 The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has asked the Universities and colleges approved by the Council under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, to strictly implement the new Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) syllabus from the academic session 2026-27.
The Council sought the examining authorities to conduct awareness programmes to facilitate effective implementation of the new syllabus, across the institutions.
"... all the institutions running B.Pharm Course and the Examining Authorities holding examination of pharmacy students are required to strictly follow the statutory provisions contained in the said syllabus for approval under sections 12(1) and 12(2) of the Pharmacy Act, 1948," said the Council in circular to all institutions and examining authorities.
Further extension of approval of the pharmacy institutions and universities shall depend on the implementation of the course of study and syllabus prescribed by the PCI, it added. The Universities and Colleges should submit compliance regarding implementation of the new syllabus, said the Council.
The PCI launched the B.Pharm syllabus with a Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), emphasising on practical learning, research orientation, digital and artificial intelligence (AI) integration, proposed for implementation from the academic year 2026–27, on April 17, 2026.
The curriculum has been developed in alignment with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, to strengthen pharmacy education and with a vision to prepare graduates to meet the evolving needs of healthcare and the pharmaceutical sector.
The new syllabus aims at graduate attributes, the key competencies and professional qualities expected from every pharmacy graduate, as the pharmaceutical knowledge proficiency, scientific and analytical thinking, ethical and professional integrity, patient centred orientation, industry and practice readiness, digital and technological awareness, effective communication skills, among others.
The key highlights of the syllabus apart from the digital and AI technologies include research projects in the seventh and eighth semesters, internships in the fourth and sixth semesters, interdisciplinary learning, elective courses to ensure flexibility for the students, strong industry and clinical exposure, outcome-based education, focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and start-ups, among others.
The syllabus introduces emerging areas, including artificial intelligence (AI) and latest digital technologies, enabling students to understand their applications in fields such as drug discovery, pharmaceutical manufacturing, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacy practice, while remaining firmly grounded in the core pharmaceutical sciences, says the Council.
The course of study for B. Pharm shall extend over a period of eight semesters (four academic years) and six semesters (three academic years) for lateral entry students.
Each semester shall consist of not less than 90 working days. The odd semesters shall be conducted from the month of June/July to November/December and the even semesters shall be conducted from December/January to May/June in every calendar year. A break of not less than 7 days shall be provided between the semesters.
A candidate must maintain a minimum of 75% attendance in each individual course. Attendance for theory and practical components shall be considered separately. Only candidates who satisfactorily complete the prescribed course requirements shall be eligible to appear for the respective examinations, says the Syllabus.
Courses are broadly classified as Theory, Practical, Project and Internship, and credits are assigned to each course dependent on various factors. The minimum credit points required for award of a B. Pharm degree is 193. These credits are distributed across Theory courses, Practical courses, Internship and Project over the duration of eight semesters.
The course of study include topics including theory on basics of Python programming for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Applied Biostatistics and Data Analytics for Pharmaceutical Sciences, AI and Machine Learning in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Industrial Pharmacognosy, Innovation and Startup Ecosystem, Industrial Pharmacognosy, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, Computer-Aided Drug Design, Drug Store and Business Management, Biostatistics Research methodology, AI in Clinical Applications, Current Good Manufacturing Practices, Medical Devices, Biosimilars, Vaccines and Macromolecules, Ethical Considerations and Translational Applications of AI in Pharmacy, along with communication skills, mental well-being, stress and conflict management and fundamentals of computer operations, during the eight semesters.
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