AIOCD will oppose setting up of National Pharmacy Commission by replacing PCI: JS Shinde

Nov 20,2023

The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) president Jagannath Shinde has categorically said that the national trade body will fight tooth and nail against setting up of the proposed National Pharmacy Commission after repealing the Pharmacy Act to replace the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI).

The trade leader with a pharmacy background said AIOCD will not allow the bureaucrats to control the pharmacy profession as it has to continue under the control of pharmacists. He alleged that the government is trying to monopolize the pharmacy council of India with the help of non-pharmacy people.

 
AIOCD has a major strength of pharmacists and 10 state pharmacy councils (SPCs) in the country are now controlled by AIOCD. The influence of the chemist body in state pharmacy councils is increasing and it has a big say in the affairs of the SPCs and in the PCI. He said he is a pharmacist and a member of the national pharmacy council.

 
Talking to Pharmabiz after he was elected for the sixth time as president of the AIOCD, the septuagenarian pharmacy and trade leader from Mumbai said the association is now preparing a memorandum to the government, a copy of which will be shared with Pharmabiz for reference, urging them not to go with the NPC proposal, but to retain the PCI as it is because the PCI is a council of pharmacists for the pharmacists in the country. If a Commission is set up in place of PCI, it will be ruled by non-pharmacy professionals and bureaucrats. The association will submit the memorandum on November 20 to the Union health minister and to the prime minister.

 
He said if the government is not heeding to their demand, AIOCD will hold agitations all over India. The agitations will be for the existence and livelihood of 15 lakh chemists and their family members. As a first step, the agitation will be held at Taluk level, and then at district level. In each state there will be a state level agitation after the district level agitations. Finally, the association will hold one rally at Jantar Mandir in New Delhi and hold one mass agitation.  

 
When asked what the role of AIOCD is in the affairs of the PCI, Shinde said PCI is the statutory body for controlling the pharmacy profession in the country and it is constituted by pharmacy professionals. Since pharma trade is part of the pharmacy profession and the association has the major strength of pharmacists, it is their moral and legitimate duty to safeguard the affairs of the PCI. He said the government is trying to monopolize the pharmacy council, but AIOCD will not allow any kind of dictatorship in the administration of the PCI.

Source: Pharmabiz