Pharmacists in India now create their Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) profile through the Pharmacy Council of India's DIGI-PHARMed portal, not separately on the ABDM site. Since 12 August 2026 every new pharmacist registration on DIGI-PHARMed includes an HPR profile, and existing pharmacists with a BH-P number complete e-KYC and their HPR details there; once the State Pharmacy Council approves, the HPR card is generated. The 15-day deadline in PCI's August circular applied, by PCI's own clarification of 25 August 2026, only to existing BH-P holders, mainly teaching faculty. Nurses register on HPR through the nursing councils' NRTS system or the ABDM portal, and several states — most recently Haryana in October 2026 — have made HPR compulsory for registration or renewal. Registration is free.
This guide is for pharmacists, nurses, hospital pharmacy in-charges, nursing superintendents and HR teams. It covers the exact PCI rules, the steps, the documents, the errors people hit and how a hospital links its staff to its facility. It was checked against PCI circulars and the ABDM dashboard on 5 November 2026.
Key takeaways
- One portal for pharmacists. PCI's circular POLICY-13014/2/2025-POLICY of August 2026 integrated HPR with DIGI-PHARMed from 12 August 2026. PCI warns pharmacists not to create a second profile on the NHA portal.
- The 15-day deadline was narrower than reported. PCI's FAQ of 25 August 2026 says it applied only to existing BH-P holders "as the same is being used in the teaching pharmacist's faculty", and tells new and non-teaching pharmacists: "Please don't rush."
- BH-P is not the HPR ID. The BH-P number identifies a pharmacist on DIGI-PHARMed; the HPR ID (HP-ID) is the professional's identifier in ABDM.
- HPR does not replace council registration. State Pharmacy Council and Nursing Council registrations remain the licence to practise.
- 13.98 lakh verified professionals were on HPR on 5 November 2026: 6.63 lakh nurses, 4.97 lakh doctors and 2.38 lakh pharmacists.
What is the HPR, and why does it matter?
The Healthcare Professionals Registry is ABDM's national registry of verified healthcare professionals — doctors of all systems of medicine, nurses and pharmacists. Each verified professional gets an HPR ID. It is used to identify the professional on digital health records, to sign into ABDM services, and to link professionals to the health facilities where they work on the Health Facility Registry (HFR). A hospital's facility manager on HFR needs an HPR-based login too. Registration is free.
For pharmacists and nurses specifically, HPR has turned from optional to expected: the Pharmacy Council of India has built it into its own registration portal, nursing councils' registers are meant to feed it, and states have started making it a condition of registration or renewal.
The PCI rules for pharmacists, in order
| Date | PCI action |
|---|---|
| November 2024 | ABHA verification of DIGI-PHARMed profiles made mandatory within 45 days, failing which the profile would be disabled. |
| 6 November 2025 | State Pharmacy Councils told to submit verified pharmacist data for HPR integration by 30 November 2025. |
| 12 August 2026 | HPR integration with DIGI-PHARMed goes live; an HPR profile becomes mandatory for all new users. |
| 13 August 2026 | Go-live circular (POLICY-13014/2/2025-POLICY): existing pharmacists with a valid BH-P number to log in, complete e-KYC, validate details and complete the HPR profile "within 15 (fifteen) days" to avoid de-activation. HPR card generated after SPC approval. |
| 25 August 2026 | FAQ circular: the 15-day limit applies only to existing BH-P holders because the BH-P number is used for teaching faculty; no 15-day deadline for new pharmacists or those not in teaching; no fee; do not create a second profile on the NHA portal. |
| 1 September 2026 | Teaching pharmacists with BH-P numbers given 7 days to complete AEBAS, e-KYC, HPR verification and document authenticity, or be placed in a "debarred/non-compliant" category. |
| 10 September 2026 | Notice on duplicate registrations on the NHA portal by BH-P holders; webinars held 11–16 September for HPR grievances. |
As of 4 November 2026 PCI had published no extension and no notice of mass de-activation. Some coverage counts the 15 days from 17 August, the date PCI's FAQ uses for the circular, which would end on 1 September rather than 28 August.
How a pharmacist registers on HPR through DIGI-PHARMed
New pharmacists
- Open DIGI-PHARMed (digipharmed.pci.gov.in) and choose Pharmacists Registration.
- Enter your name, State Pharmacy Council registration number, date of birth and mobile number. If the details match the council's data, the portal shows "SPC VERIFIED".
- Verify with Aadhaar OTP. Your username arrives by SMS.
- Log in and fill in qualification, registration and current work details, uploading the documents asked for.
- Submit. The State Pharmacy Council's status shows "pending" until it scrutinises and approves the profile.
- Once approved, your HPR card is generated. Download it from your profile when the status shows Verified or Approved.
Existing pharmacists with a BH-P number
- Log in with your BH-P number (your DIGI-PHARMed username).
- Complete e-KYC and validate your details.
- Complete the HPR section of your profile and submit for State Pharmacy Council approval.
- Track the status screen: it shows your HPID number, application status, council status and work status.
Documents to keep ready
- Aadhaar with its linked mobile number.
- State Pharmacy Council registration certificate and number.
- D.Pharm, B.Pharm, Pharm.D or M.Pharm certificate, with college and university.
- Details of your current workplace; government employees need proof of work for state verification.
- A recent photograph.
Common HPR errors and what to do
- "Aadhaar already exists" or "HPR ID already generated": you already have an HPR profile, often created earlier on the NHA portal. Do not register again; raise a grievance on DIGI-PHARMed (Login Issue → user type → IT → "HPR/Pharmacists Registration or Profile Issues").
- SPC not verified: your name, registration number or date of birth does not match the council's records. Correct the council record first.
- Status stuck at "pending": the State Pharmacy Council has not yet scrutinised the profile. Pharmacists in some states have reported long delays; follow up with the council.
- HPR card not visible: it appears only after approval. If the profile shows Verified and the card is still missing, raise a grievance on the PCI portal.
- Two profiles: PCI has said it will monitor duplicates created on the NHA portal and act on them. Complete your profile on one portal only.
HPR for nurses
Nurses can register directly on the HPR portal (hpr.abdm.gov.in, which now redirects to nhpr.abdm.gov.in) under the nurse category, with their State Nursing Council registration, qualification and work details; the nursing council verifies the profile. The national plan is for nursing registers to feed HPR:
- A Health Ministry letter of November 2021 said the Indian Nursing Council's Nurses Registration and Tracking System (NRTS) "will form a part of" HPR, and asked states to register nurses through NRTS.
- On 1 April 2026 a division bench of the Madras High Court upheld the INC's NRTS regulations of 2019 and the Nurse Unique ID (NUID), and the INC restored its ₹5,000 late fee by a notice of 8 June 2026.
- Andhra Pradesh's Nursing Council made HPR enrolment mandatory for registered nurses and ANMs in March 2024; Jammu and Kashmir made HPR mandatory for doctors and nurses in 2022.
- Haryana, according to a report of 31 October 2026, has made an HPR ID mandatory for doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists for new registration and renewal, giving provisional registrants 90 days.
We found no national order making HPR compulsory for every nurse. With more than 6.6 lakh nurses already verified, nurses are now the largest group on the registry.
What hospitals should do
- Link your staff to the facility. Your HFR facility manager logs in, opens the facility, chooses "Add Healthcare Professional", searches for each verified professional and declares them. A professional can be linked to several facilities. See HFR registration for hospitals.
- Keep a staff register with each pharmacist's and nurse's council registration number, expiry date and HPR ID, alongside doctors' NMR and HPR details — see NMR registration for doctors.
- Check the pharmacist on your drug licence is registered and current. Dispensing of prescription drugs must be by or under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.
- Plan for accreditation. HPR registration of staff is an Excellence-level element in the NABH Digital Health Standards.
- Medical colleges and pharmacy colleges should treat HPR and AEBAS as linked: PCI has tied teaching pharmacists' attendance to verified HPR profiles, and NMC requires faculty NMR or SMR numbers on AEBAS.
Healthixio is ABDM-integrated through Milestones M1–M3 and links records to patients' ABHA under the hospital's HFR ID — prescriptions, lab reports, discharge summaries and pharmacy bills. See the ABDM integration page and the pharmacy module.
Frequently Asked Questions
HPR ID kya hota hai? (What is an HPR ID?)
An HPR ID is the unique identifier a healthcare professional gets on ABDM's Healthcare Professionals Registry after verification by their council. It identifies the doctor, nurse or pharmacist on digital health records and links them to the facilities where they work.
What was the last date for HPR registration for pharmacists?
PCI's August 2026 circular gave existing BH-P holders 15 days. PCI's FAQ of 25 August 2026 clarified that this applied only to existing BH-P holders because of their use in teaching faculty, and that new and non-teaching pharmacists have no 15-day deadline. No extension had been published by 4 November 2026.
What is the difference between a BH-P number and an HPR ID?
The BH-P number is a pharmacist's identifier and username on PCI's DIGI-PHARMed portal. The HPR ID (HP-ID) is the healthcare professional's identifier in the ABDM ecosystem, generated after the HPR profile is approved.
Is there a fee for HPR registration?
No. Neither PCI nor the National Health Authority charges for an HPR profile or HPR ID.
Does HPR replace State Pharmacy Council registration?
No. PCI's FAQ says HPR "does not replace, cancel, or supersede" State Pharmacy Council registration. The council registration remains the licence to practise.
How do I download my HPR card?
Pharmacists download it from the DIGI-PHARMed profile once the status shows Verified or Approved. Nurses and doctors download it from the HPR portal after council verification. If it is missing after approval, raise a grievance.
Is HPR registration mandatory for nurses?
Not nationally as of November 2026, but it is mandatory in some states — Andhra Pradesh for registered nurses and ANMs, Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana for new registrations and renewals. Nursing registers are meant to feed HPR through the INC's NRTS.
I already registered on the NHA portal. Should I register again on DIGI-PHARMed?
No. PCI asks pharmacists to complete the profile on one portal only. If DIGI-PHARMed says your Aadhaar or HPR ID already exists, raise a grievance rather than creating a second profile.
Get your whole team on the registry
Doctors, nurses and pharmacists on HPR, the hospital on HFR, and records flowing to ABHA — that is what ABDM compliance looks like. Talk to our ABDM team or read HPR registration for doctors.
Sources
- PCI go-live circular and user manual for the NHA-HPR DIGI-PHARMed portal, August 2026: pci.gov.in
- PCI FAQ circular on HPR, 25 August 2026: pci.gov.in
- PCI circular on duplicate registrations on the NHA portal, 10 September 2026: pci.gov.in
- HPR portal FAQs: nhpr.abdm.gov.in
- ABDM public dashboard (verified professionals, 5 November 2026): dashboard.abdm.gov.in
- Indian Nursing Council notice on NRTS, 8 June 2026: indiannursingcouncil.org
- Haryana HPR requirement, 31 October 2026: UNI
Last reviewed 5 November 2026. Check pci.gov.in and your state council for newer circulars.