Health Ministry releases National Pharmacy Commission Bill to replace Pharmacy Council

This Board will evaluate and rate pharmacy institutions and publish assessment documents on its website.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released the draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2023, aiming to replace the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the existing Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) with the National Pharmacy Commission.

The bill aims to enhance pharmacy education by improving access to affordable, high-quality education, and ensuring the availability of pharmacy professionals nationwide. It seeks to promote equitable healthcare by making pharmacy services accessible to all citizens.

The bill encourages professionals to integrate the latest research into their work, contribute to research, and uphold high ethical standards. It proposes regular, transparent assessments of pharmacy institutions, the maintenance of a national pharmacy register, and flexibility to adapt to evolving needs. Additionally, the bill establishes an effective grievance redressal mechanism for relevant matters.

The bill proposes to constitute a commission with its head office in New Delhi. The existing Pharmacy Council of India under the Pharmacy Act, of 1948 will be dissolved. This is expected to reinvigorate pharmacy education, which has remained stagnant, and raise its standard.

The National Pharmacy Commission shall consist of a Chairperson, 13 ex-officio members and 14 part-time members. The Central Government shall constitute three boards namely the Pharmacy Education Board, the Pharmacy Assessment and Rating Board; and the Pharmacy Ethics and Registration Board, which will function under the commission.

The bill adds that every State Government shall, within one year from the commencement of this Act, constitute a state pharmacy chapter, where no such state chapter exists in that State by a State Law, for exercising such powers and discharging such duties as may be laid down under the Act.

The Pharmacy Ethics and Registration Board will maintain a National Pharmacy Register (NPR) containing details of pharmacy professionals, ensuring transparency. The commission is tasked with setting education standards, facilities, assessments, training, research, and tuition fees. It will establish standards for the pharmacy faculty and clinical facilities, implement a uniform admission mechanism, and regulate pharmacy education and training policies. Additionally, the commission will oversee and regulate pharmacy institutions, research activities, professionals, and associates.

The commission will also make regulations to ensure the competency of pharmacy professionals. The commission will evaluate professionals “either through final year undergraduate exam or otherwise, to ensure adequate competence of the pharmacy professionals for enrolment in the National Register or State Register, as the case may be, and for granting licence to practice as a pharmacy professional”.

It will also have the duty to collaborate with industry and other institutions for the use of cutting-edge technology and hybrid education to drive innovation and research in pharmacy. To ensure the global mobility of professionals, the council will have to train professionals with soft skills and provide elective courses at educational institutions.

The bill prohibits the establishment of new pharmacy institutions or courses without prior permission from the Pharmacy Assessment and Rating Board. This Board will evaluate and rate pharmacy institutions and publish assessment documents on its website. Non-compliance with minimum standards may result in actions such as warnings, penalties, reduced intake, admissions suspension, or recognition withdrawal.

Earlier, during the Parliament session in August, the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023, and the National Dental Commission Bill, 2023 were passed.