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The All India PharmD Association (AIPDA) has raised concerns over the proposed National Pharmacy Commission Bill 2026, stating that it fails to provide a comprehensive legal framework for pharmacy practice in India. While acknowledging the Bill's intent to reform pharmacy education and regulation, the association said it does not adequately define, regulate, or strengthen professional pharmacy practice, leaving significant gaps in the delivery of pharmaceutical care and patient safety.
Bhagavan PS, Mentor & Advisor, AIPDA said that even as we laud the initiative of the Union government to introduce the National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2026, to modernize pharmacy education, institutional governance, assessment, registration, and professional standards, we are of the view that the Bill, in its present form, remains predominantly an education and regulatory reform. It does not provide a comprehensive legal framework for pharmacy practice and pharmacist-led patient care.
The proposed legislation is positioned to represent an important step towards reforming pharmacy education. But AIPDA is of the opinion that the Bill does not adequately define the statutory role of pharmacists, particularly PharmD graduates, within India's healthcare delivery system, Bhagavan told Pharmabiz.
The legislation is largely silent on clinical pharmacy practice, PharmaCare services, medication therapy management, medication reconciliation, patient counselling, pharmacovigilance, antimicrobial stewardship, home medication review, collaborative practice, and other patient-centred professional services that are essential for improving medication safety and therapeutic outcomes, he pointed out.
“We are particularly concerned that, despite the introduction of the PharmD programme in 2008, the proposed legislation does not create an enabling legal framework for utilizing these clinically trained professionals as clinical pharmacists within hospitals, community healthcare, and public health programmes,” he said.
Without such statutory recognition, India cannot fully realize the benefits of its investment in advanced pharmacy education. AIPDA is therefore submitting a detailed recommendations to the Government of India highlighting the key gaps in the proposed legislation, he said.
The Association has also recommended the incorporation of its draft proposals on ‘PharmaCare’ and the ‘Pharmacy Practice & Pharmacy Education Regulatory Bill,’ which provide a comprehensive framework for integrating pharmacy education with professional practice, patient safety, medication management, and healthcare delivery.
Now the Association urges the government to broaden the scope of the National Pharmacy Commission Bill so that it not only regulates pharmacy education and registration but also establishes a robust statutory framework governing pharmacy practice, professional responsibilities, service standards, workforce planning, continuing professional development, and the integration of pharmacists into multidisciplinary healthcare teams. A modern National Pharmacy Commission should empower pharmacists to contribute effectively to patient safety, rational use of medicines, improved therapeutic outcomes, and the overall strengthening of India's healthcare system, he pointed out.
Here AIPDA remains committed to working constructively with the government and all stakeholders to develop a comprehensive, forward-looking, and patient-centred legislative framework that will elevate the pharmacy profession and serve the healthcare needs of the nation, said Bhagavan.
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