Last Updated on October 14, 2024 by The Health Master
The Karnataka State Registered Pharmacists Association (KSRPA) has urged the Central government to restructure the D Pharm course from the current 12+2 to 13+2 or 12+3 years study pattern following the recent New Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020) announced by the Centre recently.
Following the Association’s communication to the Union government on the subject, the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) president Dr B Suresh has also indicated to the Association that the council will place the request before its Education Regulation Committee to review the suggestion.
According to the Education Regulations 1991 issued by the PCI, the D Pharm course comprises of two years of class room study after Pre university followed by practical training for 500 hours, spread over not less than 3 months. Thus, a D Pharm holder would have 10+2+2 +1/2 years of schooling. This length of schooling has now resulted in many disadvantages for them, noted Ashokswamy Heroor, president, KSRPA in his communiqué to the Union government.
Firstly, this has come in the way of their getting promotions in government service. They are recruited as junior pharmacists and have to retire in the same post. They are denied promotions to the senior pharmacist levels on the ground that they do not have 15 years of formal schooling. Secondly, they are not eligible to register as voters under the Graduates Constituency, for the same reason, he added.
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Recently, there was a huge demand to alter the education pattern for D Pharm course. This proposal was rightly vetoed down by the Pharmacy Council.
We now urge the central government that the PCI and all others concerned, to restructure the diploma course in pharmacy. The compulsory industry training may be embedded in the final year’s study. This will come to the rescue of the pharmacists by rectifying the above narrated anomalies with 15 years structure, making the pharmacy education to be more effective. The requirement of the 500 hours compulsory practical training may also be included as a part of the 15 years schooling. The requirement of 500 hours may be increased to 1,000 hours, covering dispensing and cosmetics manufacturing activities etc, said Heroor.
New subjects like blood banking techniques, drug interaction reporting, clinical trial techniques, de-addiction procedures, computer basics, regulatory affairs and defending procedures in courts, consumer protection laws and the provisions of the Right to Information Act, Weights & Measures Act, Packaged Commodities Act, the Drugs Prices Control Order (DPCO), Essential Commodities Act, etc., may also be taught in the final year. This will not only upgrade the knowledge and provide the greater job opportunities, but will also help to reduce drug related offences like selling spurious drugs, he noted. .
By adopting 15 years system of education, the pharmacy colleges also will benefit in many ways. There is no doubt, that these reoriented systems will result in increasing the quality of pharmacy education and will uplift the profession of pharmacy and will be appreciated by one and all. Hence in the interest of all Registered Pharmacists, we hereby urge all the concerned authorities to restructure the diploma study in Pharmacy as a 13+2 years or as a 12+3 years course, said Heroor in his communication to the Central government.
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