CHALLENGES OF QUALITY PHARMACEUTICAL EDUCATION IN INDIA: NEED OF HOUR

Pharmaceutical education in India has involved not only medicine and manufacturing but also hospital and health care sector. Now a days, Pharm.D. and Pharm.D. (Post Baccalaurate), B.Pharm (Practice) courses are also introduced instead of M.Pharm (Clinical Pharmacy) to meet the challenges of health care and hospital and clinical sector. But, it is the great problem for providing the quality of the education due to shortage of trained faculties. The main problems of the passed out students are the lack of skills. Only some institutions maintain internationally recognized standards. The another notable problem is the increasing of pharmacy colleges like mushrooms. To meet the future challenges the summarized recommendations are as follows:  Quality improvement programme (QIP) and faculty development programme (FDP) should be given to the faculty members.  Computer based learning, case based learning, project based learning, experimental learning should be given to the students.  Organized seminars, workshops, symposiums, convention on monthly basis.  Meet all requirements framed by All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and Pharmacy Council of India (PCI).  Organized hospital and pharmaceutical industrial training in favor of the students for gathered practical based competencies.  Promote the study and practical of pharmaceutical science and research through novel approaches.  Published articles in the research journals viz. preferred University Grant Commission (UGC) journals.  To achieve associateship, fellowship, charteredship from learned professional bodies such as Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA), Institution of Chemists (India), Royal Society of Biology, Royal Society of Chemistry etc. So, at present it is very crucial to measure the quality education standards in Indian pharmacy education where education meets professional challenges. Without achieving the same, the growth may be consolidated where presently pharmacy education more focused hospital and clinical pharmacy as well as health care sector in India.