Dual Control Of Pharmacy Education To Continue As PCI and AICTE Issue Public Notices

Chennai, 10 June 2019: By issuing public notices by the two pharmacy education regulatory bodies, PCI and AICTE, in news papers concerning approval of institutions and courses, it has become obvious that the dual control of pharmacy education will continue further.

Last year, some steps taken by the PCI and the government created an impression among the public that dual control of pharmacy education will cease to exist, and the pharmacy council of India will become the supreme controller of all pharmacy institutions and which will be delinked from the AICTE.

Reiterating that the approval of the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) is mandatory for running pharmacy and other technical institutions, AICTE advertised Public Notice in all national news papers in last month advising course pursuing and aspiring students to verify the status of approval of the institutions they study or want to take admissions. The council has categorically stated in the advertisement that AICTE’s approval is necessary for running the courses of pharmacy and only approved institutions can conduct the courses introduced by the PCI. If any institute is conducting a program without the prior approval of the AICTE, it is liable for punitive or criminal action in accordance with para 9 and 10 of the AICTE Regulations 2018.

The technical council has wanted the state governments and universities to ensure whether the institutions have obtained prior approval from the council. Similarly, it directs the public to check the approval status with its web portal.

Following the advertisement of the AICTE, the Pharmacy Council of India also published one Public Notice in the national newspapers informing all stakeholders that approval to pharmacy courses and examinations is given by the PCI under section 12 of the Pharmacy Act 1948 and it is for the purpose of registration as a pharmacist to practice the profession. The council further states that various courses are approved under statutory provisions of education regulations framed under section 10 of the pharmacy act.

In the wake of confusions created by some sources, PCI has informed the colleges and students that any of the pharmacy courses is run by any institution without the prior approval of the council will be considered as violation of the pharmacy act, and the passed out students from such institutions will not be eligible for registration as a pharmacist. The council also warns that running of unapproved courses or making excess admissions over and above the sanctioned intake by any college is violation of the educational norms and the entire consequences of such illegal act will be rest upon the college itself.

In the advertisement, the PCI has wanted the students to check the course approval status of the institutions in the website of the council. PCI will approve the course to be conducted at the institutions after its inspections.

This year, both the regulatory bodies have completed their inspection work by the end of April as there was an order from the supreme court to finish the assessment work before April 30. Because of hectic activities, both the councils had to conduct joint inspections in many of the colleges and it has given the impression that because of joint inspection the institutions required only the approval of the PCI. AICTE has reiterated the mandatory requirement of its approval in its advertisement. Pharmabiz