The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has issued a public notice categorically stating that it is the sole prescribed authority empowered to conduct Diploma in Pharmacy Exit Examinations. This notice was dated April 15, 2024.
It has come to the notice of the PCI that Srimanta Shankardev University of Health Sciences (SSUHS) has issued a notification for conducting an Exit Examination for all students who already graduated with a Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm) or Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) degree.
Compliance with Pharmacy Act:
The PCI has cited a judgement by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Pharmacy Council of India vs. Dr. SK Toshniwal Educational Trusts Vidharbha Institute of Pharmacy and Ors which mandated that the Pharmacy Act, 1948, prevails over any other law when it comes to pharmacy education standards and professional regulations.
It may be recalled that the PCI had issued a notice dated December 22, 2023 on the conduct of the Exit Examination for D. Pharm Course for 2022-2024 Academic Session.
Key Points of this Notification are restated as follows:
- Registration as Pharmacists: Students admitted in the 2022-2023 academic session in D. Pharm and passing out in 2023-2024 will not be registered as pharmacists until they qualify the exit examination.
- Qualifying the Exam: Passing the Exit Examination is now a mandatory requirement for students to be registered as pharmacists under the Pharmacy Act, 1948.
- Additional Conditions: Graduates must also fulfill other conditions stipulated under Section 32(2) of the Pharmacy Act to become registered pharmacists.
Therefore, the PCI has reiterated that Srimanta Shankardev University of Health Sciences (SSUHS) has no authority to conduct an Exit Examination for students graduating with a Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm).
Furthermore, in accordance with the Diploma in Pharmacy Exit Examination Rules, 2022, PCI is the only prescribed authority to conduct Diploma in Pharmacy Exit Examinations. Hence, any other authority conducting exit examinations will be violating these rules and will attract legal consequences. The PCI has asked the Government of Assam to take cognizance of this matter.
