The Pakistan pharmacy council is centralized institute who regulate the practice of pharmacy in Pakistan. It is one of the powerful council of Pakistan. It is central body who perform to major functions first of all it regulate the pharmacy education in Pakistan and secondly pharmacist after completing their education registered to the Pakistan pharmacy council and after that they can do their work in Pakistan as pharmacist in different fields. Their rules apply to all over Pakistan and in every corner of Pakistan. The current sectary of the Pakistan pharmacy council is Mr. Naziruddin Ahsan.
Pakistan pharmacy council came into existence after the act of 1967 which is called Pakistan pharmacy act 1967 under this article Pakistan national assemble approved the centralized body that can produce uniformity in the pharmacy field. In the past there was no uniformity in the pharmacy field in the Pakistan so it was the need of time that there should be a centralized institution on federal level who can control all the pharmacy practices in Pakistan. Pakistan pharmacy council comes under the ministry of health of Pakistan. It is headed by a chairman who is appointed after the approval of ministry of health. There is act for the pharmacy council on which it is work and this council is custodian of that act. The main clauses and terms of this act as follow which helps you to understand the authority of the council;
Pharmacy council is established under the section 18 or under the section 19, it is medical council and his must have professional degree of pharmacy and his qualification should be recognized under the ordinance of medical council 1962 (XXXII of 1962). Pharmacist is consider those person who is registered under the section of 24 either in A or B. this act forces Pakistan government to established the a council who can regulate the pharmacy practice and their name should be the pharmacy council of Pakistan and all the province also established a council in their province according to their province name such as the pharmacy council of Punjab. According to this act this council should be consists of these member which are; director general of Pakistan who will be the president of the council until or unless a president is appointed by the government of Pakistan. Eight member are nominated by the federal government and in these eight member four member are comes form the four province consultations and these person should have an experienced of teaching pharmaceutical sciences or pharmaceutical chemistry. Government of Pakistan appoints a single person as a president in consultation with the pharmacists associations and drugs controller. Federal government has the right to increase or decrease the member of this council but provided that it does not affect the functions and performance of any member not hit him personally. This act also defines the member of the provincial council and how these body structures will work and of which member they consist of. Provincial government will appoint five people and one person should be nominated in consultation with the following provincial pharmacist association. The sectary of the health department will be the head of the council until a president is appointed by the respected provincial government. The federal government will publish the name of the members of the pharmacy council of Pakistan in their annual gazette. The president of the council holds the office for three year as its appointment tenor is consist of three year and this period of tenor start right from the day from which he or she holds the office. A person who is appointed once as a president has the right to be nominated for next three year tenor and his tenor can be extended by the federal government on completion of the last tenor. The previous member will continue to be working as president until his successor joins the office. There should be a vice president of the council as well and it should be elected from the member of the council and there should be election held in the council and elected person tenor will be for one year and he is also eligible for the new elections as well. He shall continue to be working as vice president until new person joins the office. He will be the president of the council in the absence of the president of the council and his normal duty is defined by the council it self. If committee considers any assistance is needed for the president or vice president can appoint the assistant for them as well.
Meeting of the council is summoned by the president and he will preside the meeting and in his absence the vice president will preside the meeting of starting of the meeting quorum should be one third of total member and if the quorum is not complete the meeting can not be continued. Every year the council will submit its annual report to the central government and also gives the report on its expenditure to the central government. There is special fund for the council is disposed by the central government.
Pharmacy council of Pakistan performs following functions first of all approved the examination of pharmacy, and these approved examination will consider of the following subjects which is approved by the council. It approved the coursed to be studied and their practical training, gives the guide line which person can appear in the approved examinations, it set the standard for the teachers as well who can teach the approved courses, which equipment and facility should be available to the pharmacy student, it recognized the degree and diploma of the institutes, it also guides that which is requirement for studding of pharmacy education. The council has right to change these laws according to the WHO practices. Different institute apply for course to be studied and examination is approved by the council and only students of these institutes have the right to register in the council. For the inspection of the laws the council appoint inspectors which inspects the institutes which are approved by the council and has apply for approval. He visits the approved examination but can not interfere in it if he saw any disturbance but he can submit the report to the council which then takes action against the following institute. The council then send notice to the institute and the institute has six week time to answer the notice if not then council has right to take any action according to its law. The council has right to cancel the registration of the institute which will not act on the laws and rules which has been laid by it.
After the completion of the degree from the approved institute the candidate can apply for registration in the pharmacy council of pakistan which after registration can work as pharmacist in Pakistan. With out the registration the no one can work as pharmacist in industry or hospital or any other pharmacy related field.
The pharmacy council of Pakistan has work desperately to increase the standard and institute of pharmacy teaching college and their efforts are quite evident that at the time of creation only few institute were giving pharmacy education which was not sufficient for the country needs so council being the sole institute who has the authority to recognize any institute which can award the degree can be divided into two sectors one is public sector and second one is private sector. It is because of the efforts of the council that now Pakistan is exported the medicine and student as well to he different parts of world which is it self a token of effort which this sole institute has done.
There are 12 public institutes and 9 private institutes at present time which can award degree of pharmacy and their names are
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University of the Punjab, Lahore
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university of Karachi, Karachi
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University of Sindh Jamshoro
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Islamia University Bahawalpur
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Gomal University D.I. Khan
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Lahore College for women
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University of Peshawar, Peshawar
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Bahauddin Zakriaya University, Multan
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University of Sargodha, Sargodha
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University of Baluchistan, Quetta
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Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi
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Government College University, Faisalabad
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The university of veterinary and animal science Lahore
In private sector about nine institutes are award that their students can register to the pharmacy council are
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University of Lahore, Lahore campus,
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Lahore college of pharmaceutical sciences,
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Jinnah university for women Karachi
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Hamdard university Karachi and Islamabad campuses
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The university of Faisalabad
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Riphah university Islamabad
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Sarhad university Peshawar
Pakistan pharmacy council has done a lot in the field of pharmacy but it is not enough because lot more is require to done because our theoretical knowledge is pretty strong but our practical knowledge is not strong enough. Pharmacy council is working lot of things to bridge this gap. Another big criticism on the council is that the corruption in the institute and critics says that the body structure is not fully independent which it should have to be. There is lot of thing has to be need in the course study of the pharmacy education.