PCI warns pharmacy colleges planning to launch 2nd shift for B. Pharm

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), the statutory body governing the pharmacy education in the country, has warned against the move by some of the institutes to start a second shift for pharmacy courses. PCI said that it would not approve such courses or students taking such courses as per the Pharmacy Act, 1948.

The council has notified its decision to all the concerned educational institutions through a notice, of late. The PCI has come across the information that some of the pharmacy institutions has started a move to commence a second shift of courses in order to accommodate more student batches, according to PCI sources.

"It is brought to the notice of all concerned that the Pharmacy Council of India has not approved conduct of pharmacy courses in the second shift," said the PCI notice.

"The pharmacy institutions intending to run pharmacy course in second shift and students intending to enroll in such courses are hereby informed that such pharmacy course will not be approved u/s 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 and students shall not be eligible for registration as a pharmacist under the said Act which is mandatory to practice the pharmacy profession in the country," informed the council officials.

Further, it warned that the entire consequence for running unapproved pharmacy courses would rest on the institution as well as the students enrolling in such institutions and the PCI, in no way, shall be responsible for such courses.

The PCI, constituted under section three of the Act, is entitled to prescribe minimum standard of education and to approve courses of study and examinations for the purpose of qualifying for registration as a pharmacist under section 10 and 12 of the Act. At the present, the eligible qualifications include D Pharm, B Pharm and Pharm D along with Pharm D (Post Baccalaureate) from approved pharmacy institutions.

The council, working under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has the onus to keep close vigil on the infrastructure and teaching and training quality of approved pharmacy institutions and monitors the functions of such institutions. It also has the responsibility to update the government about the status and courses of the pharmacy institutions.