RGUHS, PCI sign MoU to establish India’s first Pharmacy Skill Lab
Bengaluru: Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen pharmacy education, faculty development, research and professional training. Under the initiative, India’s first Pharmacy Skill Lab will be established at the RGUHS Bheemanakuppe Research Centre.
The MoU was executed on August 25, 2026, between the Pharmacy Council of India and RGUHS. The document states that the collaboration will focus on systematic faculty development, educational innovation and research to strengthen pharmacy education and provide opportunities for professional development.
The agreement provides for the establishment of the Southern Zonal Centre for Faculty Development in Pharmacy Education (SZCFD) and the Centre for Advanced Pharmacy Education Research and Innovation (CAPERI) at RGUHS, Bengaluru. It also provides for professional activities such as job fairs, Pharma Anveshan, conferences and other activities proposed by the PCI from time to time.
According to the MoU, the centres will work towards providing structured educational methodology training for pharmacy teachers, developing national standards for faculty development and establishing an advanced research laboratory for pharmacy education research.
The objectives also include promoting collaborative educational and clinical research, facilitating multicentric research among pharmacy institutions, training and developing future academic leaders, promoting innovation in pharmacy education and research, supporting digital learning and simulation-based education, and preparing students for industry through hands-on training.
The collaboration will cover a wide range of faculty development activities. These include induction programmes for newly recruited teachers, advanced faculty development programmes, refresher courses, leadership programmes, educational technology workshops, assessment workshops, curriculum development workshops and research methodology workshops.
The centres will also conduct programmes on artificial intelligence in pharmacy education, outcome-based education and industry orientation. The MoU provides for online certification courses and the establishment of a national repository of educational resources.
Under the continuous pharmacy programmes, educational consultancy will cover areas such as curriculum reforms, competency framework development, accreditation preparedness, assessment systems, OSCE/OSPE, simulation laboratories, digital education, quality assurance, academic audits and faculty mentoring.
The agreement also provides for a skill training and education centre. It will offer skill training to staff and students of affiliated colleges, industry training and orientation, and drug testing. A National Resource Centre is also proposed, with a national repository for educational resources, a faculty certification centre and a digital content development hub.
The MoU sets out separate responsibilities for the two institutions.
The PCI will recognise the centres as the Southern Zonal Faculty Development Centre, nominate members to the Governing Council and facilitate the nomination of participants. It will also develop policy guidelines, provide academic support, assist in national collaborations, facilitate resource persons and support curriculum development.
The PCI will also facilitate recognition of certification programmes and provide financial assistance for the establishment and operation of the centres, as well as financial support for the skill centres.
RGUHS, meanwhile, will provide suitable accommodation for both centres, classrooms, seminar halls and ICT infrastructure. It will establish office facilities, provide administrative support and infrastructure for setting up laboratories, and appoint faculty and staff as approved.
The university will also appoint suitable staff for the skill lab and drug-testing centre, maintain accounts, ensure compliance with applicable regulations, provide hostel facilities whenever available and maintain digital learning infrastructure.
Governing Council
A common Governing Council will take policy decisions and oversee the administration of both centres. The council will include the President of PCI as Patron and the Vice-Chancellor of RGUHS as Patron, along with two members nominated by PCI and the Registrar of RGUHS.
The council will also include the Registrar-cum-Secretary of PCI, the Registrar (Evaluation) of RGUHS, two experts in pharmacy education nominated by RGUHS, and one representative each from the southern states and Union Territories of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry and Lakshadweep.
The Director of the Centre, who will serve as Member Secretary, will be selected jointly by RGUHS and PCI. The Governing Council will meet at least twice a year and can constitute sub-committees such as an Academic Advisory Board and Research Advisory Board when required.
The two centres will conduct certificate courses, advanced certificate courses, diploma programmes, fellowship programmes, faculty induction courses, national trainers' programmes, leadership academies, online programmes, hybrid programmes, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes and training programmes.
Faculty development programmes will be open to faculty members of pharmacy colleges, principals, academic administrators, postgraduate students and research scholars. Priority will be given to institutions located in the southern states and Union Territories.
The MoU identifies faculty members of affiliated colleges, graduate and postgraduate students of affiliated colleges and PhD scholars as stakeholders in advanced research for drug testing and skill labs.
Training and immersive programmes will include multilevel skill training, AR/VR industry experience, simulated dispensing lab training and QA/QC advanced instrumentation training. Consultancy programmes will cover drug testing, advanced instrumentation and research.
Research activities under the centres will include multicentric research, funded research, consultancy projects, national surveys, international collaborations, innovation grants, student research and faculty fellowships.
The MoU includes an initial five-year action plan. During the first five years, the parties will work towards developing a National Competency Framework for Pharmacy Teachers and establishing a digital learning and simulation studio for pharmacy education.
The plan also includes launching certificate, advanced certificate and fellowship programmes in health professions education for pharmacy faculty, and training at least 5,000 pharmacy faculty members from the southern region through structured faculty development programmes.
The parties will also work to create a Southern Regional Research Network linking pharmacy colleges across participating states and establish specialised laboratories for educational research, simulation, artificial intelligence, learning analytics and digital assessment.
An annual Southern Pharmacy Education Summit is also planned to disseminate best practices and research findings.
The action plan further provides for supporting collaborative research leading to externally funded projects, policy briefs and high-impact publications. It also aims to develop RGUHS into a Centre of Excellence in Pharmacy Education and Educational Research, serving as a national resource institution for capacity building, innovation and quality enhancement in pharmacy education.
The MoU will remain valid for five years from the date of its execution and can be extended through mutual written consent of the parties. The agreement also provides for annual review of the centres' performance, covering the number of programmes conducted, faculty trained, participant feedback, research publications, grants received, innovations developed, consultancy activities, financial performance, national impact, consultancy projects executed, students trained and colleges visited.
According to the information provided by RGUHS, the proposed Pharmacy Skill Lab, along with the Southern Zonal Centre for Faculty Development, is intended to provide a national platform for advanced training, faculty development, educational research, innovation and professional skill enhancement for pharmacy students, teachers and professionals across the country.