(MENAFN- Live Mint)

New Delhi: The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has pulled up several state pharmacy councils (SPCs)-including those of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana-for appointing individuals without pharmacy qualifications as registrars, a violation of Chapter 3 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948, according to two government officials and a document reviewed by Mint.

The development assumes significance given that pharmacists serve as the first point of contact for individuals seeking health advice or primary care, with these registrars being the gatekeepers to the profession by ensuring that pharmacy education standards are maintained by verifying that only properly trained graduates from approved institutions are registered.

The PCI's primary function is to oversee pharmacy education, regulate the profession and the practice of pharmacy, and facilitate the registration of pharmacists under the provisions of the Act. The PCI's plan is to ensure that every registrar is a registered pharmacist with a valid registration, with the preferred qualification being a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm), followed by a Diploma of Pharmacy (DPharm) from PCI-approved institutions.

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The actions that PCI could take include derecognition of an SPC or withholding approvals for pharmacists registered by the SPC. This action could make it impossible for new graduates registered by the non-compliant SPC to practise elsewhere.

“It has been observed that some of the State Pharmacy Councils, such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, among others, are appointing a registrar without any pharmacy qualification and are violating Chapter 3 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948. We are getting complaints from these states wherein students are facing problems and impacting their education," said one of the government officials cited above on condition of anonymity.

“This officer (registrar) is responsible for important tasks such as maintaining the state register of pharmacists and executing the provisions of the Act. An unqualified registrar lacks the necessary technical knowledge to accurately implement the education regulations, verify applicants' credentials and ethical standards, potentially compromising patient safety and the integrity of the profession," said the official.

(Prof) Dr Y.K. Gupta, former head of the pharmacology department at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, said pharmacy education must remain relevant, contemporary and dynamic to meet the fast-changing demands of the healthcare system.“Incorporating digital technology, AI (artificial intelligence), oncopharmacy, radiation pharmacy and pharmacovigilance is vital to upskill future pharmacists. The curriculum must be updated to prepare graduates for the needs of the pharma industry, hospitals and society," he said.

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The registrar plays a key role in regulating the profession and should be an experienced pharmacy professional with a postgraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences, ensuring the integrity and advancement of pharmacy education and practice, said Dr Gupta, who is currently president of AIIMS, Kalyani.

Pharmacy error

National reports suggest a high incidence of overall medication errors in India, reaching 5.2 million annually. However, a study published in Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health in 2022 found a lower dispensing error rate of 1.4% in tertiary care charitable hospitals. The most common mistake was wrong dose/strength (30.8%), frequently linked to prescriptions for chronic diseases. These errors are deemed completely preventable through better quality assurance and professional scrutiny.

“We are trying to address loopholes within the state pharmacy council that could dilute professional standards and affect the quality of pharmacy education and healthcare provided to the public," according to the second government official cited above, who also did not want to be named.

According to the document reviewed by Mint, PCI has demanded“strict compliance" with this directive, which was issued with the approval of the competent authority.

Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson and spokespersons of the SPCs of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh remained unanswered till press time.

Currently, the PCI's official dashboard shows 126,351 approved pharmacists who are teaching or practising. There are a total of 6,503 institutions registered with PCI for various courses, including DPharm, BPharm, Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), highlighting the responsibility placed on SPC registrars to govern the entry of new professionals into the healthcare sector.

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Dr Raj Vaidya of the community pharmacy division at the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) said the registrar is an extremely important figure, responsible for coordinating and supervising essential activities like implementation of the Pharmacy Act and the Pharmacy Practice Regulations, besides handling the registration of new pharmacists and processing renewals.

“Therefore, the individual in this role needs the appropriate background and a comprehensive understanding of the regulations, about colleges, etc. If the Registrar fails to execute this job properly-allowing fake certificates or wrong registrations-it can seriously impact public healthcare." Dr Vaidya, who is also the president at the Goa State Pharmacy Council, emphasized that there is“no shortage of such technical persons" who are qualified for the post.

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