World Pharmacists Day and National Pharmacy Week Celebrations Organised by Pharmacy Council of India at Indrayani Vidya Mandir

Pune: With the objective of creating public awareness about the safe and appropriate use of medicines, the contribution of pharmacists to patient care, and the growing concern of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the Pharmacy Council of India, New Delhi, in association with Indrayani Vidya Mandir, is celebrating World Pharmacists Day and National Pharmacy Week 2026.

As part of this initiative, a state-level programme for the Western Maharashtra and Mumbai regions will be held on Wednesday, November 4, at Krishnaarao Bhegde Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, run by Indrayani Vidya Mandir at Talegaon Dabhade. Dr. Montukumar Patel, President of the Pharmacy Council of India, will attend the programme as the chief guest, informed Ramdas Kakade, President of Indrayani Vidya Mandir.

Established in 1965, Indrayani Vidya Mandir is recognised as one of the leading educational institutions in Pune district. Its students have consistently excelled in academics, sports, administration and various other fields. Along with academic excellence, the institution has also been making continuous efforts to nurture social responsibility among students. The National Pharmacy Week is considered an important step in this direction.

The programme will begin with a student rally to create awareness about Antimicrobial Resistance. The rally will be flagged off by Dr. Montukumar Patel, President of the Pharmacy Council of India; Ramdas Kakade, President of the institution; Chandrakant Shete, Secretary; and Nirupa Kanitkar, Treasurer. The rally aims to sensitise citizens about the serious health consequences of unnecessary antibiotic use, taking medicines without a doctor’s prescription and not completing prescribed courses of treatment.

To encourage scientific thinking and social responsibility among pharmacy students, various state-level competitions have been organised. These include six competitions: Sci-Toon, poster presentation, quiz, pamphlet preparation, street play and reel making. Winners securing first, second and third positions in each competition will be felicitated. These competitions will provide students with an opportunity to creatively express their views on subjects such as the appropriate use of medicines, antimicrobial resistance, patient counselling and public health.

A major highlight of the programme will be an expert panel discussion on Antimicrobial Resistance. The panel will include Dr. Eknath Pawar, Dean of Sassoon General Hospital; Girish Hukare, Joint Commissioner of the Pune Division, Food and Drug Administration; Prof. Manjiri Gharat, Principal of K. M. Kundnani College of Pharmacy, Mumbai; Dr. Sanjay Toshniwal, PCI member; Dr. Suhit Gilda, Director of Organonix Biochem Pvt. Ltd.; Dr. B. S. Kuchekar; and Dr. Sathiyanarayanan.

The programme will be held under the chairmanship of Ramdas Kakade, President of Indrayani Vidya Mandir, with Dr. Montukumar Patel, President of the Pharmacy Council of India, attending as the chief guest. PCI members Dr. Shrikant Joshi, Jagannath Shinde, Dr. Sanjay Toshniwal, Prakash Vanjari and Dr. Shivanand Patil will also be present.

Vijay Patil, member of the Pharmacy Council of India, is the convener of this state-level programme. The event is being organised under the guidance of Dr. Sachin Kotwal, President of the National Pharmacy Welfare Association of India. The state coordinators are Prof. Pravin Jawale, Dr. Vikram Shinde and Principal Dr. Sanjay Arote. The programme is being organised in association with Indrayani Vidya Mandir and Krishnaarao Bhegde Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, informed Ramdas Kakade, President of the institution.

More than 2,000 participants, including students pursuing D. Pharm., B. Pharm., M. Pharm. and Pharm. D. courses, faculty members, researchers, pharmacists and professionals from the pharmaceutical industry, are expected to attend from Western Maharashtra and the Mumbai region.

The main objective of this state-level initiative is to promote the responsible use of medicines, create awareness about Antimicrobial Resistance and contribute towards building a healthier society through well-trained and competent pharmacists.