Hyderabad: After a gap of five years, there were 9,000 seats in Telangana state for pharmacy colleges which were filled for the academic year of 2018-19 and there is 30 per cent more demand for pharmacy courses for the academic year 2019-20.
The data collected by the All India Council for Technical Education states that there is an increase in demand for pharmacy courses in both degree and diploma sections.
Dr K. Ramdas, president of Telangana Pharmacy Colleges Management Association explained, “The data collected by AICTE shows that the pharmacy colleges country-wide have seen an increase in the demand. There have been more than two lakh students in the country who have availed pharmacy courses in the academic year of 2018-19. In Telangana state there are 124 colleges which have about 10,000 seats and there were 9,000 seats which were filled. There is an acceptance for degree courses now in the market.”
The trend for pharmacy has picked up again as there have been strict rules introduced and colleges are being monitored for their faculty and infrastructure.
Dr Sanjay Reddy of Telangana Pharmacist Association explained, “The role of the technical education committee and formation of Telangana Pharmacy Council in the state have helped to boost confidence in the course. We are now working to ensure that there are proper job opportunities in the government sector so that their role in the healthcare sector is given due importance.”
The association explained that right from the drug control authority, clinical pharmacists in government hospitals and public health centres, there is a demand for them to dispense the right medication.
There have also been adverse reaction committees set up in private hospitals which need a qualified pharmacist to record the events and report to the appropriate authority.
These are technical aspects of medication and with device delivery of medication also becoming a part of the medical care system, the role of the pharmacist is gaining importance in the healthcare sector.
A senior pharmacist explained, “With clinical trials and research centres taking up the works of discovery of new drugs, there are 50 per cent of them who pursue higher education abroad and opt for research. With the placements possible for bright students in multi-national companies most of them are taking the route of research. The others who are found to opt for jobs in the Indian market opt for pharmaceutical companies.
“The problem is in the hospital, retail and government sector as they have not opened up and created a vacuum where this qualified force fits in.”
The problem is seen mostly in bachelor of pharmacy course as that is six years and specialized for the hospital sector. A senior pharmacist who is working in a hospital explained, “The government has to strictly implement the rule and give pharmacists their required place in the healthcare industry. Till that is done, the problem of unemployment in this sector will continue.”
