course in pharmacy and the syllabus is designed such as  first 3 years are same as B.Pharm ( compounding and dispensing oriented) and next 2 years are same as MD Pharmacology (medically and clinically oriented) and 1 year of internship in an attached (minimum- 300 beded) hospital , one may expect MCI (medical council of India) to get into the thick of the things/matters.

As it requires an affiliation with a  hospital( minimum 300 beded), to get approval for an pharmaceutical institute from PCI to conduct the course , one must expect MCI(medical council of India)(Now NMC) also to get involved as a regulatory and governing body.

PCI governs courses like : D.Pharm
                                         B.Pharm
                                        Pharm D and Pharm D(PB)

AICTE governs courses like : B.Pharm( jointly with PCI)
                                              M.Pharm

Now one must expect AICTE,PCI and MCI may jointly govern : Pharm D and Pharm D(PB)

But no, its not a rational thinking on my part. MCI (Now NMC ) will get involve only when the course is a medical one or may be when the professional doctor is dealing with a body part.
So, its fair enough that MCI(NMC) is not involved into these matters.(Really?!!!)

                                             

Pharm D course introduction and D Pharma course closure is Propaganda !!! Is Pharm D and Pharm D(PB) course is approved by UGC?

I don't understand why D. Pharma course is being removed as minimum qualification for registration to practice Pharmacy in India. 

They say due to corruption. (Propaganda)

But I have seen corruption and malpractices happening at higher education level as well. 

1)PhD and PharmD students/interns publishing their names in scientific journals for research articles in which they have not done anything and just paid asked amount to the principal researcher so that their name get added in the research article as co-authors or co-researchers for publishing in scientific journals.

2)illogical sequence of subjects taught at colleges with these newly started courses.

3)Renting of license will continue even on Pharm-D ( doctor of pharmacy) degree.

4)To make minimum qualification for a registered pharmacist to do pharmacy practice in India, Pharm-D degree rather than D.Pharm ie. to replace the state's diploma of pharmacist.

Instead of updating and upgrading the syllabus of D.Pharm, what the policy makers have done is that they have created a new course named Pharm.D/Pharmd(PB) and obvious plan is to make it the minimum qualification for a registered pharmacist to do pharmacy practice in India and produce so called Next Generation and New Age Pharmacist. It's like a RESTART button pressed on.

Why create so much confusion, why malign the integrity of Pharmacy field. They could have retained the D.Pharm course and should have made neccessary changes in the syllabus and duration of D.Pharm, so that the minimum qualification for a registered pharmacist to do pharmacy practice in India remain D.Pharm and no need to replace the state's diploma of pharmacist. 

Just imagine if M.B.B.S course is replaced by some other course which is made minimum qualification for a registered physician to do medical practice in India.

And then they call themselves Pharma Expert or Drug Expert (DRX). What a pity situation ?

Is Pharm D and Pharm D(PB) course is approved by UGC? 

Medical Science vs Pharmaceutical Science (Residential Program Year)

RPY: Residential Program Year

Pharmacy residency is education a pharmacist can pursue beyond the degree required for licensing as a pharmacist (in the United States of America: PharmD). A pharmacy residency program allows for the implementation of skill set and knowledge acquired in pharmacy school through interaction with the public either in a hospital setting or community practice.The program is done over a span of about two years after graduation from pharmacy school and licensure as a pharmacist. Pharmacy residency helps improve the resume of a pharmacist so as to increase chances of obtaining employment outside community practice. A 2022 review suggested that there is sufficient evidence that residency develops key competencies for junior pharmacists

In India, after completing a Pharm.D. (Doctor of Pharmacy) degree, students can pursue residency programs to specialize in clinical pharmacy or related fields, enhancing their expertise and career prospects. These programs, often lasting one to two years, provide advanced training in areas like clinical pharmacy practice, patient care, and drug information. 

Details about Pharm.D. and Residency in India:

• Pharm.D. as a Professional Qualification:

  The Pharm.D. is a professional doctorate recognized by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). It signifies expertise in pharmacy practice and allows graduates to become licensed pharmacists. 
• Residency Programs:
• Following the Pharm.D., residency programs offer specialized training in various clinical settings, such as hospitals and clinics. 
• Focus Areas:
• Residency programs can focus on areas like:

  • Clinical Pharmacy: Providing patient-centered care, medication therapy management, and drug information services. 
  • Critical Care: Managing patients in intensive care units, focusing on advanced life support and critical care protocols. 
  • Other Specializations: Opportunities may also exist in areas like oncology, cardiology, and infectious disease, depending on the specific program and institution. 
  • Career Paths:
• Residency training can lead to various career opportunities, including:

  • Clinical Pharmacist Roles: In hospitals and other healthcare settings, directly involved in patient care. 
  • Medical Affairs: Bridging the gap between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals, providing scientific expertise and support. 
  • Research: Participating in clinical trials and research activities.   
  •  Duration:Residency programs typically last one to two years, depending on the specialization and institution. 
• Benefits:Residency programs offer valuable practical experience, enhance clinical skills, and improve career prospects for Pharm.D. graduates. 

Residency Medicine

Residency or postgraduate training is a stage of graduate medical education. It refers to a qualified physician (one who holds the degree of MD, DO, MBBS/MBChB), veterinarian (DVM/VMD, BVSc/BVMS), dentist (DDS or DMD), podiatrist (DPM), optometrist (OD), pharmacist (PharmD), or Medical Laboratory Scientist (Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science) who practices medicine or surgery, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, clinical pharmacy, or Clinical Laboratory Science, respectively, usually in a hospital or clinic, under the direct or indirect supervision of a senior medical clinician registered in that specialty such as an attending physician or consultant.

The term residency is named as such due to resident physicians (resident doctors) of the 19th century residing at the dormitories of the hospital in which they received training.^[1]

In many jurisdictions, successful completion of such training is a requirement in order to obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine, and in particular a license to practice a chosen specialty. In the meantime, they practice "on" the license of their supervising physician. An individual engaged in such training may be referred to as a resident physician, house officer, registrar or trainee depending on the jurisdiction. Residency training may be followed by fellowship or sub-specialty training.^[2]

Whereas medical school teaches physicians a broad range of medical knowledge, basic clinical skills, and supervised experience practicing medicine in a variety of fields, medical residency gives in-depth training within a specific branch of medicine.

In India, medical residency, also known as postgraduate training, typically lasts for 3 years after completing the MBBS degree. It's a period of intensive clinical training in a chosen specialty, preparing doctors for independent practice. The residency program is structured with academic coursework, clinical rotations in various departments, and research components, culminating in an MD or MS degree (depending on the specialty). 

Key aspects of medical residency in India:

Duration: Generally 3 years for most specialties, but can vary. 


Eligibility: Requires completion of MBBS and passing the NEET-PG exam. 


Structure: Includes clinical rotations, academic learning (case discussions, seminars, etc.), and research. 


Focus: Hands-on clinical experience and development of practical skills under supervision. 


Outcome: Leads to an MD or MS degree in the chosen specialty and prepares doctors for independent practice. 


Supervision: Residents work under the guidance of attending physicians and consultants. 


Workload: Residents typically work long hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays.