Pharmacy education in India
Pharmacy education in India traditionally has been industry and product oriented. Graduate pharmacists seek employment in the pharmaceutical sector, which contrasts with the situation in industrialized countries.
A variety of pharmacy degree programs are offered in India
- Diploma in pharmacy (D.Pharm)
- Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm)
- Master of pharmacy (M.Pharm)
- Master of Science in Pharmacy [MS(Pharm)]
- Master of technology in pharmacy [M.Tech (Pharm)]
- Doctor of pharmacy (PharmD)
- Doctor of philosophy in pharmacy (Ph.D)
Admission criteria for various courses
To seek admission to Pharmacy, one has to complete 10+2 exams, and then admission to Pharmacy can be secured based on the marks obtained in the qualifying exam.
Diploma in pharmacy (D Pharm)
In India, higher secondary study is concluded by a terminal examination, the higher secondary examination, at the end of 10+2. Admission to the first year D Pharm program in any college is based on performance on the higher secondary examination marks. Every college has their own management procedures also to offer admissions to the prospectus students.
Bachelor of pharmacy (B Pharm)
Admission to the first-year BPharm program is made directly from higher secondary school on the basis of marks obtained in the higher secondary examination or on the basis of a merit list rank prepared based on scores on an entrance examination administered by a state or individual institution. Administering an entrance examination as an admissions requirement is used mainly by public institutions.
Master of pharmacy (M Pharm)
The criterion for entry to an M Pharm program is academic performance in the BPharm or an entrance test or both. An important criterion, a high Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) score, qualifies a student to receive a government scholarship during the period of their M.Pharm studies.
Master of Science in Pharmacy [MS(Pharm)]
There are some colleges in India where Master of pharmacy degree is awarded as a Master of Science in Pharmacy. Eligibility criteria for the Master of Science in Pharmacy remains same as that of Master of pharmacy.
Master of technology in pharmacy [M.Tech (Pharm)]
MTech Pharmaceutical Technology is a 2 years PG Course that teaches students about how to research a drug, and create and then test the new ones. Admission in this course is based on the applicant’s performance in relevant entrance exams or sometimes merit obtained at the graduation level.
Doctor of pharmacy (PharmD)
Doctor of pharmacy or Pharm.D is a six-year course for doctorate level students. During the course duration candidates have five year of academic study and 1 year of internship.
The eligibility criteria for the course Pharm.D is that students have to clear 10+2 from a recognized college and qualify for a diploma in Pharmacy from Pharm.D college recognized by PCI (Pharmacy Council of India). The Pharm.D admissions are done on the basis of merit list or entrance examination. The popular entrance examinations are BV CET, MET, GPAT, etc. (Credits:https://collegedunia.com/courses/pharmd)
Doctor of philosophy in pharmacy (Ph.D.)
PhD Pharmacy is a 3 to 5 years research based course through which scholars gain an in-depth understanding of a specialized subject related to pharmacy sciences.
To be admitted to a PhD programme, you must have a PG degree. In some fields, completing a master’s degree in philosophy (M.Phil.) is required before beginning a PhD programme.
Admission to PhD courses is usually entranced-based. Some institutes, however, may conduct admission through merit-based evaluation. Universities may conduct entrance exams of their own or the National level exams like UGC NET can be employed by them. (Credits:https://zollege.in/courses/phd-in-pharmacy)
Various pharmacy collages in India can be found in the following link
List of top five pharmacy colleges based on NIRF ranking
In the NIRF Ranking 2022, announced by the Education Minister, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, has witnessed several changes in the NIRF Ranking 2022 compared to the previous year.
The following is the comprehensive list of pharmacy colleges according to NIRF ranking.
Career opportunities after a Diploma in Pharmacy
Some of the top professional job roles for D Pharmacy students are (Data Source:https://www.shiksha.com)
- Junior Clinical Research Associate (CRA)
- Data Analyst
- Pharmacist
- Clinical Pharmacist
- Hospital Pharmacy Director
- Hospital Staff Pharmacist
- Sales and Marketing Executive
- Pharmacist in Food and Drug Administration
- Clinical Research Associate (CRA)
- Business Development Manager
- Lab assistant in pharmacy colleges
Job Opportunity Sectors After a Diploma in Pharmacy
D Pharma’s reach extends across a wide range of industries, from the commercial to the public sector. India’s healthcare industry is growing at a rapid pace. As a result, it provides graduates with several work prospects. In pharmacies, there are numerous work opportunities for D Pharma students. The following are some of the areas where graduates can be recruited:
- Government hospitals
- Community health centers
- Educational Institutes
- Clinics
- Food and Drug Administration
- Private hospitals
- Private drug stores
- Pharmaceutical Firms
- Sales and Marketing Departments
- Research Labs
Government Jobs After a Diploma in Pharmacy
In India, the government controls the majority of the healthcare sector. Many D Pharmacy employment is available in government agencies, including Analytical Chemist, Food and Drug Inspector, Pharmacist, Chemical/Drug Technician, and others. Typically, candidates are hired after passing an admissions exam and a personal interview with the graduate. In India, a D.Pharma earns between INR 2 and 5 lakhs per annum. Many institutions and departments, such as state and central hospitals, research and development units, clinics, the Indian Army, and the Defense Services, offer government positions. The following are some examples of government job titles and pay scales:
| Job Profile | Average Annual Salary (In Rs) |
|---|---|
| Drug Safety Associate | 4.17 LPA |
| Pharmacist | 4.00 LPA |
| Clinical Research Associate | 3.55 LPA |
| Pathological Scientist | 3.25 LPA |
Private Jobs After a Diploma in Pharmacy
For D Pharma students, there are numerous job prospects in the private sector. Many organizations interested in research, such as pathology labs, pharmaceutical businesses, and so on, have private jobs available. Students can either get a career or pursue higher education, such as a B Pharma degree, after completing the course. The compensation ranges from INR 2-5 lakhs per annum for a D pharmacist. The following are some of the job titles and pay scales:
| Job Profile | Average Annual Salary (In Rs) |
|---|---|
| Pharmacist | 1.2-2.2 LPA |
| Pathological Lab Scientist | 3-4 LPA |
| Medical Transcriptionist | 1.5-2.5 LPA |
| Laboratory technician | 1.5-2.5 LPA |
| Medical Representative | 2.5-3.5 LPA |
Career opportunities after a bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharma)
Pharmacists have a very important role to play in the medical sector. There are several big pharmaceutical companies who keep looking for candidates with knowledge in pharmacy and academic qualifications. Pharmacists are also self employed. They can open their own dispensary, work as suppliers or distributors etc.
List of various private industries can be found on below link for pharmaceutical industries
List of Pharmaceutical Industries
Some of the job roles along with job descriptions and salary are mentioned below:(Data Credits:https://collegedunia.com/)
| Profession | Job Profile | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Writer | A medical writer works with doctors, scientists, and other subject matter experts, creates documents that effectively and clearly describe research results, product use, and other medical information. | INR 2.5.-5 LPA |
| Clinical Research Associate | A Clinical Research Associate collects and organizes data obtained during studies and in field trials, and coordinates and processes results gained from long-term testing of drugs, products and medical procedures. | INR 2.5.-5 LPA |
| Drug Safety Associate | A drug safety associate is responsible for monitoring the safety of pharmaceutical drugs and evaluating as well as preventing adverse reactions in patients. He/she must distinguish and analyze the ratio of risks & benefits of a drug that is marketed in the pharma sector. | INR 2.5.-5 LPA |
| Drug Inspector | A Drug inspector is responsible for inspecting establishments where foods, drugs, cosmetics, and similar consumer items are manufactured, handled, stored, or sold to enforce legal standards of sanitation, purity, and grading. | INR 6 LPA |
| Pharmaceutical Scientist | They are well-trained and experts mainly responsible to discover, develop, test and manufacturing new medications and drugs. | INR 6.5 LPA |
| Formulation Development Associate | FD Associate is responsible for the development of new products, processes systems and formulations in drugs, is able to execute all aspects of formulation from bench top to manufacture within the given deadlines, and provides technical support to the team. | INR 5 LPA |
| Sales/ Marketing Executive | Responsible for increasing the sales force by studying existing and potential volume of dealers. Submits orders by referring to price lists and product literature. He/she also recommends changes in products, services, and policy by evaluating results and competitive developments. | INR 4 LPA |
| Pharmacy Business | Main job role will be to distribute and dispense medicines in either retail or whole, regionally or across India after going through all the ethical and legal guidelines by the monitoring bodies, while ensuring that safe and correct medicines are supplied to the public. | INR 8 LPA |
| QA/QC Associate | QA/QC Associate is responsible for developing, applying, revising and maintaining quality standards of partially or fully processed materials. It also includes defining and implementing methods that prove beneficial in testing, evaluating and inspecting testing procedures while documenting everything. | INR 3.5 LPA |
Government Job opportunities after bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharma)
Students will find a lot of opportunities inside the government sector after completing their B Pharmacy degree.
Following table illustrates the various sectors
| Government Hospital Pharmacist | Staff Nurse | Medical Transcriptionist |
| Teacher | College Professor | Drug Therapist |
| Government Scientist | Quality Control Associate | Drug Technician |
After completion of the B Pharmacy course, there are a lot of government options that open. Candidates can be in dispensary in a government hospital. Every now and then several states release the vacancy of drug inspector, pharmaceutical scientist, clinical research associate etc.
Pharmacists get a lot of opportunities in government organizations. Some of them are mentioned below for your reference,
| Employee State Insurance Corporation | Indian Army | NHM |
| Indian Railways | BHEL | State Bank of India |
| HLL Lifecare | Government Medical College | Ministry of Health |
Career opportunities after a Master of Pharmacy (M. Pharma) and Ph.D
Candidates have a wide range of opportunities accessible to them after earning their M.Pharm. or PhD. both the public and private sectors. Research facilities, educational institutions, pharmaceutical production, healthcare facilities, food administration, etc. are some of the top recruitment industries.
Following table summarizes the job opportunities and salaries offered to M Pharm/PhD candidates
Data Credits:https://collegedunia.com/
| Profile | Description | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist | A Pharmacist is responsible for compounding and dispensing medicines. They also review the prescriptions and make sure the patients are getting the correct medicines. | 2,77,000 |
| Drug Control Officer | A Drug Control Officer reviews the quality and composition of a drug or medicine to ensure that it is safe before it reaches the market. | 8,00,000 |
| Medical Coder | A Medical Coder reviews and analyzes all documents related to reimbursement. They make sure that all documents are attached within the file and then analyze the medical records. | 2,56,000 |
| Medical Writer | Medical Writers work alongside doctors and scientists and write about innovations in medical science for various hospitals, pharmaceutical industries, medical centers, etc. | 5,00,000 |
| Research Officer | A Research Officer is responsible for conducting research by retrieving material from the internet, paper sources or by interviewing people and writing about the research specifications | 5,50,000 |
| Lecturer | A Lecturer is responsible for teaching college/university students and providing them with study material and guidance through their research projects. | 8,00,000 |
| Medical Representative | A Medical Representative is the marketeer of a pharmaceutical company who is responsible for promoting a medicine to a seller. | 3,00,000 |
| Production Manager | A production manager is a professional who looks after the production processes and looks after the production of medicines. | 10,24,000 |
| Chemical Pathologist | Chemical Pathologists is the one who is responsible for monitoring bodily fluids like blood, urine to study changes in the chemistry of the body. Some of the important skills are analytical thinking skills, knowledge of medicine etc. | 10,00,000 |
| Research Scientist | Research scientists conduct experiments for research, make hypotheses, and interpret the results. They are basically associated with the study of medicines, salt and chemicals. | 8,55,000 |
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