The Union Health Ministry has recently issued a notification making Pharm D an eligible qualification for recruitment of all pharmacy related posts where D Pharm, B Pharm and M Pharm are so far considered as basic qualifications. The Health Ministry took this decision on the recommendation of the Pharmacy Council of India. With this, the Pharm D graduates have become eligible candidates for all pharmacy professional posts in the government and other corporate health sectors. Currently, in most of the states in India, Pharm D graduates are not eligible for applying for the post of pharmacists in government services, both in Central and state level. With this notification, the Pharm D graduates have become eligible to apply for the post of pharmacists, thereby they can be promoted to the post of clinical pharmacists in future. Further, these graduates can apply for the post of pharmacist in the ESI and other Central government health services. Similarly, they will be considered as qualified candidates for recruitment of pharmacy teachers posts which are so far reserved for M Pharm graduates. Likewise, at present in the Central and state enforcement agencies, the basic educational qualification for the post of drug inspector is B Pharm. From now onwards, this area can also be made a professional field of Pharm D holders.
