The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has proposed to the Central government to set up a premier institute for pharmacy education, similar to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), to explore and develop innovative curriculum for pharmacy courses to be implemented in the rest of the pharmacy institutions in the country.
The proposal is to set up a national institute of pharmacy, which will develop innovative curriculum to produce trained manpower as per the requirement of pharmaceutical industry, nurture sponsored and contract research and to provide continuing education to institutions and industry in pharmacy sector, according to PCI sources.
“Since the fund is to be issued from the government, we have submitted the proposal to the ministry and is waiting for approval,” said Dr B Suresh, president, PCI. He added that in the mean time, the PCI has initiated efforts to upgrade some of the existing pharmacy institutions with good records to be apex institutions supporting the national institute.
The PCI has already called for proposals from pharmacy institutions to extend one time financial assistance for up-gradation of government diploma pharmacy institution to degree pharmacy institution and for introduction of M Pharm course or new M Pharm specialization in government degree pharmacy institutions.
The council has so far received 23 proposals from different government institutions and plans are to allocate funds from the Rs.100 crore grant allocated to PCI under the 11th Five Year Plan, for the purpose. The project is expected to materialise immediately and these institutions will later work as apex institutions for introduction of innovative curriculum developed in the national institute, once the government okays the proposal and the premier institution is established, said Suresh.
The fund allocated for PCI will also be used to set up Drug Information Centres (DICs) in state pharmacy councils. Priority will be given to the State councils in establishing DICs, though the support will also be provided to well established and functioning institutions in pharmacy practices, to ensure success of the objective in setting up the centres.
Further, a faculty development programme would also be initiated by PCI utilising the fund, as a continuing education programme for teachers who will help the council to train the rest of the pharmacy community with the latest developments in the segment.
Strengthening of pharmacy institutions, introduction of bridge course for in-service diploma pharmacists working in community, hospital and dispensary pharmacy practices to upgrade their qualification from diploma to degree by supporting them with incentives or subsidy in fee, and continuing education of pharmacists are some of the other areas the PCI is currently focusing apart from its routine activities.
Source:Pharmabiz
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