TN Pharmacy Council asks IPA to recommend Pharm D graduates for specialized posts in industry & in govt sector

The newly passed out Doctoral Pharmacy (Pharm D) gradutates in Tamil Nadu will get multiple opportunities in pharma and allied health sectors as the state pharmacy council (TNPC) is continuing its discussion with the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) to consider and recommend Pharm D graduates for specialized posts in industry and in government sector.

The pharmacy council is an autonomous body with lot of limitations of work. Apart from registration and renewal of certificates, the council is supposed to facilitate and support pharmacy education and updating the syllabus. But as a special case of interest, TNPC will take the issues of Pharm D holders with IPA which is the ideal organisation to discuss and analyse their issues. All possible attempts will be made by the state council for the welfare of the Pharm D graduates and other registered pharmacists, according to J Jayaseelan, president of TNPC.

He said the government of Tamil Nadu does have good vision about the career prospects of Pharm D. Pharmacy council will recommend state IPA to take the problems with the government for expediting measures to specify posts and identify areas of job for the Pharm D graduates. As far as pharmacy council is concerned, apart from registration work, its main duty is to ensure implementation of the updated syllabus of the PCI in all the colleges.

However, Jayaseelan who is also an industrialist, said although several batches of the six-year doctoral pharmacy program qualified students have come out in the last six years, no Pharm D person is available in Tamil Nadu’s industrial purpose. All the qualified persons are migrating to other states to work in hospitals, clinical trial organisations and pharmacovigilance centres. Those who are interested to work in industry, the pharmacy council and the state IPA will provide all guidance.

In an interview with Pharmabiz the TNPC president said there are complaints from teachers about poor salary and other benefits. He pointed out that AICTE has mandated salaries to teachers as per the 6th pay commission recommendation. If any teacher has complaint about poor salary and benefits, they can intimate the issue with the technical education regulator. Pharmacy council will render all possible help to the academicians. 

Answering queries, he said TNPC is always ready to discuss and recommend ways to pharmacists, especially Pharm D holders, for their future career. Soon the council will call a meeting of association leaders including Pharm D holders. Following the guidance of the central council, TNPC is organizing Continuous Pharmacy Education programs to registered pharmacists every month in each district. 

About starting Pharm D course in government institutions, Jayaseelan said the pharmacy college attached to the Madras Medical College in Chennai is one of the oldest institutions started in the country before independence. But it has only two courses, D Pharm and B Pharm even today. Same situation is with the government pharmacy college in Madurai. No PG programme is conducted in any of the two institutions. Whereas, all the medical colleges have PG programmes in various medical sciences.

Source: http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=115712&sid=1