PCI to make it mandatory for pharmacy colleges to appoint 60% of faculty in Pharm D course from equivalent discipline

Mumbai, August 25, 2022:

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) is gearing up to make it mandatory for pharmacy colleges to ensure that 60 per cent of total faculty in six-year Pharm. D programme are Pharm. D graduates following the demand of pharmacy associations.

Besides pharmacy associations, Vijay Patil, president of Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council (MSPC) also demanded that 60 per cent of faculty in Pharm. D course should be Pharm. D graduates.
 
Patil, who is also a member of PCI, raised the demand at an online meeting of the executive committee of the council on August 22, 2022.
 
Said Patil, “There is a substantial shortage of clinically qualified faculties who can teach Pharm. D students in hospitals and colleges. This gap can be efficiently filled by Pharm. D professionals as they are trained and compatible with this. If Pharm. D faculties cover the core subjects viz. pharmacotherapeutics, clinical toxicology, pharmacology of Pharm. D curriculum, it will help create more competent and skilled Pharm. D professionals.”
 
He said at least 60 per cent of Pharm.D qualified faculties must be appointed in department of pharmacy practice/clinical pharmacy in pharmacy colleges to cover the core subjects in Pharm.Dprogramme in various colleges across the country.
 
The PCI president consented to take steps to resolve the demand.
 
The National Doctor of Pharmacy Union (NDPU), representing Pharm.D professionals pan India which has been vocal about appointment of Pharm.D qualified faculties for Pharm.D course for a long time, has called on Patil appealing him to raise the Pharm.D appointment issue at executive committee meeting.
 
The NDPU on July 29, 2022 also wrote to PCI president Montukumar Patel urging him to take steps to ensure that 60 per cent of faculty in Pharm. D programme belong to equivalent discipline.
 
On November 11, 2014, PCI came out with a notification for minimum qualifications for appointment as a teacher in pharmacy colleges.

As per the notification, all pharmacy teachers must possess a basic degree recognised by PCI in pharmacy obtained from an examining authority (university) approved by PCI. The candidate should be registered in the register of pharmacists maintained by a state pharmacy council. Only those teachers with M.Pharm/Pharm.D or Ph.D qualifications recognized by PCI who have undergone B.Pharm course from an institution approved by PCI shall be recognized as pharmacy teachers.
 
Said DrRamprasadKakasahebNagare, national president, NDPU, “We have observed a significant lack of clinical exposure for Pharm.D students during their academic and hospital training period. The gap is evident from the start of the course as per the curriculum. There is a substantial shortage of clinically qualified faculties who can teach Pharm.D students as they are not trained and well-versed with this. If Pharm.D faculties cover the core subjects of the Pharm.D curriculum, it will help churn out more competent and skilled Pharm.D professionals.”
 
He said currently, there are 24 faculties in the Pharm.Dprogramme conducted by 577 pharmacy colleges across the country. “We want that at least 60 per cent of the 24 faculties should be Pharm.D graduates as they have requisite hospital exposure and are well-versed in pharmacotherapeutics, one of the core subjects in Pharm.Dprogramme,” added Nagare.Pharmabiz