BRIDGING THE SKILLS GAP IN PHARMACY EDUCATION: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF COMPETENCY- BASED REFORMS FOR B. PHARM AND M. PHARM

The current pharmacy curriculum in India is heavily content-oriented, examination-driven, and misaligned with industry and clinical expectations. Competency-Based Education (CBE) emerges as a promising approach that emphasizes measurable outcomes, practical skill development, and professional readiness rather than rote learning. This review examines the need, challenges, and potential strategies for implementing CBE in Pharmacy programs in India. It explores the global context, regulatory frameworks, digital integration, skill mapping, faculty development, and industry-academia collaboration. The paper proposes a multi-tiered approach for holistic curriculum reform, aligning pharmacy education with evolving domains such as clinical pharmacy, regulatory sciences, precision medicine, and digital therapeutics.