PCI Allows One-Year Provisional Registration for D.Pharm Students Amid Exit Exam Delay
New Delhi: In a major relief for Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm) students, the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has decided to allow one-year provisional registration certificates for candidates admitted in the 2022-23 academic session and who completed their course in the 2023-24 session, even though the Exit Examination has not yet been conducted.
The Council noted that approval from the Ministry regarding the proposed amendment to Regulation 6 of the Diploma in Pharmacy Exit Examination Regulations, 2022 - which recommends holding a single paper instead of three to reduce financial burden - is still pending. As a result, the exit examination has not been conducted so far.
PCI stated that it has been receiving numerous requests from D.Pharm students facing difficulties in securing employment or starting professional work because they are currently unregistered. Recognising the urgency of the matter, the Council decided to extend temporary support until the exit examination is conducted.
Following deliberations, PCI has directed all State Pharmacy Councils, State Governments/UTs, and approved Pharmacy Institutions to issue one-year provisional registration certificates to eligible students from the 2022–2023 batch. The Council clarified that these certificates will not be renewed unless the student successfully clears the exit examination once it is held.
The circular also includes a mandatory student declaration format, requiring candidates to affirm that they have not appeared for the exit examination, request the one-year registration certificate, and agree that renewal will only be permitted upon clearing the exam. It further states that failure to clear the exit examination within the one-year validity period will make the student ineligible for renewal or continuation of registration.
This interim decision is expected to benefit thousands of D.Pharm graduates awaiting the conduct of the exit examination, offering them temporary eligibility to practice as pharmacists until the regulatory process is completed.
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