B Pharm Ayurveda should be redesigned with syllabus of all Ayush streams to create multiple opportunities
Multiple job opportunities can be created for the pharmacy graduates in Ayurveda provided the degree course in Ayurveda pharmacy (B Pharm Ayurveda) is redesigned as a combined pharmacy degree course for all the Ayush streams such as Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy which involve drugs for therapies.
If the programme is reconfigured to a common course, it will help for the future growth of the total Ayush streams. So, the universities and the Ayush ministries of central and states must review the suggestions and restructure the graduate pharmacy programme in Ayurveda currently conducted by certain universities in the country to enable the graduates achieve placements wherever vacancies arise, according to B Pharm Ayurveda pharmacists working in different streams in gulf countries.
There are about five thousand B Pharm Ayurveda graduates in Kerala, but no post has been created for them yet. Besides, they are intended to work only in the Ayurveda stream, not even in Siddha or Unani or Homoeopathy although they undertake responsibilities in other streams.
Talking about the scope of Ayush pharmacy services in the traditional and Homoeopathy healthcare sectors in the gulf countries, an Ayurveda B Pharm graduate working in a Homoeopathy hospital in Manama in Bahrain told Pharmabiz that she had cleared a written test conducted by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) of Bahrain and got placement in a leading Homoeopathy healthcare centre in that country. Before undertaking the assignment she was given six months training in homeopathy pharmacy by the institution. The Ayush pharmacist, Archana L from Alappuzha district in Kerala, is one of the first batch students of the B Pharm Ayurveda programme conducted by the MVR Ayurveda Medical College at Parassinikkadavu in Kerala.
She said it is better to add some papers of Homoeopathy, Siddha and Unani pharmacy services in the syllabus of the course rather than re-skilling the graduate in each stream after recruitment. According to her, vacancies of Ayush pharmacists are increasing in gulf countries as the governments of all the countries in the UAE and of the neighboring countries now prefer only to pharmacy graduates to work in the pharmacies. But they have to pass a licensure examination conducted by the national health regulatory authorities to become eligible to practice. She said in all the gulf countries there are traditional healthcare centres and Homoeopathy hospitals of Indian background and are managed by Indians. Recently a lot of B Pharm Ayurveda graduates have migrated to the gulf region of the Middle East.
Kiran Kumar, president of the B Pharm Ayurveda Graduates Association in Kerala said he will forward a proposal to the union ministry of Ayush and to the health university in Kerala to consider amalgamation of chapters in connection with pharmacy services of all Ayush streams. He said there is only a certificate course in Homoeopathy pharmacy, and a diploma course in Siddha. Degree course in pharmacy is conducted only in Ayurveda stream. He said his association will welcome if such a decision is taken by the health university. He has also written to the MVR Ayurveda Medical College authorities to take up this proposal with the state government. If the course is made as a full-fledged pharmacy course for all the Ayush streams, the B Pharm graduates will get employment in various fields.
Kiran said his association’s next meeting will discuss this issue seriously and pass a resolution in this regard.
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