- Why in news
- On 1 July 2026 the Health Ministry put out a revised draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2026 and invited public comments till 31 July 2026. The Bill would replace the Pharmacy Act, 1948.
- What it is
- The Pharmacy Act, 1948 set up the Pharmacy Council of India to regulate pharmacy education and the profession. The draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2026 proposes a new Commission in its place. It is still a draft, not law, and has not been introduced in Parliament.
- Proposed body
- The draft Bill proposes to set up the National Pharmacy Commission.
- Law to be repealed
- The Bill would repeal the Pharmacy Act, 1948.
- Existing regulator
- The Pharmacy Act, 1948 created the Pharmacy Council of India, the current statutory regulator of pharmacy education.
Don’t confuse with Pharmacy Council of India vs National Pharmacy Commission: The Council is the existing body under the 1948 Act. The Commission is the proposed body under the 2026 draft Bill.
Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.
Why it matters
- Would update a nearly 80-year-old law governing pharmacy education and practice.
Problems
- The draft is still open to comment, so its final provisions may change.
Way forward
- Examine stakeholder comments, finalise the Bill, then introduce it in Parliament.
Put in your answer
Consultative law-making: The Ministry revised the draft after public consultation and reopened it for comments.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: A draft bill to replace the Pharmacy Act, 1948, open for comments only. Worth reading, but a draft gives no settled provisions to test.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.