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In a significant move to protect the standards of pharmaceutical education, the Kerala branch of the Federation of Indian Pharmacists’ Organizations (FIPO) has lodged a formal complaint with the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI).
The petition, submitted to the Registrar, seeks immediate and stringent action against several institutions in Kerala's Malappuram district for allegedly conducting unauthorized pharmacy-related courses. This move highlights a growing alarm over private centres misleading students with programmes that lack both legal and professional validity.
The formal communication was dispatched by FIPO Kerala secretary M K Premanandan, who raised serious concerns regarding the legitimacy of ‘Pharmacy Assistant’ courses. In his letter to the national regulator, Premanandan pointed out that these institutions are operating entirely outside the legal framework established by the Pharmacy Act. He emphasized that such unregulated operations put the career prospects of hundreds of students at risk while simultaneously undermining the safety of the public healthcare system.
Investigations into the matter revealed a troubling lack of accreditation among several prominent training centres in the district. When Pharmabiz contacted some of these institutions, a number of these institutions admitted that their courses do not carry government approval. This admission confirms that the curriculum being taught does not meet the rigorous standards set by state or national councils, ultimately leaving students with certificates that hold no official weight in the professional world.
A primary consequence of this lack of approval is the total inability of graduates to attain professional status. It has been clarified that students passing these unauthorized courses are ineligible for registration with the State Pharmacy Council. Without this mandatory registration, they are legally prohibited from practicing as pharmacists or dispensing medications in any licensed medical establishment across the country.
Regarding employment prospects, the complaint notes that these students are being relegated to minor, low-level roles. They are often restricted to working as assistants within wholesale drug depots or large-scale retail shops where professional registration is not strictly enforced for support staff. While these institutions admit during the enrolment process that this one-year ‘Pharmacy Assistant’ course does not qualify for official registration, they continue to lure students by claiming that those who complete the programme can find ample employment in major pharmacy outlets both within India and abroad.
However, the report also suggests a shifting tide in student perception, as these unauthorized institutions now face a significant existential crisis. Many centres admitted that they were unable to secure a sufficient number of students to start the course for the current academic year. It appears that increased public awareness regarding the unauthorized status of these courses has led to a sharp drop in enrolments across the Malappuram district.
By bringing this matter to the highest level of the PCI, M K Premanandan and FIPO are calling for a total ban on such unaccredited training centres. The petition emphasizes that only programmes recognized by the PCI should be permitted to operate. This action aims to ensure that the title of ‘Pharmacist’ remains protected and that vulnerable students are no longer exploited by institutions offering dead-end qualifications.
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