By-Akanksha Yadav

About Pharma D:

The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) is a six-year-long doctoral program. This program is designed for those who want to have a doctorate in the pharmacy field. The duration of this program is 6 years of which 5 years of the course is dedicated to academic study and the last year is for internship. Pharm D was launched in India in 2008. It is regulated by the Pharmacy Council of India. 

Admission to this course is given based on the entrance examination. Some colleges also offer direct admission on basis of marks obtained in the class 12th examination. 

Currently, the pharmacy and healthcare field is growing very fast. As per a report by IBEF, the pharmacy industry is expected to grow up to USD 65 Billion by 2024 and would double its size by 2030 to USD 130 billion. 

After this program, graduates can work with various drug regulatory authorities. This course allows them to build a career in the pharmaceutical science field. Pharm D degree holders can work as clinical pharmacists, hospital pharmacy directors, hospital staff pharmacists, retail pharmacists, drug experts etc. 

What is the duration of Pharm D?

Pharm D is 6 years long course. Through this course, students get a doctorate in the pharmacy field. 6 years of Pharm D are divided into two major areas. Students do an internship in the last year of the degree while in the first 5 years, they do academic study. 

 The eligibility criteria required for Pharm D:

Pharm D is offered in two types. One is a 6-year degree and the second is a 3-year post-baccalaureate degree. For both courses, the eligibility criteria are given below.

For a 6-year Pharm D course:

• The student should have completed his/her class 12th examination or its equivalent from a recognized board.
• In his/her 10+2, the student should have studied Physics, Chemistry, Biology/mathematics subjects.
• The minimum age limit is 17 years.
• D Pharma graduates are also eligible for this course.

For a 3-year Post Baccalaureate course:

• The student should have a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from a recognised institute/college.
• He/she should have studied Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics/Biology in his 10+2 class.

Subjects in Pharm D:

Every semester, subjects change in Pharm D. The semester-wise subjects list is given below.

For semester 1:

• Pharmaceutics
• Human anatomy and physiology
• Medical Biochemistry

For semester 2:

• Pharmaceutical organic chemistry
• Pharmaceutical inorganic chemistry
• Remedial mathematics/biology

For semester 3:

• Pharmaceutical Microbiology
• Pathophysiology
• Pharmacognosy and Phytopharmaceuticals

For semester 4:

• Community pharmacy
• Pharmacology 1
• Pharmacotherapeutics 1

For semester 5:

• Pharmaceutical analysis
• Pharmacology 2
• Pharmacotherapeutics 2

For semester 6:

• Medical chemistry
• Pharmaceutical jurisprudence
• Pharmaceutical formulations

For semester 7:

• Hospital pharmacy
• Clinical pharmacy
• Pharmacotherapeutics 3

For semester 8:

• Clinical Toxicology
• Biostatistics and research methodology
• Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics

For semester 9:

• Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomic
• Clinical research
• Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacotherapeutic drug monitoring

For semester 10:

• Clerkship project work (6 months)
• Project work (6 months)

Final year:

• Internship

Career opportunities after Pharm D:

After Pharm D, individuals can work in the private and public sectors. Some of the positions are mentioned below for reference.

• Clinical Pharmacist
• Hospital Pharmacy Director
• Hospital staff Pharmacist
• Medical Writer
• Supply logistics leader
• Drug Safety Associate
• Pharmaceutical Advisor

Top Pharm D recruiters in India:

• Intas
• Cadila Healthcare Limited
• Cipla
• Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited
• Abbott India Limited
• Biocon Limited
• Glenmark Pharma Limited
• Divis Laboratories Limited
• Wockhardt Limited
• Mankind Pharma Limited

 

Top universities/colleges offering Pharm D:

Some of the top Pharm D colleges in India are as follows.

• Poona college of pharmacy
• Chandigarh University
• Jaipur National University
• Chaitanya Degree and PG College
• JSS College of Pharmacy, Ooty
• Goa College of Pharmacy
• Dayanand Sagar University, Bangalore
• Manipal University
• SRM University, Chennai
• Annamalai University
• NIMS University