Dehradun: In a development for pharmacy professionals, the Uttarakhand government is preparing to amend recruitment rules to allow B Pharma degree holders to apply for government pharmacist posts. The move is set to create new opportunities for qualified graduates while addressing staff shortages in healthcare institutions across the state. Until now, only diploma holders in pharmacy were eligible for government pharmacist recruitment. The Health Department has now initiated steps to revise the existing criteria and simultaneously expand the number of pharmacist positions in state-run hospitals, primary health centres, and sub-centres. Officials from the department told Live Hindustan that a proposal is being drafted to reinstate and add nearly 1,000 pharmacist posts that were earlier discontinued under the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS). The planned expansion aims to ensure better medicine distribution and improved pharmaceutical support within the public health system. Uttarakhand currently has more than 15,000 students pursuing BPharma programmes, many of whom have long demanded inclusion in government recruitment. Pharmacy graduates and professional associations have repeatedly urged authorities to recognize their qualifications for public sector positions, arguing that degree holders possess deeper technical knowledge and clinical understanding. Health Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat has confirmed that both the revision of eligibility norms and the increase in pharmacist posts are under active review. He has instructed departmental officials to prepare a detailed proposal for submission and approval, reportsLive Hindustan. The decision - once implemented - will mark a major reform in the state’s pharmacist recruitment policy, finally extending eligibility to BPharma graduates and expanding job opportunities in the healthcare sector.