The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has finalised a policy to mandate that any new institution applying for introduction of pharmacy courses from next academic year must possess its own land and building and all existing institutions operating in rented or leased buildings shall acquire and shift to a permanent own building within six years from 2026.
The policy, which will come into force from the academic year 2027-28, also regulates the distance between the pharmacy institutions, stipulating that no new pharmacy institution will be permitted within a permissible distance.
The Council said that the policy on institutional infrastructure ownership for granting approval to new and existing institutions from the academic year 2027-28 has been framed in order to address the issues from institutions operating in rented or leased premises.
“The Council has observed that operation of pharmacy institutions in rented or leased premises poses structural, regulatory, financial, and operational risks which adversely affect long-term academic quality, infrastructure stability, and regulatory compliance,” said the Council. The new policy is in order to ensure sustainable, high-quality pharmacy education and institutional stability, it added.
The mandatory ownership requirement insists that the ownership shall be in the name of the sponsoring body or trust or society or company as applicable.
The built-up area and size of rooms shall strictly conform to the requirements prescribed under the Education Regulations, 2020 for Diploma Course in Pharmacy, Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) Regulations, 2014, Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm) Regulations, 2014, Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) Regulations, 2008, and all amendments issued from time to time by PCI.
No new pharmacy institution shall be permitted within five kilometer radius in plain regions and two kilometer radius in hilly regions, under the new policy. However, the existing approved pharmacy institutions shall not be affected. The Council also stipulated that not more than one pharmacy institution shall operate within the same building.
It also mandates all infrastructure, equipment, faculty, laboratory, and statutory requirements as prescribed in the PCI regulations applicable to the institutions, as a condition for approval.
In order to ensure transition of existing institutions from rented or leased buildings to own building, the Council mandates that from the academic year 2032-33 onwards, institutions not having permanent owned buildings shall not be granted extension of approval.
The Council will verify the ownership documents during inspection, and the land and building documents available with the institution should be registered and legally valid, free from encumbrances, and exclusively earmarked for pharmacy education.
Any misrepresentation of these documents will result in rejection of approval, rejection of extension of approval, withdrawal of approval, and action under the relevant provisions of the Pharmacy Act, 1948, it added.
The Council observed that there are systemic limitations associated with the rented and leased premises, which include lack of long-term security with the risk of eviction, termination of lease agreement, or non-renewal of agreement, which would disrupt the academic continuity.
Pharmacy education requires specialised laboratories, research facilities, equipment rooms, and future expansion capability, which may not be feasible in leased premises. There is also significant financial drain on corpus fund in such facilities, with substantial recurring expenditure going towards rent, affecting the capital available for academic development and research.
There are also regulatory compliance risks involved in rented or leased premises, as such institutions might not be able to implement the infrastructure modifications as required under the PCI regulations, thus leading to non-compliance and legal disputes. There is also operational instability, with the uncertainty over the infrastructure affecting accreditation, inspections, and long-term planning.
Besides, lack of asset ownership restricts institutional sustainability and long-term institutional development, it added, while mandating the ownership-based infrastructure norms.
Source : Pharmabiz
