Context: The Union Ministry of Health welcomed public and stakeholder input regarding the National Pharmacy Commission Bill 2023. The ministry put up the draft bill on its website on November 14 seeking comments from the public.
About National Pharmacy Commission Bill 2023
Salient Provisions of the National Pharmacy Commission Bill 2023
- New Body: It seeks to establish the National Pharmacy Commission by replacing the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). PCI will be regulating both the profession and practise of pharmacy.
- Accessibility of pharma professionals: It seeks to ensure the availability of quality pharmacists across the country. For this, the focus is on increasing access to high-quality, reasonably priced pharmacy education.
- National Pharmacy Commission: The bill aims to establish the National Pharmacy Commission (HQ-New Delhi). The Commission will have 14 part-time members, 13 ex-officio members, and a chairperson.
- New boards: The central government will establish three boards which will function under the Commission. These are the Pharmacy Education Board, the Pharmacy Assessment and Rating Board, and the Pharmacy Ethics and Registration Board.
- New pharmacy institution: The bill prohibits the creation of new pharmacy schools or programmes without first obtaining approval from the Pharmacy Assessment and Rating Board.
- The board will review and assess pharmacy schools and post evaluation reports on its website.
- Minimum standard violations could lead to fines ranging from warnings to revocation of recognition.
- National Pharmacy Register: To ensure openness, a National Pharmacy Register will be maintained under the Pharmacy Ethics and Registration Board with information on pharmacy professionals.
- Implementation: States are required to create a state pharmacy chapter within a year of the passage of the Act.
- This will facilitate the exercise of any authority and the performance of any obligations outlined in the Act.
- Periodic and open evaluation: The bill also calls for transparent and periodic evaluation of pharmacy schools.
- Additional provisions: The Bill also pushes professionals to maintain high ethical standards, participate in research, and incorporate the most recent findings into their work.
- It is an efficient grievance redressal procedure.
- The draft bill aims to establish an efficient grievance redressal system and suggests flexibility to adjust to changing needs.
Concerns Associated with the Bill
- The threat of bureaucratisation: It is feared by Pharma bodies and organisations that the move will bureaucratise pharmaceutical regulation.
- Decline in Standard of Regulation: Pharma bodies allege that the new National Pharmacy Commission will take away the control of pharmacists over the Pharma body thereby impacting the technical guidance provided by the PCI.
Way-Forward
- Proper Consultation: Since the bill is still in the draft stage, a proper consultation among key stakeholders is necessary, and the bill intends to bring about a significant change in the pharma sector of India, which is still largely governed by the 1948 Act.
- Expansion of Scope: Since the draft bill seeks to replace an archaic law of 1948, it should include emerging challenges in the sector, especially the rise of unethical practices such as a gift culture between a doctor and an MR.
- Integration with NEP: Changes in pharma education must not be limited to the curriculum alone; they should be integrated with the innovative pedagogy of the New Education Policy.