CHENNAI: In what could make pharmacy education more accessible and affordable, the Tamil Nadu government is studying a proposal to introduce Bachelor of Pharmacy (B Pharm) courses in 11 more government medical colleges. It is also looking at launching the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) programme at Madras Medical College (MMC), Chennai, and Government Madurai Medical College and Hospital. If approved, this will be the first time the six-year Pharm D course is offered in government institutions in the state.
Currently, B Pharm and Master of Pharmacy (M Pharm) courses are available only at the College of Pharmacy, MMC, and Government Madurai Medical College. Together, the two institutions offer 60 B Pharm seats each and 85 M Pharm seats.
The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for the expansion and forwarded it to the health secretary for consideration. “The proposal is under examination,” a senior DMER official told TNIE.
The proposal envisages an addition of 735 seats, comprising 660 B Pharm seats across 11 newly added medical colleges, 15 additional M Pharm seats at Madurai medical college, and 60 Pharm D seats, with 30 each at MMC and Madurai medical college.
The move comes amid a long-pending demand from pharmacy associations, which have argued that limited government seats force many students to opt for self-financing colleges where fees are higher.
A B Pharm seat costs Rs 50,000 annually in a government institution, compared to Rs 1 lakh for a management seat in a self-financing college. For M Pharm, students pay Rs 75,000 in government colleges against Rs 1.25 lakh in private institutions.
“B Pharm is offered in around 100 private colleges, but only two government institutions have the programme. Expanding it to more government colleges will greatly benefit students from economically weaker sections,” said G Selvaraj, former president of the Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association, Tamil Nadu branch.