PHARMACY COURSES GUIDANCE
Introduction
There are a number of course opportunities available in our country. Going through them and choosing one can be quite difficult. But in spite of that, some courses stand out among all the others. One example is pharmacy courses. Pharmacy is an important branch of medical science and deals with various aspects of preparation and dispensation of medicines and drugs. The main aim of the branch is ensuring effective use of drugs without any side effects.
People who work in this field are usually called pharmacists. They are professional experts who undertake studies in pharmacy courses. Thus, in a broad aspect, pharmacists are as important as doctor.
The various pharmacy courses available are broadly divided into 3 disciplines:
– Pharmaceutics
– Pharmacy practice
– Medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy
Pharmacists are a thriving work force today with over 2.6 million professionals providing their helping hand.
Courses and course duration
Pharmacy is a popular choice among young graduates. The courses offered and their duration change from country to country. Aspirants can join pharmacy courses from diploma to doctoral level in India.
D.Pharm is a diploma level pharmacy course. It has course duration of 2 years. In case of undergraduate courses, India provides 4 courses-B.Pharm (4), B.Pharm Lat (3), Pharm(Hons) (4) and B.Pharm(Ayurveda) (4). B.Pharm stands for bachelor of pharmacy.
M.Pharm or Master of Pharmacy and Pharm D are two main postgraduate courses. They have a course duration of 2 and 3 years respectively. Another such postgraduate course is Doctor of Pharmacy and runs for 6 years. Ph.D in pharmaceutics is a doctoral course under pharmacy courses. It has a course duration of 3 years.
Criteria of eligibility
We can’t expect to get admission for pharmacy courses just because we wish for it. You need to rise up to certain eligibility criteria for it. Candidates must have a clear idea of eligibility criteria before applying for one. Aspirants may even check with their preferred institutions to enquire about any extra criteria to be fulfilled.
As with every other diploma course, D.Pharm requires a minimum qualification of +2. Candidate should have passed in chemistry, physics, biology or mathematics. Another criteria requires the candidate to have 17 years of age.
B.Pharm is a bachelor’s degree that is usually undertaken after completing+2 examination. As with D.Pharm, candidate is required to have passed with chemistry and physics as important subjects. Along with that, he must have studied either maths, computer science or biology subjects and obtained atleast 50% of mark. Candidates should be in the age range 17-23 years of age. additionally, D.Pharm graduates can apply for B.Pharm through lateral entry.
For obtaining admission to M.Pharm courses, candidates must have completed B.Pharm with at least 50% of marks. Pharm.D course requires +2 graduation along with chemistry and physics with either biology or mathematics. Also, D.Pharm Graduates has the option for admission via lateral entry.
Specializations
After completing M.Pharm, candidates are faced with a whole new range of specializations. Candidates can opt for specializations as per his or her doctoral pharmacy course. some examples for them are pharmacology, pharmacy practice, medicinal chemistry, industrial pharmacy and bulk drugs.
Admission
It is almost mandatory for candidates to pass an entrance exam to join pharmacy courses. Each state has its own entrance exam. Postgraduate admission to courses require candidates to score in graduate pharmacy aptitude test, conducted by central government.
Career scope
Pharmacy courses have a huge scope in their career. Future in pharmaceutical industry is bright with a large number of openings. Aspirants can opt to work in both private or public sector.
Salary
Experience, location and qualification play a major role in setting a salary package. Starting salary of a graduate is usually around 15k to 25k.
