In National Pharmacy Commission Bill, exit test after B.Pharm, board for AYUSH and reduced state role

National Pharmacy Commission Bill 2026: An exit test for pharmacy graduates and licensing, a separate board for pharmaceuticals related to alternative medical traditions (AYUSH), and a much narrower scope for state representation and elections in national-level policy-making are some of the reforms the union government is proposing for pharmacy education and the profession in India.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has published the second revised draft of the National Pharmacy Commission (NPC) Bill 2026, for public and stakeholder comments which it’ll receive till July 31. If the bill is passed, it shall repeal the Pharmacy Act 1948 and dissolve the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) – the highest regulatory body for pharmaceutical education in India – replacing it with a National Pharmacy Commission. The proposed NPC will have four specialised boards within it, including two education boards – one each for modern medicine and Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy.

According to the draft bill, the NPC, headquartered in New Delhi, will be on the pattern of other health commissions set up recently, including the National Medical Commission and the National Dental Commission and others.

Deependra Singh, chairman of the Education Regulations Committee at PCI, pointed out that the draft needs more clarity. “There needs to be greater clarity on how approvals, continuation of affiliation, inspections and inspector qualifications will work. Many of these provisions appear to follow a template adopted from other commissions such as the National Medical Commission or nursing regulators, but pharmacy education has its own unique requirements."

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While experts largely agree that India's 78-year-old pharmacy law requires an overhaul, the latest draft has sparked debates over representation, AYUSH pharmacy, the powers vested in the centre, and the shift from an elected regulator to an appointment-driven commission.

Major Changes in Pharmacy Courses: Exit test, accreditation

The National Exit Test (Pharmacy) is one of the most significant reforms proposed in the National Pharmacy Commission Bill. According to the draft, the test has to be cleared by all pharmacy graduates (B Pharm), including those with foreign qualifications, before they can register to practise or pursue postgraduate studies in India. The examination is proposed to be implemented within five years of the Act coming into force, the draft says.

Anil Kumar, professor, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Panjab University, welcomed the proposal. “The test could improve the quality of pharmacy education and the kind of graduates entering the industry,” he said. "The exit examination is a good step because there are many mushrooming colleges and many students don't even attend the colleges in some parts of the country. It creates an important quality check before a pharmacy graduate enters the profession," he added.

According to Kumar, the examination will ensure that only graduates meeting minimum competency standards are registered as pharmacists.

The draft also replaces the existing inspection-centric model with a continuous assessment and accreditation mechanism through the proposed Pharmacy Assessment and Rating Board (PARB), again mirroring the NMC structure. “Institutions shall face graded penalties ranging from warnings and monetary fines to reduction in student intake, suspension of admissions and withdrawal of recognition for non-compliance,” it says.

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Kumar believes this marks an important shift. "Earlier, the PCI largely conducted inspections. Now there will be continuous evaluation and accreditation through a dedicated board. That is likely to improve the quality of pharmacy education."

Pharmacy Commission: Modern pharmacy and AYUSH

One of the major structural changes in the revised draft is the creation of two separate education boards under the commission: one for modern pharmacy and another for Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy.

Singh said bringing different pharmacy systems under one umbrella is a reasonable idea, but the draft needs greater clarity on how representation and regulatory priorities will be balanced. He said, "It is fine that we are trying to bring everything under one umbrella, but the priority and emphasis should be very clear," he said.

He explained, “If you look at the number of institutions imparting education in modern pharmacy, they are significantly higher than institutions offering pharmacy education in ayurveda or homoeopathy. The workload related to regulation will naturally be much larger for modern pharmacy. That proportion should be reflected in the structure."

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Singh also questioned whether identical regulatory norms across different pharmacy systems would be appropriate or not. "The draft applies similar structures and norms across all pharmacy streams. Pharmacy education is very different from medical education. The diversity within pharmacy itself is very high, so it requires a different regulatory lens," he added.

The Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI), while welcoming the draft as a "positive step” towards strengthening pharmacy education and regulation, has expressed “serious concerns” about the inclusion of Indian systems of medicine within the NPC’s ambit.

It said: “APTI has serious concerns about the proposal to regulate pharmacy education related to Modern Medicine, Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM), and Homoeopathy under a single National Pharmacy Commission. Since separate statutory commissions already regulate medical education in these systems, a similar independent regulatory framework should be considered for pharmacy education to address the distinct educational, scientific, regulatory, and professional requirements of each discipline.”

However, Pramod Yeole, vice-chancellor, Rajasthan University of Health Sciences , found the inclusion of Indian systems as a positive step. “Commissions have already been established for medicine, dentistry, nursing and allied health sciences. Pharmacy was one of the remaining sectors. Since pharmacy education also supports ayurveda, homeopathy and other systems through drug preparation and quality assurance, bringing them within one commission is understandable."

Pharmacy Commission: No elections, low state representation

Pharmacists’ bodies have long expressed concerns over governance of their sector and state representation in it. The most recent draft has raised the same concerns again.

Unlike the existing PCI, where states and professionals have elected representation, the proposed NPC draft bill will consist entirely of members appointed through a “government-led search-cum-selection committee”. As per the draft, it provides the power to the central government to “supersede the commission for up to six months, extendable by another six months”. Kumar stated this as the "monopoly" of the central government.

The APTI has strongly opposed this, saying: “The draft also raises concerns about the excessive centralisation of powers with the central government and the predominance of nominated members over democratically-elected representatives on the commission and its boards. A balanced, transparent, and representative governance structure is essential for effective regulation. APTI strongly recommends that at least two members on the National Pharmacy Commission be reserved for senior academicians/professors nominated by national pharmacy teachers organisations such as APTI. This will ensure that the views of pharmacy educators, academic institutions, and researchers are adequately represented in policy and regulatory decisions.”

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The revised draft also introduces several changes from the 2023 version, including a formal Pharmacy Advisory Council (PAC) to provide state-level inputs, separate education boards for modern pharmacy and Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy, a two-year cooling-off period preventing former commission chairpersons from joining institutions they regulated, and a clearer monetary penalty framework for non-compliant institutions.

Further, the PAC will have representations from modern medicine, AYUSH, and several industry bodies and bureaucrats.

All states and UTs will be divided into six zones with each zone sending only three representatives to the PAC.

This removes the current structure of electing representatives of the council. Academics find this must be contested. Singh pointed, “Earlier every state had representation. Now the country has been divided into six zones, which means representation from individual states will reduce considerably."

He argued , “We are talking about increasing representation everywhere, yet here we are reducing it. India is a diverse country. Every state has different pharmacy-related challenges and needs someone to present those before the commission.”

Kumar echoed his concerns saying, “There has to be democracy in the election process," but added that "the elections should be among qualified professionals. If you see many existing state pharmacy councils, they are often dominated by representatives from diploma colleges. There should be minimum qualification standards, perhaps even a PhD, for those serving on the commission."

The NPC draft also limits the chairperson's eligibility to registered pharmacists possessing postgraduate qualifications and at least 20 years of experience, including ten years in leadership positions. Kumar stated, “During earlier consultations on the earlier draft, pharmacy bodies had argued that this excludes experienced professionals from industry, community pharmacy and regulatory practice.

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Yeole, however, believes an appointment-based structure has its merits.

"In academic regulatory bodies, excessive democracy may not always be desirable. This is not a political institution. Elections often bring different kinds of external influences. What is important is ensuring appropriate professional representation."

National Pharmacy Commission Bill: Implementation

While people differ on the provisions on governance and representation, most agree that replacing the Pharmacy Act, 1948 has become necessary. “The Act is nearly 78 years old. It certainly needs revision considering the present healthcare and education landscape," Kumar said.

The APTI said, The draft rightly focuses on quality education, competency-based learning, digital governance, transparency, and ethical practices. However, APTI believes that the Bill should be finalised only after wider consultation with all stakeholders, including pharmacy teachers, practicing pharmacists, industry experts, students, and professional organisations. While the draft is a strong step towards educational reform, it should also strengthen the pharmacy profession by ensuring professional autonomy, balanced representation of pharmacy educators and practicing pharmacists, and greater emphasis on pharmacy practice and patient-centred clinical services.”

Kumar cautioned that implementation will determine whether the reforms succeed. “There are many good provisions in the draft. The bigger challenge will be implementing them effectively."