Haryana pharmacy council restarts renewal of registration of certificates without CPEP proof

August 11, 2021 :

The Haryana State Pharmacy Council (HSPC) has decided to restart the process of renewing registration of certificates following gradual decrease in Covid-19 infections across the state in recent days.

The council has also decided not to stick to the Continuous Pharmacy Education Programme (CPEP) as mandatory requirement for renewal purpose in the wake of the present pandemic situation. However, this renewal without CPEP certificate is only for the time being and it will not continue once the Covid-19 subsides completely.

According to the state chemists and druggists association, HSPC had stopped the CPEP soon after the prime minister announced lockdown in March last year. Accordingly, the council could not accept certificates for renewal purposes which in turn prevented the drugs control department from receiving fresh applications for grant of sale licences.

Considering the difficulties of the unemployed pharmacists in submitting fresh applications for licences, the state drugs control department wanted the council to conduct the CPEP through online mode or abandon it in the wake of the virus spread. Further, the state chemists and druggists association (HCDA) urged the council to conduct the training course through online to facilitate registered pharmacists enter into medicine business.

Satish Vijj, a registered pharmacist and president of the HCDA said the apparent unconcern of the pharmacy council has put several unemployed pharmacists into trouble during this Covid pandemic period which needs all kinds of medicines every time everywhere. He said about two thousand pharmacists are waiting to apply for drug licences for the last 16 months and the council is indifferent.

When Pharmabiz contacted the registrar Rajkumar Varma, he said the council has not stopped the CPEP, but postponed it due to the present situation. He said renewal process will start very soon.

Sharing more details with Pharmabiz, Rohit Khandooja, an EC member of HSPC and a pharmacy professional, said HSPC is the first state pharmacy council in the country to implement the CPEP as a condition for renewal of certificate registration. He said even if renewal process is started now without CPEP certificate, the certificate holders will have to attend the CPEP once it is restarted offline in future. PharmaBiz