The Pharmacy Council of Pakistan (PCP), the national regulator for pharmacy education, has directed three educational institutions to withdraw unauthorised advertisements for their Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) programmes and suspend admission-related work until they obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC), the formal clearance needed before such programmes can be promoted or opened to new students.
The direction was issued from Islamabad on 26 October. Official sources named the campuses as KIPS College, University Campus, Gujranwala; Superior University, Sargodha Campus; and the Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Riphah International University, Gujranwala.
Why the council stepped in
The PCP said it took notice after the three campuses advertised and proposed Pharm.D admissions without the requisite NOC. Professional pharmacy degrees fall under council oversight, and the regulator stressed that institutions must meet all applicable rules before they advertise or start admissions.
Officials framed the action as part of efforts to keep pharmacy education standards intact, shield students from misleading claims, and enforce public-interest rules on recognition and approval.
What the campuses must do
The institutions have been told to withdraw unauthorised or misleading advertisements at once and to stop admission activity until the necessary approval is in place. They must also ensure that no advertisement, prospectus, promotional material or public announcement creates a false impression that a programme is approved or recognised when it is not.
In practical terms, that covers marketing to prospective applicants as well as any intake process tied to the Pharm.D programmes in question until an NOC is secured.
Guidance for applicants
The council advised prospective students and their parents to verify an institution’s approval and NOC status for the relevant programme with the PCP before seeking admission. Checking with the regulator first can reduce the risk of relying on campus marketing alone when a programme’s status is still unsettled.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pharmacy Council ne teen campuses ko Pharm.D admission band karne ko kaha hai jab tak NOC na milay. Yeh campuses Gujranwala aur Sargodha mein hain: KIPS, Superior aur Riphah. Unhen ads bhi hataane hain jo approval ka ghalat impresion dein. Admission se pehle parents aur students PCP se programme ki approval check karein.
