B Pharm, 2nd shift, lands, trouble,
AICTE approves 2nd shift in four B Pharm colleges in the state, PCI says it won’t register 2nd-shift students as pharmacists
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, July 19, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2010071920100719005303107436e862c)
A policy clash between All India Institute of Technical Education (AICTE) and Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) could land students in a soup, particularly if they are not reading this. While AICTE recently granted four state colleges permission to start second shift for BPharm course from 2010 onwards, the PCI has refused to register as pharmacists those enrolling in the second shifts.
The AICTE had introduced a new concept of second shift classes wherein institutes with more than six years of operations can offer under-graduate and post-graduate programmes in engineering, management and pharmacy to additional students. The second shift classes, AICTE said, can run at timings that do not clash with the schedule of the regular students of these institutes.
However, in a public notice issued a few days ago, PCI stated: “It is brought to the notice of all concerned that the Pharmacy Council of India has not approved conduct of pharmacy courses in the second shift. The pharmacy institutions intending to run pharmacy course in the second shift and students intending to enroll in such courses are hereby informed that such pharmacy course will not be approved u/s 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and students shall not be eligible for registration as pharmacist under the said Act which is mandatory to practise pharmacy profession in the country.
The entire consequence for running unapproved pharmacy courses shall rest on the institution as well as students enrolling in such institutions. The Pharmacy Council of India, in no way, shall be responsible for the same.” This means 240 students enrolling for BPharm in second-shift in the four colleges will not get licence from PCI to practise pharmacy.
The PCI notice has not gone down well with the Joint Admission Committee for Professional Courses (JACPC) in the state. JACPC Member Secretary M N Patel said: “PCI can only provide students licence to practise pharmacy. We shall inform PCI’s decision to students seeking admission in BPharm in the newly-approved second shift. If they still want to enroll, they will be taken in.” Even the Association of Self-Financed Pharmacy Colleges (ASFPC) in the state are miffed with PCI’s notice.
ASFPC Secretary G K Ruwala said: “I do not understand why should one course be under the control of two bodies. And why should the students suffer if there is no co-ordination between the two. While AICTE approves intake of 240 students in the second shift, PCI says it won’t register second-shift students as pharmacists. This is ridiculous. I have written a letter to MHRD, PCI and AICTE regarding the issue.”
PCI, AICTE AND A CAREER IN PHARMACY
BPharm, a degree programme of four-year duration, caters to the needs of pharmaceutical industries. The programme is under the control of two statutory bodies: AICTE and PCI. PCI’s approval is necessary if the passing out students intend to register in State Pharmacy Council as registered pharmacists. On the other hand the AICTE permission or approval is necessary to start a degree programme and the institutions offering such programme need to comply with AICTE’s requirement, irrespective of whether the students need to register or not after passing out.
The pharmaceutical industries do not need the council’s registration. What they look for is just a recognised degree from the university. Ditto for employment in regulatory bodies like Drugs Control Department. The registration of passed out students in the council is must only if they wish to join the profession either in community pharmacy (retail medicine sale) or in hospital pharmacy.
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, July 19, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2010071920100719005303107436e862c)
A policy clash between All India Institute of Technical Education (AICTE) and Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) could land students in a soup, particularly if they are not reading this. While AICTE recently granted four state colleges permission to start second shift for BPharm course from 2010 onwards, the PCI has refused to register as pharmacists those enrolling in the second shifts.
The AICTE had introduced a new concept of second shift classes wherein institutes with more than six years of operations can offer under-graduate and post-graduate programmes in engineering, management and pharmacy to additional students. The second shift classes, AICTE said, can run at timings that do not clash with the schedule of the regular students of these institutes. Apart from having a minimum of six years of experience in delivering technical education, the institutes need to meet the specified parameters in areas like quality of faculty, infrastructure and placements to be considered eligible for running the second shift classes.
It is based on these criteria that four state colleges Atmiya Institute of Pharmacy, Rajkot, L J Institute of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad, Shree Dhanvantary Pharmacy College, Kim, Sigma Institute of Pharmacy, Waghodiya, were granted 60 seats each in the second shift. However, in a public notice issued a few days ago, PCI stated: “It is brought to the notice of all concerned that the Pharmacy Council of India has not approved conduct of pharmacy courses in the second shift. The pharmacy institutions intending to run pharmacy course in the second shift and students intending to enroll in such courses are hereby informed that such pharmacy course will not be approved u/s 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and students shall not be eligible for registration as pharmacist under the said Act which is mandatory to practise pharmacy profession in the country.
The entire consequence for running unapproved pharmacy courses shall rest on the institution as well as students enrolling in such institutions. The Pharmacy Council of India, in no way, shall be responsible for the same.” This means 240 students enrolling for BPharm in second-shift in the four colleges will not get licence from PCI to practise pharmacy.
The PCI notice has not gone down well with the Joint Admission Committee for Professional Courses (JACPC) in the state. JACPC Member Secretary M N Patel said: “PCI can only provide students licence to practise pharmacy. We shall inform PCI’s decision to students seeking admission in BPharm in the newly-approved second shift. If they still want to enroll, they will be taken in.” Even the Association of Self-Financed Pharmacy Colleges (ASFPC) in the state are miffed with PCI’s notice.
ASFPC Secretary G K Ruwala said: “I do not understand why should one course be under the control of two bodies. And why should the students suffer if there is no co-ordination between the two. While AICTE approves intake of 240 students in the second shift, PCI says it won’t register second-shift students as pharmacists. This is ridiculous. I have written a letter to MHRD, PCI and AICTE regarding the issue.”
PCI, AICTE AND A CAREER IN PHARMACY
BPharm, a degree programme of four-year duration, caters to the needs of pharmaceutical industries. The programme is under the control of two statutory bodies: AICTE and PCI. PCI’s approval is necessary if the passing out students intend to register in State Pharmacy Council as registered pharmacists. On the other hand the AICTE permission or approval is necessary to start a degree programme and the institutions offering such programme need to comply with AICTE’s requirement, irrespective of whether the students need to register or not after passing out.
The pharmaceutical industries do not need the council’s registration. What they look for is just a recognised degree from the university. Ditto for employment in regulatory bodies like Drugs Control Department. The registration of passed out students in the council is must only if they wish to join the profession either in community pharmacy (retail medicine sale) or in hospital pharmacy.
