Written by Pallavi SmartNovember 18, 2025 10:57 PM IST 3 min readAccording to experts, the alarming vacancy levels for a third consecutive year indicate a skewed demand–supply equation in pharmacy education, exacerbated by the proliferation of pharmacy colleges following the pandemic.As admissions to the Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) programme concluded in Maharashtra, data show that 15,936 of the 48,878 seats available this year remain vacant, an over 32 per cent shortfall, almost identical to the vacancy rate recorded in the 2024–25 academic year.The pharmacy course has persistently recorded a high vacancy rate for another academic year, despite the corrective measures taken by the state government this year to curb the rapid and haphazard growth of pharmacy colleges.In the academic year 2023–24, more than 33 per cent of seats remained unfilled, a sharp rise from the little over 12 per cent vacancy recorded in the previous academic year 2022-23.According to experts, the alarming vacancy levels for a third consecutive year indicate a skewed demand–supply equation in pharmacy education, exacerbated by the proliferation of pharmacy colleges following the pandemic.“Many of these institutions are alleged to be operating without adequate infrastructure and other mandatory facilities, making aspirants reluctant to seek admission. But a few who end up taking admission to such colleges end up suffering from poor quality of service,” said a senior professor in a reputed Pharmacy college in the city.This year, the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) of Maharashtra issued showcause notices to 48 BPharm colleges for failing to meet the mandatory requirements to run pharmacy programs in accordance with the standards set by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). As a result, 18-degree colleges were barred from participating in the admissions for the academic year 2025-26.However, they were eventually allowed to join from the second round after securing a court order. At the same time, 17 new pharmacy colleges were added this year, bringing the total number of colleges to 531, as opposed to 514 pharmacy colleges available for admissions last year.Story continues below this ad“The rapid growth in the number of colleges, from 396 colleges in the academic year 2022-23 to 531 colleges this year, clearly shows the mushrooming of colleges, which the state government has failed to curb,” said the principal of a pharmacy college, requesting anonymity.“Furthermore, as the new approvals by PCI continue until the end of September, the admission process is delayed almost every year. This prolonged delay also leads to many candidates going ahead with alternative options of higher education, contributing to the vacancy in pharmacy,” added the principal.On the contrary, in the Master’s in Pharmacy (MPharm) course, where 229 colleges offer 9,356 seats, admissions were confirmed for 8,541 seats.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd