Pharmacy

...says Dr Saranjit Singh, Professor and Head, Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Dean NIPER, SAS Nagar (Mohali). He reviews the present pharma education system and stresses on the need for infrastructure and aid in government institutes.

Chandreyee Bhaumik

Your views on the Indian pharma industry.

The world is gradually recognizing the quality status of the Indian pharma industry. There is a strong future that lies ahead. The coming times will be tough for those who do not grow at the required pace and are unable to prove the quality of their manufacturing.  It is important for Indian companies to match the international standards. Also, the country needs to improve its regulatory system and raise the standard of academic training to support the industry.

How is the current scenario of pharma SME culture in India?

The Small and the Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are gaining momentum gradually. However, in order to strengthen their foothold further, SMEs need to update themselves and be prepared for the challenges ahead. Certainly, it is going to be tough for them to do so. Internationally, the slogan being raised is: 'one drug - one quality'. International agencies, including World Health Organization (WHO), are working on this principle and therefore the stringent requirements. This leaves no trend has reversed in the last decade with the mushrooming of private institutions. There are only few private institutions that have state-of- the-art infrastructure and faculty in optimum number and quality. This is harming graduate pharmacy students, who are forced to accept low-paid jobs and are treated as cheap labour. Thus, there is urgent need to bring in semblance in the pharma education sector. NIPER, SAS Nagar is trying its best to live up to its commitment towards quality deliverance and training of post-graduate students. option but to upgrade and meet the quality standards. For this, the SMEs need support from the government, which is reasonable.

How well placed are we in terms of pharma education?

Historically, pharma education in India has been driven by government institutes and departments, and there were very few private players. The trend has reversed in the last decade with the mushrooming of private institutions. There are only few private institutions that have state-of- the-art infrastructure and faculty in optimum number and quality. This is harming graduate pharmacy students, who are forced to accept low-paid jobs and are treated as cheap labour.   Thus, there is urgent need to bring in semblance in the pharma education sector. NIPER, SAS Nagar is trying its best to live up to its commitment towards quality deliverance and training of post-graduate students.

How important is industry- academia interaction?

There is a strong need to develop industry-academia linkage for the training and placement of students. This can be done through different modes. One is institution and faculty level interaction.  For this, institution needs to create facilities and faculty has to acquire exclusive practical skills so that industry is attracted to get their specific problems solved. The other mode is setting up of public-private partnership institutions, a model that has been suggested for new NIPERs in the country. The third is setting up of institutions by industry itself, where the student has access to quality infrastructure and has good scope of job-oriented practical training. Already, a few successful examples exist of this and hence should be encouraged.