SRINAGAR: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed a bill allowing persons qualified or registered under the Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy Act to be registered as pharmacists under the Pharmacy Act, thus doing away with the ambiguity with regard to the two legislations.
The approval of the Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023, is set to eliminate uncertainty regarding the status of individuals registered or qualified under the Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy Act, as affirmed by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
The Lok Sabha, through a unanimous voice vote, passed the bill. Once the bill receives clearance from the Rajya Sabha, it will authorise individuals qualified or registered under the Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy Act to be registered as pharmacists under the broader Pharmacy Act.
Registration under the latter is mandatory for pharmacists across the nation.
Mandaviya also emphasised that this amendment would enhance employment prospects for the youth in Jammu and Kashmir.
He noted, “Since the abrogation of Article 370, the circumstances in J&K have evolved, and these revisions will unlock opportunities for government jobs for the young population. Additionally, tele-consultation services are now accessible in the region.”
According to the rationale provided in the Amendment Bill, any individual whose name is enlisted in the pharmacist register maintained under the Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy Act, 2011, or possesses the necessary qualifications (medical assistant and pharmacist), will be considered as having been enrolled in the pharmacist register compiled and sustained under Chapter IV of the Pharmacy Act.
