Last Updated on January 6, 2024 by The Health Master
The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) will soon bring the diploma in pharmacy (D Pharm) colleges, presently falling under the Board of Examination Authority, under the purview of a university.
In a communication to the Karnataka State Registered Pharmacists Organisation (KSRPO) dated March 25 this year, the PCI stated that the public grievance put forth by the KSRPO president Ashokswamy Heroor in this regard is under the serious consideration of the council.
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Earlier in November 2020, KSRPO had demanded to the Union government and the PCI that D Pharm colleges coming under the Board of Examination Authority needs to be brought under the aegis of a University. In the case of Karnataka, it would be brought under the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) which awards B Pharm degrees.
The view came about from KSRPO following the announcement of the New Education Policy (NEP)-2020, that was released in July which brought forth extensive options before the students to take up a diploma or degree once they get into colleges and complete two years depending on their convenience and circumstances.
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In the current context, the dual authority where D Pharm is given by the Board of Examining Authority and B Pharma by the RGUHS makes administration unwieldy. The end result would be lack of coordination and confusion. Hence, a single authority, according to Heroor, was practical as it would also ensure considerable efficiency in academic administration.
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The New Education Policy 2020 allows a student of a four year course to leave after the second year. The candidate will then receive the diploma certificate. Such a regulation changes the dynamics of even pharmacy education. Students seeking admission to pharmacy colleges can take up D Pharm or a B Pharm which is of two-year and four-year respectively.
“Even the Pharmacy Council of India had made it clear that Education Regulation 2020 (ER 2020) issued under Pharmacy Act 1948 for diploma in pharmacy will stick to the new format. After enrolling to a pharmacy college, a student can exit after two years or continue full term. A pharmacy student will get D Pharm certificate after two years or become a full-fledged B Pharm degree holder after 4 years.
Heroor pointed out that it was imperative to depart from dual control of pharmacy education and bring D Pharma too under the ambit of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences especially in the wake of NEP 2020 and ER 2020. A single entity needs to manage and monitor both D Pharm and B Pharm, else he sees that there would be difficulties in coordination as it was far more practical to prevent replication of all sorts and save revenues to the exchequer.
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