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The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) wants to take measures to amend the Section 5 (1) and Section 23 (1) of the Pharmacy Act in order to stop non-pharmacy professionals to hold the posts of president, vice-presidents and the registrar of the state pharmacy councils (SPCs) and such posts in PCI also.
The amendment should specify the qualifications of the president, vice-president and of the registrar of the national council and of the state councils. The president of the Medical Council of India (MCI) is always a medical doctor and similarly a dental doctor for the Dental Council of India (DCI). There should be special clauses in the Pharmacy Act to mandate it with specific qualifications, hence the present act needs to be amended.
In a letter sent to Dr B Suresh Bhojraj, president of PCI, the pharmaceutical expert and the former vice-president of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), Dr Roop Narayan Gupta from Jharkhand, said that in West Bengal both the posts of president and registrar are held by non-pharmacists. He said the president of the WB SPC is a medical doctor and the registrar is a graduate in commerce (B Com). On behalf of the pharmacy professionals in the country, it is high time the PCI decided to have an amendment in this regard, he added.
According to Dr R N Gupta, in Section 5 (1) and Section 23 (1) of the Act, the amendment should be made by inserting the text that ‘the person must be having diploma or degree in pharmacy, and be a registered pharmacist'. So, the president and vice president of the PCI and of the SPCs will be from amongst the elected/nominated members having registration as pharmacists.
While speaking to Pharmabiz, Dr RNG said he is conducting a survey now to find out how many of the state councils in the country are having non-pharmacist presidents and registrars. He said because of political influence, this anomaly happens and they cannot be heading a council of the registered pharmacists. The administrators of the council should also be registered pharmacists.
The Pharmacy Act 1948 was enacted by government of India with an objective to regulate the profession and practice of pharmacy to safeguard the health of the masses. In this Act qualification and education regulations have been prescribed for pharmacists who will handle the drugs and practice as pharmacists. But no qualification has been specified for the president and for the registrar, he added.
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