Pharmacy Council of India revamps B Pharma syllabus with AI, hospital training; rollout from 2026-27 session

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), the apex body for pharmaceutical education in India, has directed higher education institutions to implement the new revised B Pharma syllabus from 2026-27 academic session. The updated Bachelor of Pharmacy curriculum places emphasis on artificial intelligence, clinical pharmacy, and hospital-based practice – a substantial shift from the existing framework.

Deependra Singh, chairperson, education regulation committee and member, PCI told Academia360, “It is a revised curriculum as per the need of the clinical industry and hospital pharmacy industry, and artificial intelligence (AI) related components are now a substantial part of the new curriculum. The curriculum emphasises on AI pharmaceutical education and implementation of AI in different subjects.”

Earlier in May 2025, Academia360 spoke with Singh about the new additions in the B Pharma curriculum, specialisations and its implementation. During the interaction, Singh had mentioned that the new curriculum is designed to “bridge” the gap between academia and industry, with a “strong focus on employability”.

Pharmacy Courses: B Pharma with more choices

The new B Pharma course curriculum offers a wider range of electives based on students’preferences. Pharmacy colleges have also been granted the flexibility to design and offer courses to their students, with prior PCI approval, Singh said.

The new B Pharma curriculum includes mandatory practical training in the industry or the hospital. It also has few new subjects like ‘Role of Psychology in Pharmacy’, and others focused on professional aspects of pharmacy courses to perform their duties well, he added.

“Different courses classified under NEP 2020 which provide the essence of the policy have also been added, including the value-added courses and skill-based courses,” Singh said.