Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharmarev.com). The Department of Pharmacy, University of Baluchistan, Quetta started Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D) course in 2004-5 and replaced Bachelor of Pharmacy. Pharmacy Council of Pakistan (PCP) granted temporary recognition to the aforesaid program. It was another sad aspect of this life saving profession that the recognition was awarded after twenty five (25) years. Recently, the PCP visits the pharmacy institution twice time and did not recognize the Pharm-D. Thus the situation is dilemmatic and uncertain since last six years. This has led the students of the program in utter despair and frustration. First batch of Pharm-D has almost completed the requirements for the award of the program but PCP repeatedly deferring the recognition. Approximately, two hundred pharmacists also have successfully completed the one year condense course of Pharm-D. Even though; the current member of PCP is not actual representative of the department of pharmacy, University of Baluchistan. He is on lien and serving as a Dean in Hamdard University Karachi. He also has not been nominated by University of Baluchistan for the PCP membership but he is member without nomination since last four years. This disappointing and unfair situation has led the pharmacist community of Baluchistan in utter frustration and despair. Dr. Tahir Farooq; Press Secretary, Pharmacist Federation Pakistan (PPF), Mr. Fayaz Ahmad Faizi; Vice President Pakistan Pharmacist Association (Pb.), Mr. Syed Sultan Muhammad; Hospital Pharmacist, BMC Hospital, Quetta and president PPF Quetta Division, Mr. Ghulam Razaque Shahwani General Secretary of PPF Quetta Division, Mr. Jamil Iqbal Achakzai; Government Public Analyst, Mr. Shafi Muhammad; Lecturer Dept. of Pharmacy University of Baluchistan, Mr. Jamal Babar; Hospital Pharmacist, BMC Hospital Quetta, Mr. Malik Sharif President PPF Gujranwala Division, Mr. Syed Muzzamail Masood Zaidi; President PPF Islamabad, Mr. Khursheed Alam; President PPF Rawalpindi Division and Mr. Masood Anwer Chaudhary Press Secretary PPF Islamabad said the attitude of PCP is completely biased, unfair and non-professional. The department of pharmacy in Baluchistan University has fulfilled all the professional and academic requirements of Higher Education Commission and Pharmacy Council of Pakistan. The facilities available are sufficient and fulfill the international standards. The department and the aspirant students are punished because they are situated and residing in Baluchistan. It looks like a conspiracy to keep them deliberately backward. Furthermore; they said being professional we can understand the responsibilities, duties, sources of resources, limitations and professional ethics. There are so many private sectors pharmaceutical institutions located in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi; have been awarded recognition like lottery coupon. But, the public sectored and chartered University of Baluchistan has not been given recognition by PCP. Thus; it seems an intentional attempt of some officials in the Ministry of Heath to keep the people of Baluchistan away from modern education, skills and technology. They don’t want them to get degree from recognized and well acquainted institutions.

Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharev.com). List of Pharmacy institutions whose facilities for teaching  pharmacy courses are recognized by the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan according to Pharmacy Act 1967 for the purpose of Registration as Pharmacists in Registers A and B, is being published for the information and guidance of the public in general and students in particular.

The following institutions have been grantedNOCto start  Pharm. D. Program:

a)      MalakandUniversity, Butkhela, Malakand.

b)      UniversityofVeterinaryand Animal Sciences,Lahore.

c)      GandharaUniversity,Peshawar.

d)      AbasynUniversity,Peshawar.

e)       COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad.

f)        Women Institute of Learning. Abbottabad.

g)      AkhtarSaeedCollegeof Pharmaceutical Sciences,Lahore.

h)      LahorePharmacyCollege,Lahore.

i)        AbdulWaliKhanUniversity, Mardan at Swabi

j)         Margalla Institute of Health Sciences,Rawalpindi

k)      SuperiorUniversity,Lahore.

No other institution offering/running courses in Pharmacy has been granted recognition/ permission.

Students desirous to seek admission in the Pharmacy Institutions and their parents/guardians are advised in their own interest to obtain admission in an institution, where the Pharmacy courses and the required facilities have been recognized/permitted by the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan.

It is further informed that w.e.f. from September 2009, the minimum entrance qualification for admission to the Pharm. D. Program has been revised to 60% marks in Intermediate (Pre-Medical).

The students studying in Pharm. D. Program are also advised to enroll with Pharmacy Council of Pakistan through their institutions. Effective from 2011, after successfully completing their degree course, their registration as “Pharmacists” will be based on this enrollment.

Pharmaceutical Review(www.pharmarev.com). Pakistan Pharmacist Federation (www.pharmacistfed.pk) has decided the “3^rd Annual Meeting” on 11^th December, 2011 atLahore,Pakistan. The pharmacist from all over thePakistan will participate in meeting to envisage miscellaneous professional issues. The executives of Pakistan Pharmacist Federation will complete the electoral procedure for the next session of 2011-12. Moreover; they will review the achievements/ progress, plan for the next session and talk about different professional issues.

Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharmarev.com). The executives of Pakistan Pharmacist Federation have forwarded a message to Mr. Nazir-Ul- Din Ehsan Secretary Pakistan Pharmacy Counsel regarding the extension of Pharm-D tenure from five to six years. The executive of Pakistan Pharmacist Federation Prof. Dr. Rafeeq Alam Khan president, Professor of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Karachi University, Karachi;   Dr. Taha Nazir General Secretary, Associate  Professor, Riphah Institurte of Phamraceuticla Sciences, Islamabad; Media Advisor Dr. Ahmed Salman; President Punjab Malik Muhammad Irshad Hospital Pharmacist Jinnah Hospital, Lahore; General Secretary Punjab Fiaz Ahmad Faizi; President Baluchistan Syed Sultan Muhammad  Hospital Pharmacist, BMC Hospital, Quetta, Baluchistan; General Secretary Baluchistan Syed Asmatullah Executive District Office (Health), Noshki, aluchistan; President KPK Dr. Muhammad Saeed Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Dept. of Pharmacy, University of the Peshawar; General Secretary KPK Abdul Aleem Awan  HazaraUniversity, Mansehra, KPK; Zia Uddin Vice President KPK; President Sindh Jumshaid Ahmad  Director Marketing, Pharmevo Ltd. Karachi; Dr. Tahir Farooq Arqam Pharmacy, OldSatellite Town, Sargodha; Vice President Hafiz Arshad Mehmood; Vice President Academics Prof. Iftikhar Husain; Dr. Abdul Haleem Khan Lahore; Mr. Bilal Sorani Islamabad; Mr. Iradat Hussain Rawalpindi;  Asaad Imran Lahore; Malik Sharif Awan Gujranwala; Mr. Haron Arshad Sargodha; Abdul Rub Mujahid Bahawalpur; Dr. M. Shoaib Zafar Faisal Abad; Malid Muhammad Waheed Jehlum; Hafiz Muhammad Abdullah Bakhar; Kaleem Ullah Niazi Mianwali;  Jamil Khan Achakzai Quetta; Siddique Mohammad Hassani Queta;  Dr. Ali Jan Kalat; Ghulam Mustaf Shahwani Kalat;  Allah Mir Aabar Zhob;  Abdul Qadir Nasar Zhob Division;  Munir Ahmad Mengal Nasee Abad Division; Abdul Jabar Magsi Nasee Abad Division;  Akram Baloch Makran Division;  Dr. Gul Alam Sibbi Division; Dr. Zulfiqar Marri Sibbi Division; Naveed Ahmad Pashawar; Zia Ul Haq (Sher Gar) Mardan; Muhammad Ikram Qambri Bajor Agency; Anayt Ur Rehman Malakand; Taseer Ahmad Dera Ismail Khan; Shahid Khan Kurram Agency has already disapproved this tenure and recommended Mr. Nazir to withdraw this scheme and avoid putting the nation into an ordeal because;

1. The existing socio-economic condition does not permit to enforce one more year burden over the students and parents.

2. The imposition of additional one year training before registration of pharmacy graduates is a violation of the section 25 (1) (a), (b) and (c) of The Pharmacy Act 1967, which describes the eligibility criterion for the registration of pharmacists in various categories (Khan, 2008a). Therefore, pharmacy graduates need not be deprived of their right to be registered in category “A” as per law.

3. Under the prevailing financial situation in the country, the increase in duration, an additional 6^th year will be a burden on the poor nation. Moreover, to spend 6 years just for a graduation degree is not justified and will further worsen the economic status of the community.

4. Production of large number of pharmacy graduates: In present scenario both the public and private sector universities are producing pharmacy graduates much more than the number of jobs available in public and private sectors. As a result of this an overwhelming majority of pharmacy graduates are unemployed.

5. At present there is no agreement or legal binding on the pharmaceutical industries, hospitals, community pharmacies and health authorities on providing this one year training attachment. The students who have to travel from far-off areas to major cities for training; hence, hostel accommodation will be a big problem for them.

6. Imposition of additional one year pre-registration training will be an unnecessary binding on the students willing to adopt teaching job, governmental job, carrier abroad or pursue higher education after their graduation.

7. Cost of attachment: It is not clear that whether this one year attachment is paid or unpaid, and if paid then who will bear the cost of this attachment? In some countries, pre-registration training is mandatory and instituted to compensate the resource deficiency, structured and well-paid by the state.

Moreover; Mr. Khalid Saeed Bukhari, President PPA centre and Country Advisor Medicine WHO Member Core Committee PCP, Health System Strengthening and Policy Unit, HSA, Ministry of Health, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad and Mr. Ayaz Ali Khan, Executive member PPA Punjab and Specialist Medical Product and Technology/ Member Core Committee of PCP, Health System Strengthening and Policy Unit, HSA, Ministry of Health, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad has approved this preliminary six year Pharm-D program proposed by Higher Education Commission, Islamabad. The meeting of National Curriculum Revision Committee (NCRC) was held on June 6-8, 2011 at HEC Regional Centre, Karachi to finalize the draft Curriculum for Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D) Program and will be enforced from next coming academic session of 2012.

While in the mean time; Professor Dr. Bashir Ahmad (Professor of pharmacology, University of thePunjab,Lahore) president PPA Punjab; Syed Sultan Agha president PPA Baluchistan; Fiaz Ahmad Faizi Vice president PPA Punjab and Furqan K. Hashmi General Secretary PPA Punjab have collectively disapproved the preliminary revised six year curriculum. They said it is the personal unfair opinion of Mr. Khalid Saeed Bukhari; they will oppose him at every forum to save this noble profession of pharmacy.  Thus; there is big confliction of opinion regarding this issue among the central and provincial command of Pakistan Pharmacist Association.

This stance of Pakistan Pharmacist Federation has also been supported by other professional pharmaceutical groups/ organizations; Mr. Ahmad Saeed Malik Young Pharmacist Association; Dr. Fahad Javaid  Pharmacy Graduate Association, Dr. Tariq Saeed Reformers Pharmacist, Zafar Ullah Gondal Progressive Pharmacists.

 Thus; Pakistan Pharmacist Federation has declared that if the six year tenure is not be withdrawn, a movement against Mr. Nazir Ul Din Ehsan secretary Pakistan Pharmacy Counsel will be launched and this unfair decision will be challenged in court to safe this noble life saving profession. Moreover; the federation has recommended to Mr. Nazir Ul Din to not waste the resources and energies and work upon the real profession issues of  Implementation of the Punjab Drug Rules 2007; assure the issuance of drugs sale license to qualified pharmacist only; designing Pharmaceutical service structure for pharmacists working in Public and private sector; Establishment of independent directorate of pharmacy profession; Appointment of Pharmacist in each department of Hospital; Confirmation of the employment of pharmacists working on temporary or contract basis in all over the Pakistan; enforcing the minimum starting wage of newly appointed pharmacist equivalent to the pay scale of 17th grade officer; Advertisement of the vacant/ announced posts and creation new posts in pharmaceutical setup; Government has not yet appointed Tehsil wise Hospital Pharmacists/ Drugs Inspectors in Khaiber Pukhtoon Khah and Baluchistan; Recruitment and appointment of pharmacists in trauma centre, TB centers operation theatres, TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition),drug information centers and Aseptic dispensing to assure the rational utilization of life saving drugs; appointment of pharmacist as focal person in therapeutical committees, drug purchase committees and clinical pharmaceutical services departments to play as life saving professional; Advertisement and appointment of pharmacist in forensic committee of federal and provincial governments; Appointment of pharmacists in national and international programs i.e. DOTS, National Malaria control program, UNICIEF, World Health Organization, National TB Program etc; Assuring and maintaining the quality pharmacy education through strict control on over the teaching institutions via pharmacy council of Pakistan, teachers training programs, research grants; Collaboration of pharmacy institutions with the hospitals, industries, laboratories and research centers to improve the scientific and profession vision of students; organizing the trainings programs, seminars and conferences all over Pakistan to update the knowledge of Pharmacists; appointment of pharmacist at least in each section of the industry to make sure the quality production. appointments of pharmacists in armed forces, naval hospitals, combine military hospitals (CMH’s) in uniform; Appointment of qualified pharmacists in autonomous institutions i.e. Railways, WAPDA, PTV, PIA etc on permanent and regular basis with all benefits.

General Secretary

Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharmarev.com). The executives of Pakistan Pharmacist Federation have condemned the aggression against staff nurses during their protest in different cities of Punjab Pakistan. The executives of Pakistan Pharmacist Federation; Prof. Dr. Rafeeq Alam Khan President/ Professor of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Karachi University, Karachi, Pakistan; Dr. Taha Nazir General Secretary/ Associate Professor, Riphah Institurte of Phamraceuticla Sciences, Islamabad;  Malik Muhammad Irshad President Punjab;/ Hospital Pharmacist Jinnah Hospital, Lahore; Fiaz Ahmad Faizi General Secretary Punjab and Asaad Imran President Lahore/ Gillen Pharmacy,Wahdat Road,Lahore have emphasized collectively to Punjab Government to accept the genuine demands of nurses. Chief Minister Shahbas Sharif, Health Sectary and other officials have to arranged talk/ negotiation to resolve the pay scale/ salary issues of this noble profession.

Pharmaceutical Review (www.pharmarev.com). Pakistan Pharmacist Association is organizing a seminar on “Capacity building of Industrial Pharmacist” on 26^th Nov, 2011 at PPA House 488 G Johar Town Lahore. The following speakers will deliver lecture on topics mentioned against their name,

All pharmacists are requested to get registration for the seminar till 24^th Nov. Registration fee is Rs. 500/- (Cash/ cross cheque in favor of Pakistan Pharmacists Association. For registration contact with undersigned.

Nadeem Iqbal; Gen.Sec. PPA Centre, Cell # 03004201853, nadeemiqbal_2028@yahoo.com