PHARMACY COUNCIL OF INDIA NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 9^th October, 2020

The Education Regulations, 2020 for Diploma Course in Pharmacy

Regulations made undersection10 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948.

(As approved by the Government of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare vide letter No. Z-28020/59/2019- AHS/FTS-8012809 dated 7.10.2020 and notified by the Pharmacy Council of India.)

No.14-55/2020-PCI:- In exercise of the powers conferred by section 10 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 (8 of 1948), the Pharmacy Council of India, with the approval of the Central Government, hereby makes the following regulations, namely.

CHAPTER 1

1. Short title and commencement-

• • These regulations may be called the Education Regulations, 2020 for Diploma course in Pharmacy.
  • They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the official Gazette.

2. Qualification for Pharmacist-

The minimum qualification required for registration as a pharmacist shall be apass in Diploma in Pharmacy (Part-I & Part-II) and satisfactory completion of Diploma in Pharmacy (Part-III).

Or

Any other qualification approved by the Pharmacy Council of India as equivalent to the above.

3. Diploma in Pharmacy (Part-I, Part-II and Part-III) shall consist of a certificate of having completed the course of study and passed the examination after satisfactory completing the practical training as prescribed in Chapter-2 and Chapter-3 of these regulations.

CHAPTER 2

4.   Diploma in Pharmacy (Part-I and Part-II)-

Minimum qualification for admission to Diploma in Pharmacy-A pass in 10+2 examination (science academic stream) with Physics, Chemistry and Biology or Mathematics.

or

Any other qualification approved by the Pharmacy Council of India as equivalent to the above examination.

Provided that there shall be reservation of seats for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes candidates in accordance with the instructions issued by the Central Government /State Governments /Union territory administrations as the case may be from time to time.

5.    Duration of the course-

• The duration of the course shall be for two academic years. Each academic year shall be spread over a period of not less than one hundred and eighty working days.
• In addition there shall be a five hundred hours of practical training spread over a period of not less than three.

6. Course of study- The course of study for Diploma in Pharmacy Part-I and Diploma in Pharmacy Part-II shall include the subjects as given in the Tables I &II below. The number of hours devoted to each subject for its teaching in Theory and Practical, shall not be less than that noted against it in columns 2and 3of the Tables below. However, the course of study and practical training may be modified by the Pharmacy Council of India from time to time.

TABLE III

Diploma in Pharmacy (Part III) Practical Training–500 hours

Activities

• Stocking of Drugs and Medical Devices
• Inventory Control Procedures
• Handling of prescriptions
• Dispensing(250hours)

Patient counseling 

7. Syllabus-The syllabus for each subject of study shall be as prescribed by the Pharmacy Council of India from time to time.

8. Approval of the authority conducting the course of study-

• No authority in a State shall start or conduct Diploma in Pharmacy course of study without the prior approval of the Pharmacy Council of India.
• The course of regular academic study prescribed under regulation 6 shall be conducted in an institution, approved by the Pharmacy Council of India under sub-section (1) of Section 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948.

Provided that the Pharmacy Council of India shall not approve any institution under this regulation unless it provides adequate arrangements for teaching in regard to building, accommodation, equipments and teaching staff etc. as specified in Appendix-A to these regulations which may be amended by the Pharmacy Council of India from time to time.

9.  Examinations-

• There shall be an annual examination at the end of the academic
• If necessary, there shall be a supplementary examination for the students who are not able to pass Diploma in Pharmacy Part-I or Part-II, as the case may be, as per the criteria specified by the examining authority.
• The examinations shall be of written and practical (including viva – voce) nature, carrying maximum marks for each part of a subject, as indicated in Table IV and V below.

*Internal assessment

*Internal assessment

10. Eligibility for appearing at the Diploma in Pharmacy Part-I and Part-II examination-

Only such candidates who produce certificate from the Head of the academic institution in which he/she has under gone the Diploma in Pharmacy Part-I and Part-II course in proof of his/her having regularly and satisfactorily under gone the course of study by attending not less than 75% of the classes held both in theory and in practical separately in each subject shall be eligible for appearing at the Diploma in Pharmacy (Part-I) or (Part II) examination, as the case may be.

11. Mode of examinations-

• Theory and Practical examination in the subjects mentioned in Tables – IV & V shall be of three hours duration. Both Theory and Practical are considered as two separate papers.
• A candidate who fails in theory or practical examination of a subject shall re-appear for the failed subject. Theory and Practical of a particular subject are considered as individual subjects for the purpose of pass
• Practical examination shall also consist of a viva-voce

12. Award of sessional marks and maintenance of records-

• A regular record of both theory and practical class work and examinations held in an institution imparting training for diploma in Pharmacy Part-I and diploma in Pharmacy Part-II courses, shall be maintained for each student in the institution and 20 marks for each theory and 20 marks for each practical subject shall be allotted as sessional marks.
• There shall be two or more periodic sessional (internal assessment) examinations during each academic year. The highest aggregate of any two performances shall form the basis of calculating sessional marks.
• The sessional marks in practicals shall be allotted on the following basis:-
  • • Actual performance in the sessional/spacing examination =10
    • Day to day assessment in the practical class/spacing work=10

13. Minimum marks for passing the examination- A student shall not be declared to have passed Diploma in Pharmacy examination unless he/she secures at least 40% marks in each of the subjects separately in the theory as well as the practical examinations, including sessional marks. The candidates securing 60% marks or above in aggregate in all subjects shall be declared to have passed in first class. The candidates securing 75% marks or above in any subject or subjects shall be declared to have passed with distinction in that subject or those subjects. The grant of first class and distinction shall be subject to the condition that the candidate shall pass all the subjects in a single attempt.

14. Eligibility for promotion to Diploma in Pharmacy (Part-II)-

All candidates who have appeared for all the subjects and passed the Diploma in Pharmacy Part-I examination are eligible for promotion to the Diploma in Pharmacy Part-II class. However failure in more than two subjects shall debar him/her from promotion to Diploma in Pharmacy Part II class.

15. Improvement of sessional marks-

The candidates who wish to improve sessional marks can do so, by appearing in two additional sessional examinations during the next academic year. The averages core of the two examinations shall be the basis for improved sessional marks in theory as well as in practical. Marks awarded to a candidate for day to day assessment in the practical class cannot be improved unless he/she attends a regular course of study again.

16. Approval of examinations- The examinations mentioned in regulations 9 to 15 shall be held by an authority (here in after referred to as the Examining Authority) in a State, which shall be approved by the Pharmacy Council of India under sub-section(2) of section 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948. Such approval shall be granted only if the Examining Authority concerned fulfills the conditions as specified in Appendix-B to these regulations.

17. Certificate of passing examination for Diploma in Pharmacy (Part-II)- Certificate of having passed the examination for the Diploma in Pharmacy Part-II shall be granted by the examining authority to a successful

CHAPTER-3

Diploma in Pharmacy (Part-III)

(Practical Training)

18. Period and other conditions for practical training-

After having appeared in Part-II examination for the Diploma in Pharmacy held by an approved Examining Authority a candidate shall be eligible to undergo practical training in one or more of the following institutions namely:

• • • Hospitals/Dispensaries run by Central/ State
    • A pharmacy licensed for retail sale of drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 having the services of registered pharmacists.
    • Hospital and Dispensary other than those specified in sub-regulation (i) above for the purpose of giving practical training shall have to be recognized by Pharmacy Council of India on fulfilling the conditions specified in Appendix-C to these regulations.

The institutions referred in sub-regulation (1) shall be eligible to impart training subject to the condition that number of student pharmacists that may be taken in any hospital, dispensary or pharmacy licensed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 made under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, shall not exceed four where there is one registered pharmacist engaged in the work in which the student pharmacist isundergoingpracticaltraining,wherethereismorethanoneregisteredpharmacistsimilarlyengaged, the number shall not exceed two for each additional such registered pharmacist.

In the course of practical training, the trainee shall have exposure to-

• • • Working knowledge of keeping of records required by various Legislative Acts concerning the profession of pharmacy; and
    • Practical experience in activities mentioned in Table III under regulation 6 of these.

The practical training shall be not less than five hundred hours spread over a period of not less than three months provided that not less than two hundred and fifty hours are devoted to actual dispensing of

19. Procedure to be followed prior to commencement of the training-.

• The head of institution imparting practical training, on application, shall supply in triplicate ‘Practical Training Contract Form for Pharmacist’ (hereinafter referred to as the Contract Form) to the candidate eligible to undertake the said practical training. The Contract Form shall be as specified in Appendix-D to these regulations.
• The head of institution imparting practical training shall fill Section I of the Contract Form. The trainee shall fill Section II of the said Contract Form and the head of the institution agreeing to impart the training (hereinafter referred to as the Apprentice Master) shall fill Section III of the said Contract form.
• It shall be the responsibility of the trainee to ensure that one copy (hereinafter referred to as the first copy of the Contract Form) so filled is submitted to the head of institution imparting practical training and the other two copies (hereinafter referred to as the second copy and the third copy) shall be filed with the Apprentice Master (if he so desires) or with the trainee till completion of the training.

20. Certificate of passing Diploma in Pharmacy Part-III-

On satisfactory completion of the practical training period the Apprentice Master shall fill Section IV of the second copy and third copy of the Contract Form and forward it to the head of institution imparting practical training who shall suitably enter in the first copy of the entries from the second copy and the third copy and shall fill Section V of the three copies of Contract Form and thereafter hand over both the second copy and the third copy to the trainee.

This Contract Form, completed in all respects, shall be regarded as a certificate of having successfully completed the course of Diploma in Pharmacy (Part- III).

CHAPTER-4

21. Certificate of Diploma in Pharmacy- A certificate of Diploma in Pharmacy shall be granted by the examining authority to a successful candidate on producing certificates of having passed the Diploma in Pharmacy Part I and Part II and satisfactory completion of practical training for Diploma in Pharmacy (Part-III).

22. Repeal and Savings-

• The Education Regulations, 1991 (hereinafter referred to as the said regulations) published by the Pharmacy Council of India vide No. 14-55/87(Part)-PCI/2484-2887 dt.11.7.1992 and all amendments thereto are hereby repealed.
• Not with standing such repeal,
• Anything done or any action taken under the said regulations shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding provision of these regulations.
• A person who was admitted as a student under the said regulations to the course of training for Diploma in Pharmacy and who had not passed the examination at the commencement of these regulations shall be required to pass the examination in accordance with the provisions of the said regulations as if these regulations had not come into force:

Provided however, the Examining Authority in a particular State may fix a date after which the examinations under the said Regulations shall not be conducted.