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As the Union health ministry prepares to finalize the National Pharmacy Commission (NPC) Bill, 2026, government pharmacists and public health professionals are raising critical execution concerns.
The proposed legislation seeks to repeal the nearly eight-decade-old Pharmacy Act of 1948, replacing the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) with a modern four-board Commission structure. Ground-level professionals welcome this regulatory shift but emphasize that legislative changes must align with practical healthcare operations.
Leading this effort, Jignesh Patel, a government pharmacist in Gujarat and leader of the Gujarat Government Pharmacist Association, has submitted comprehensive recommendations to the union health ministry. While appreciating digital registers and specialized governance boards, Patel stated that without explicit protections for working professionals, academic transitions, and institutional quality, the bill risks missing its transformative goals.
A primary concern in Patel’s submission involves the proposed National Exit Test (NExT-Pharmacy) for D.Pharm and B.Pharm graduates. Though he supported a uniform exit exam to elevate national education standards and patient safety, he warned against an abrupt rollout. Patel urged the Ministry to grant a minimum 2-to-3-year transition window, allowing colleges time to realign curricula and build necessary mock-testing infrastructure for students from rural or economically weaker backgrounds.
Another major demand from the association is ensuring practicing pharmacists have seats on the top governing board. Patel highlighted that while the draft includes members from the Ministry of Ayush, DCGI, and industrial sectors, it heavily favours academic voices. To balance ground-level realities, the Gujarat pharmacist leader requested a mandatory statutory quota, reserving at least 25 percent of Commission seats specifically for practicing community, retail, clinical, and government pharmacists.
Addressing institutional quality control, Jignesh Patel argued that periodic ratings of pharmacy colleges are insufficient to curb commercialization and demand-supply imbalances. He recommended introducing strict penal measures, including immediate license cancellations and heavy monetary fines, for institutions that fail to meet baseline quality benchmarks across two consecutive assessment cycles.
On digital integration, the feedback commended linking the live National Register with platforms like Aarogya Setu 2.0 and the National Health Claims Exchange. However, Patel identified a clear gap regarding career trajectory and professional growth, stressing that the draft focuses heavily on educational restructuring while neglecting service conditions.
To address these career concerns, the Gujarat Government Pharmacist Association urged the health ministry to establish a dedicated ‘Pharmacy Cell’ or Directorate of Pharmacy within the ministry. Patel emphasized that this administrative setup is vital to secure standard designations, pay parity, and clear promotional pathways for pharmacists serving across the nation's healthcare frontlines.
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