PCI to form panel of inspectors, applications invited from experienced faculty members

New Delhi, December 13, 2021: 

For conducting inspection duties at the educational institutions approved by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), the national pharmacy education regulator has decided to make a panel of inspectors for a period of next three years.

The council has now invited applications from experienced faculty members with good track record and working in PCI approved institutions to form the panel and the last date for submitting application is 20th of this month. Selection will be made on the basis of experience and qualification. Applications sent through online mode only will be entertained. The prescribed application proforma will be uploaded on the council’s website on December 15, a communiqué from PCI said.

Dr Atmaram Pawar, principal of Pune College of Pharmacy in Pune in Maharashtra, and a pharmacy inspector from 2008, said the inspectors have to hold verifications in the institutions as per the Standard Inspection Format (SIF) of the PCI. For running of each course and conducting examinations and publishing results, PCI has to approve it as per its guidelines. The inspectors should conduct the inspections on the direction of the council. If any severe complication or anomaly is found in any institution violative of PCI norms, the inspector should call the respective PCI member to sort it out. The report should be sent to the council immediately, he said.

Dr Hemant Kumar Sharma, a member of the PCI and a faculty member from Assam Dibrugarh University told Pharmabiz that inspections in institutions need to be strengthened as per the guidelines of the council. The PCI has given approval to each institution on the basis of certain criteria which have to be complied with by all educational institutions to retain the approval. He said since he is a member of the national council he cannot apply for the inspector post. Although it is not a salaried job, the inspectors’ services are remunerative, he added.

According to sources from PCI, along with selecting new inspectors the council will give one more chance to the existing inspectors also. Since no inspection could be held in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid pandemic, the existing inspectors could not visit any college for conducting physical inspections, but they did it through online mode which was not perfect as far as PCI requirements are concerned.

“The inspectors will inspect the facilities at the colleges including infrastructure, lab facilities, qualifications of the teaching staff, holding examinations, number of teachers etc as per the guidelines prescribed by the PCI.

Finally the inspectors will submit the report to the council and based on it, the PCI will give approval to the institutions,” said Dr Hemanth.

He said the council will conduct inspections not only for granting new approvals, but for extending the existing approvals for colleges and courses also.

The qualifications to become a PCI Inspector include a post-graduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences from a recognized university. The applicant should be serving as a teacher in a PCI approved college as a faculty member for the last ten years. Retired persons of less than 65 years of age can also apply. PharmaBiz