The Association of Advanced pharmacy practitioners (AAPP) strongly urges the government of India to change certain drafted rules of National pharmacy commission Bill. The recommendations of AAPP mainly focused on number of members in council, minimum qualification to registered as pharmacist and national level entrance examination to enter in pharmacy education.
AAPP said that it has welcomed the decision of the Govt. of India for introducing National pharmacy commission Bill-2023 which will be known as National pharmacy commission (NPC) Act, 2023 which depicts a contemporary approach of the Govt. of India towards pharmacy sector an lndia.
Mr. BK Barman, President of AAPP said that, "after going through in details of the draft Bill of NPC, it has been observed that priority has been given to only experienced academician to become a member of NPC and others functionary body of the draft Bill, whereas NPC is constituted for the development of whole pharmacy professionals such as Community pharmacist; Hospital pharmacist; Drug information pharmacist; Clinical pharmacist."
"Apart from academicians, the above category of the pharmacists are the roots of pharmacy profession as per the provisions of the pharmacy Act 1948 and Pharmacy Practice Regulation -2015, and take vital role in modern health care to provide pharmaceutical care through Good pharmacy practice in India."
AAPP strongly urge upon to increase other 4 (four) part time members - total 18 (eighteen) instead of 14 (fourteen) part time members of section 4 of NPC by including one member of each category mentioned above in NPC along with every functionary body (committee) of NPC Act 2023, also the same u/s 23 of NPC in the state Chapter.
AAPP suggests single window entry qualification to become a registered pharmacist in India. Bachelor of Pharmacy degree should be the minimum Basic qualification to be a qualified Registered Pharmacist in India in the pattern of the MBBS, BDS, B.v.sc., etc. to maintain the Global standard of Pharmacy education in India and also to fulfill the dream of our Honorable prime Minister as "India is the Pharmacy of the world" as well as to follow the guidelines of world Health organization (WHO) and Federation of International pharmacists (FIP).
To provide uniform mechanism of admission and maintain the uniform standard of quality education across the country, it should be compulsory National level Entrance Examination ( NEET ) & Exit Examination in Pharmacy curriculum or pharmacist Eligibility Test (PET) it should be clearly mentioned in the section 10(2)(d) that all Pharmacy admissions should come under the preview of NEET and accordingly Pharmacist Eligibility Test (PET) should be conducted by National Testing Agency.
The Centre has proposed a National Pharmacy Register with details of all pharmacy professionals as part of a draft Bill that seeks to repeal the nearly 75-year-old Pharmacy Act and replace the Pharmacy Council of India with a national commission. The Union Health Ministry uploaded a draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2023, on its website on November 10, seeking comments from the public.
