Date:16/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/16/stories/2005041607240300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Concern over poor pharma education

Staff Reporter

PCI seeks authority to sanction colleges PCI seeks authority to sanction colleges "Sanction of new pharmacy colleges should be the prerogative of the Pharmacy Council of India, on the lines of MCI."

ANANTAPUR: The president of Pharmacy Council of India, B. Suresh, said that standards in pharmaceutical education had slumped as powers to sanction pharmacy colleges in the country had been given to the All India Council of Technical Education.

Speaking after inaugurating new buildings of a private pharmacy college at Krishnamreddipalli near here on Friday he felt that sanction of new pharmacy colleges should be the prerogative of the Pharmacy Council of India, on the lines of MCI, which was the authority to sanction medical colleges in the country.

Suggestions to AICTE

The PCI was, however, making efforts to improve standards of pharmacy education by suggesting measures to the AICTE about sanctioning of pharmacy colleges.

Pharmacy education had earned recognition as the most vital vocational course as pharmacists play a key role in health sector, he said. He also admitted that there were a lot of disparities in the syllabus of pharmacy courses in different colleges.

The Principal Coordinator of Quality Improvement Programme (pharmacy) of AICTE, K. Chinnaswamy, the Joint Director of Technical Education, P.T. Prabhakar, the Chairperson of Women's Cooperative Finance Corporation, P. Krishnamma, and T.V. Narayana of IPA opened various blocks in the college. K.V.S. Chalapati Reddy of INTUC, Y. Padmanabha Reddy and J. Ravindra Reddy of the college also participated.