Four years after bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, a pharmacy council which is key to retail drug outlets and pharmacy students will be set up by Telangana government in a few days.
A senior official told The Hindu that the functioning of Telangana State Pharmacy Council for renewal and fresh registration of pharmacists in the State will start either from the office of the Drugs Control Administration (DCA) at Sanjeevareddy Nagar or an office of pharmacy at Nampally here within ten days.
There were over a lakh registered pharmacists, including diploma holders, graduates and post-graduates in the discipline, in combined Andhra Pradesh. And, almost 50% of them hailed from Telangana. In the absence of a separate pharmacy council for Telangana, the renewal and registration of pharmacists in the State was continued by the Andhra Pradesh body for the last four years.
Sources said delay in carrying out amendment to the legislation pertaining to AP State Pharmacy Council and administrative issues hampered formation of the council for Telangana. The latter reason owed to finding a suitable officer to head the council. Finally, it was decided to entrust the responsibility to the head of DCA since it was a State-level post. There was a dire need for a separate pharmacy council for Telangana since last year as the Andhra Pradesh government shifted its office in Hyderabad to Guntur all of a sudden. There was no prior intimation to Telangana government to make alternate arrangements, sources added. In these circumstances, fresh applicants for registration had to go to Guntur while renewals were made online.
The problem was more severe in January when the Telangana State Public Service Commission notified 238 posts of pharmacists in government hospitals. The commission, however, permitted registration given by AP government. The students were worried whether they would get the registration certificates before the expiry of the deadline for applying. The certificates were, however, not mandatory for teaching posts and pharmacists engaged in production or research and design by companies. It was compulsory for retail drug outlets for getting licences from DCA.
