TN SPC unable to conduct council election due to case pending with high court

Chennai, March 4, 2023 :

The Tamil Nadu State Pharmacy Council (TN SPC) has completed the work for the preparation of the State Pharmacy Register 2023 (SPR 2023) to conduct election for six members to the council as soon as the court verdict comes out in this regard.

Since a petition is pending with the High Court of Madras filed by one association of pharmacists seeking a direction to the government to hold the election through online mode, the council is unable to schedule the dates for the election process.

According to sources from the council, the government had earlier advised the SPC to conduct the election for six members from among the registered pharmacists in physical mode rather than conducting it online due to some technical hurdle. Safe software is required to conduct the election online, since it is lacking the government preferred to go with through ballot paper which is objected by the association alleging possibility of malpractices in ballots.   

Sources from the TN SPC have informed that the present number of total registered pharmacists is 1,09,300, and all these members have been enrolled as eligible voters in the electoral roll. However, the number is likely to increase because every day new registrations are carried out. The final list of voters will be published once the election dates are declared after the court judgment.
 
Regarding the qualifications/categories of registered pharmacists, the Registrar of the council Dr. Tamizh Mozhi said the number of diploma holders (D Pharm) registered with the pharmacy council is 63,000, number of graduates (B Pharm) is 45,000 and 1,300 Pharm D holders. Dr. Mozhi said although Pharm D was started in 2008 in Tamil Nadu, many of the students are leaving the course without completing it. That is the reason for the poor number of qualified Pharm Ds in Tamil Nadu.

As regards number of colleges, she said institutions conducting D Pharm course in Tamil Nadu have risen to 95 this year. A total of 57 colleges are running the course B Pharm and 31 institutions have Pharm D programme. Pharmabiz