The Pharmacy Council of India has made it clear that all the Candidates doing the Doctor of Pharmacy will be able to use the word "Dr." before their names.

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has allowed those candidates to put 'Dr.' in front of their name, who will be the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) from a recognized institution. PCI Registrar and Secretary Archana Mudagat have issued a letter to the Director of Examination and Appraisal Board of Santa Gadge Baba Amravati University. The letter states that PCI has decided to permit those candidates to put 'Dr.' ahead of their name, which will be allocated Pharm D. All the Universities and PCI-approved authorities are urged to use this prefix while distributing the degree certificates.

Pharm D Course in India was started in 2008 and it was launched in Maharashtra in 2012. The first batch to attend this course of six years passed in 2018. The second batch will get a degree in the convocation of 2019. Universities of Maharashtra were not using 'Dr.' prefix while giving degree. Dissatisfied with this, the members of Maharashtra's Doctor of Pharmacy Association asked for clarification on this from PCI. By the way, it is not clear whether PCI had first decided that the candidates who have Pharm D will use the 'Dr.' prefix.

Vinayak Bhagwat, president of Maharashtra's Doctor of Pharmacy Association, said, "We have been raising the issue for the past two years. When University Authorities told us that in this regard they have not received any written order from PCI, then we write to PCI. Then on May 24, PCI wrote a letter in this regard. ' Registered Pharmacists Association of Maharashtra has welcomed this move of PCI.

According to Pharm D degree holders, using the prefix will give them many benefits. Aniket Bhosale, a student of pharma D, said, "This prefix will separate us from other Pharma degree holders in the market. We will get our identity in the job market. '