FAQs
| S.No. | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name of approved Courses | The followings Courses are approved by PCI • D.Pharm (2 years course after 10+2) • B.Pharm (4 year course after 10+2) • B.Pharm (Practice) (2 year course after D.Pharm) • Pharm. D (6year course after 10+2) • M.Pharm (2 years course after B.Pharm) No other Courses are approved u/s 12 of the Pharmacy Act for the purpose of registration as a pharmacist to practice the profession:Like- B.Pharm (Honours) B.Pharm+MBA (Integrated) MSc. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. MSc. in Quality Assurance. |
| 2 | Minimum qualification for admission to the course | Please refer- • regulation 4. of “The Education Regulations, 2020 for Diploma Course in Pharmacy”. • regulation 4. of “The Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) Course Regulations, 2014”. • regulation 4. of “The Bachelor of Pharmacy (Practice) Regulations, 2014”. • regulation 4 of “Pharm.D. Regulations, 2008”. • regulation 3 of “the Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm) Course Regulations 2014.” All the regulations are available on Council’s website (https://pci.gov.in/) |
| 3 | Eligibility of Open School education system of the Central Govt. / State Govts. institutions for admission in Pharmacy courses for the purpose of registration as a Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948. | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 30/07/2015 and 07/09/2015. |
| 4 | Minimum age for admission to Pharmacy course for the purpose registration as a pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act,1948. | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 30.06.2014 and 05/05/2016 |
| 5 | List of approved Institutions | PCI is regularly updating the list of approved Institutions. Please refer the website. |
| 6 | Fees of Institutions for admission of Student in Pharmacy Course | The Fees of Institutions for admission of Student in Pharmacy Course is not regulated by PCI. The same is done by concerned Central/State Governments. The PCI has no role in it. |
| 7 | Clarification regarding supernumerary seats in various categories like Tuition Fee Waiver(TFW)/Economically Weaker Section (EWS)/J&K seats etc. | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 30/09/2020. |
| 8 | Admission through Lateral entry | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 30/09/2020. |
| 9 | Guidelines for migration/transfer of students | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 12/06/2001 and 30/05/2002. |
| 10 | Pharmacy Teaching staff working at more than one places not allowed. | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 05/01/2011 |
| 11 | Guidelines for issuance of Good Standing Certificates to Pharmacy Graduates by State Pharmacy Council. | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 15/06/2021 |
| 12 | First Aid Council of India (FACI) – not approved by PCI | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 07/01/2021 www.pci.gov.in/pdf/12-8_circular_7012021.pdf |
| 13 | Equivalence of foreign qualification with Indian qualification for the purpose of admission to various pharmacy courses. | Matter is under consideration. |
| 14 | Can Foreign Student/Citizen be eligible for registration in India as registered Pharmacist. | NO. (a) Registration is done by the State Pharmacy Councils constituted by the State Governments under Chapter –IV of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 and not by the PCI. (b) The registration is done under section 33 read with 32(2) of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 according to which minimum statutory requirements for registration are as under • applicant should have attained the age of 18 years & pay the prescribed fee. • applicant should reside or carry on the business or profession of Pharmacy, in the State. • applicant should have passed an approved examination or he should possess a qualification approved under section 14 of the Pharmacy Act or is a registered pharmacist in another state. |
| 15 | Eligibility of Pharmacist | (a) Registration is done by the State Pharmacy Councils constituted by the State Governments under Chapter –IV of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 and not by the PCI. (b) The registration is done under section 33 read with 32(2) of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 according to which minimum statutory requirements for registration are as under • applicant should have attained the age of 18 years & pay the prescribed fee. • applicant should reside or carry on the business or profession of Pharmacy, in the State. • applicant should have passed an approved examination or he should possess a qualification approved under section 14 of the Pharmacy Act or is a registered pharmacist in another state. Under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, only the following qualifications from an institution approved by the PCI u/s 12 of the Pharmacy Act are approved for the purpose of registration as a pharmacist to practice the profession – • D.Pharm Course (2 years & 500 hours practical training after 10+2) • B.Pharm Course (4 year course after 10+2) • Pharm. D Course (6 year course after 10+2) |
| 16 | Registration/Renewal of Registration/ Transfer of Registration from one State to another State | The registration, renewal and transfer of registration are done by the State Pharmacy Council’s and not by the PCI as per the statutory provisions of the Pharmacy Act, 1948. So, it is requested to kindly pursue with the State Pharmacy Council’s. |
| 17 | Responsibility of Registered Pharmacist | Please refer to the Pharmacy Practice Regulations, 2015. Further a) As per section 42 of the Pharmacy Act, no person other than a registered pharmacist shall compound, prepare, mix, or dispense any medicine on the prescription of the medical practitioner and whosoever contravenes it, is liable for a punishment for six months, or with fine not exceeding one thousand rupees or with both. Section 42 has been upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court and Allahabad High Court also and is applicable throughout the country w.e.f. 1.9.1984. b) As per the regulation 4.3 of Pharmacy Practice Regulations, 2015 “Dispensing against prescription of Registered Medical Practitioner only” mandates that every registered pharmacist shall dispense only those medicines as prescribed by the Registered Medical Practitioner and shall not substitute the prescription. |
| 18 | Validity of Pharmacist Registration | Each State Pharmacy Council have different rules, all the candidates may directly approach to the concerned State Pharmacy Council. |
| 19 | Exit Examination | The Exit Examination under “Diploma in Pharmacy Exit Examination Regulations, 2022” will be implemented from 2022-2023 batch of D.Pharm Course. After having passed the Diploma in Pharmacy Exit Examination, a candidate shall be entitled to registration as a pharmacist subject to fulfillment of the conditions enumerated in section 32(2) of the Pharmacy Act, 1948. |
| 20 | GPAT Examination | The PCI is working on it. From the next year onwards, PCI will conduct the same. |
| 21 | Recruitment of Pharmacist OR Eligibility of Pharmacist at various positions | The Recruitment is done by concerned Central/State Government/Private organizations etc. The PCI has no role in it. |
| 22 | Implementation of UGC pay scales to teaching faculty. | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 19/06/2012. |
| 23 | Clarification on Urdu Education Board for the purpose of admission to various pharmacy courses- Pharmacy Act,1948. | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 10/11/2022. |
| 24 | Higher Secondary Examination(Vocational) of Council of Higher Secondary Education(CHSE), Odisha is not approved by PCI | Please refer Council’s Circular dated 10/12/2021. |
| 25 | Not approved Institutions | The followings Institutions are not approved by the PCI u/s 12 of the Pharmacy Act for the purpose of registration as a pharmacist to practice the profession 1. SINGHANIA UNIVERSITY, Jhunjhunu - 333 515. |
| 26 | Eligibility of D. Pharm Candidates to take admission in first year of B. Pharm course | Please refer to regulation 4.A. of the Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm.) Course Regulations, 2014 which is self-explanatory & available on Council’s website (www.pci.nic.in) |
| 27 | What happens after Institution has completed onboarding on central.pci.ac.in? | Once your onboarding is successfully submitted, please allow some time for processing. Once your onboarding is approved, you will receive the login credentials on your registered email address with the assigned domain (attendance URL). However, if your onboarding application is rejected then you'll need to re-apply again with the rectification of the cited reason in the previous rejected application. |
| 28 | Why haven’t I received my temporary number yet? | This delay is typically due to network connectivity issues and thus, kindly recheck whether any temporary number is received or not. Thus, you are advised to submit the grievance on PCI Official website with the following steps: • Step 1: Click on https://digipharmed.pci.gov.in/#/login-issue • Step 2: Select User Type as “Institution”. • Step 3: Enter Email and other relevant details. • Step 4: Select Issue type as “AEBAS Temporary Code Not Received” • Step 5: Validate OTP and Submit Grievance. |
| 29 | What should I do if my submission is rejected because the information doesn't match? | In such cases, you will be required to re-submit your application with accurate and verified details such as a valid nodal officer in alignment with the faculty tool on the DIGI-PHARMed portal and submit the correct information. |
| 30 | Why haven’t I received my domain yet? | The process for the verification of institution’s takes time and thus, if the application is successfully submitted then the domain will be shared to institutions automatically via mail. In addition, it is kindly request that the Institutions are requested to reconfirm whether the application is complete with all the documents signed and checked. |
| 31 | I have received the login credentials. What’s the way forward? | Please go through the “Nodal Officer Manual” located in the FAQ section for comprehensive instructions. Further, following these guidelines nodal officer is required to add Divisions, Employee Designations, Office Location, Device Location, Office Timings, Biometric Admin and Activation Code etc. The steps to view the nodal officer manual are as below: • Step 1: Go to central.pci.ac.in • Step 2: Go to the FAQ Section on the right column. • Step 3: Click on “Nodal Officer Manual” in the Dropdown. • Link:https://central.pci.ac.in/assets/doc/pci_portal_manual/Nodal_officer_man ual_Updated_V_2_0.pdf |
| 32 | Why my users are unable to add divisions or units? | Please ensure that all the divisions are Active in the division menu on your admin login. |
| 33 | How do I install a biometric attendance system as faculty? | Installation assistance will be provided by your designated vendor from where you have purchased the device. Once the device is set up, please ensure it is updated and registered on the AEBAS portal. |
| 34 | What is the procedure to download the AEBAS application onto a biometric device? | Please follow the steps as given below: • Step 1: Go to your Designated Attendance URL. • Step 2: Login with your credentials. • Step 3: Go to “Console” Menu. • Step 4: You’ll find the link to download software on the top right section. • Step 5: Please download the BAS software for Desktop/Tablet. • Step 6: After installation, the software will ask to enter a device activation code. • Step 7: Select the entry point and authenticate with the Biometric admin. Note: Biometric Admin - are designated person who can register the Attendance Software on the BAS devices (Tablets & Desktops). Biometric admin can be added via referring to the nodal officer manual. |
| 35 | What is the procedure for user (faculty) registration? | Kindly follow the steps below: • Step 1: Go to your institution’s designated attendance URL. • Step 2: Click on “Organization Registration” on the left panel. • Step 3: Fill up the details as required. Kindly note that “Candidate Id” used in the faculty registration is BH-P-Number i.e. Centralised portal number. • Step 4: Review the information you've entered carefully before submitting the form. • Step 5: Further, user can also check the user manual as uploaded by council dt. 13.06.2025 and available on the link https://pci.gov.in/en/blog/guidelines-fornodal-admin-and-user-for-further-process-at-the-end-of-institutions-for-thebiometric-attendance-system-aebas-in-all-pci-approved-pharmacy-institutions/ |
| 36 | What should I do if my username doesn’t match the one registered on the DIGIPHARMed portal? | In such cases, Council has allowed the temporary access to the edit profiles on the DIGI-PHARMed Portal by following the steps as per mentioned below: • Step 1: Click on the DIGI-PHARMed portal https://digipharmed.pci.gov.in/#/digipharmed • Step 2: Login to portal from your faculty profile using the correct login details. • Step 3: Go to your profile section and • Step 4: Click on “Edit Profile” and validate OTP. • Step 5: User can update their Name as per their Aadhar Card. Kindly note that this is a temporary option available for all the Pharmacists and thus, all users are requested to please update their name as per the Aadhar Card. |
| 37 | What is the process for submitting the grievance or raising any issues? | It is requested to visit the grievance portal https://digipharmed.pci.gov.in/#/loginissue and select the department as “IT” and submit the grievance citing the issues related to the AEBAS from the dropdown in Issues Type. In addition, it is directed that no institutions or any user should drop any email or grievance to the Hod-mohfw@nic.in. All request should be submitted on the grievance portal only. |
| 38 | How should I mark Attendance on the Biometric Device? | After successful user (faculty) registration, Institutions need to approve the request of faculty from the nodal admin portal via logging from the respective attendance URL. Further, after faculty registration, each individual will receive the attendance ID on their registered mobile number. In continuation, faculty can fill the attendance ID on the device and mark their attendance. |