Pharmacy Council of India approves new D Pharm, B Pharm, M Pharm courses at IP University with 220 seats

New Delhi: In a major boost to pharmacy education in the country, the prestigious Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) has gotten the approval for several new pharmacy courses, starting from the 2024-25 academic year, from the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI).

According to a recent report by UNI, these courses include D.Pharm, B.Pharm, and M.Pharm in Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Phytopharmacy and Phytomedicine, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. This is the first time these courses will be offered on the university campus.

As per the statement by the Vice Chancellor of GGSIPU, Prof (Dr) Mahesh Verma, the D.Pharm programme will have 60 seats, B.Pharm 100 seats, and each M.Pharm specialisation 15 seats, totalling an intake of 220 students. 

Prof Verma told UNI, "These courses will cater to the need for qualified manpower in the pharmaceutical sector. The teaching pedagogy, hands-on experience with the latest equipment, and industry-friendly approach will be the unique features at the Centre of Excellence in Pharmaceutical Sciences (CEPS)."

The demand for Indian pharmaceuticals has surged post-Covid, with India ranking third worldwide in drug and pharmaceutical production by volume, exporting to approximately 200 countries and territories. The Indian pharmaceutical industry, valued at $50 billion, is expected to grow to $65 billion by 2024 and $130 billion by 2030.

The Pharmacy education and profession in India are regulated by the PCI, a statutory body under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The PCI governs pharmacy education through the Pharmacy Act, 1948, which was passed by Parliament to regulate the profession and practice of pharmacy in the country. Presently, India has 2,489 institutes, 101,409 pharmacists, and 91,530 pharmacy faculties in the profession.

CEPS, established by the university in 2014, aims to provide interdisciplinary academic and research activities in the field of pharmacy. It currently offers M.Sc. programmes in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design and Bioinformatics, alongside a PhD programme in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. The centre is well-equipped with advanced instruments and staffed by faculty with rich academic backgrounds.

CEPS has also initiated a centralized instrumentation facility with advanced instruments like NMR, SEM, HPLC, GC, Elisa Plate Reader, UV-spectrophotometer, FTIR, and Microwave synthesizer. This facility is available to both academia and industry users at nominal charges.

The new courses at CEPS align with the academic approach of NEP 2020, emphasizing practical implementation of knowledge to skill students for industry or self-employment. "The students are groomed from an industry perspective by reputed scientists from esteemed institutes," added Prof Verma.