Three-day APTI convention concludes today

Chandigarh, Oct 27 (UNI) The three-day 12th Annual Convention of Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI) today concluded at Punjab University here with a general body meeting and an open house discussion on various issues concerning pharmaceutical education.

A panel of dignitaries from pharma industry and academia chaired by Punjab University DUI Prof S K Kulkarni discussed the various changes to be brought in pharma education to meet the current challenges.

University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PU chairman Prof O P Katare sought the involvement of industries to start new courses in academia. A three-tier collaborative system involving industry-academia-medical institutions was proposed by him.

Dr K C Jindal from Panacca Biotech talked about the requirement of quality assurance and Dr Sukhjeet Singh stressed the need of IPR in pharma curriculum.

During the convention, an industrial linkage to understand the industry needs was demanded by a number of student delegates.

In the morning session, Dr Uma Ramchandran gave Ramanbhai memorial lecture. She discussed the pharm education post 2005 and emphasised that the education system is not geared up for post product era. She pointed out the shortage of sufficient number of good medicinal chemists in the country to cater the industrial needs.

She stressed the need for innovation based collaborations rather CRO based ones.

In another session, modern pharma perspective were detailed by renowned scientists like Dr Naresh Kumar from CSIR, Dr D N Dikshit from Nicholas Piramal Ltd and Prof P V Bhartam from Niper.

An award giving ceremony was also held towards the conclusion. Mr Vaibhav Kumar received Sri Murgeppe Sirse memoria Award for the best poster.

UNI