When we talk about a pharmacist, the first thing that comes to your mind is they are someone who works in a medical shop to sell medicines. But did you that there is a lot more than a pharmacist can do? Yes, the job role of a pharmacist is dynamic and versatile. If you are also someone who is in a misconception that a pharmacist can only work in a medical store, then you are absolutely wrong. This article gives you an insight into what a pharmacist is, what are the different pharmacy courses available to become a pharmacist, job opportunities, and we have also given you some information about the best colleges where you can get your admission.
If you are some who likes to combine technology, healthcare, research, and science, then Pharmacists is the right job for you. For all those who want to pursue their career as a pharmacist, here is some useful information that you can use. This will be very useful in making your career as a pharmacist.
Who is a Pharmacist?
A pharmacist is a person you must have met at least once in your life. They dispense the medicine to you and also provide you help on how to take the prescription medicine or over-the-counter medicine in the right way. Usually, we call them with other names as well, chemist and druggist. They have good knowledge about the ingredients used in the making of the medicines and hence they will be able to provide the best help possible. A pharmacist can provide you with a little extra help that you may be able to get from a very busy doctor. They can help you know what to eat, what to avoid when to take, what to do in case there is a missed dose, and when to stop taking them. In simple words, you can say that the pharmacists are the experts who can guide you about the medicine and its dosage.
If you are a science student and you think that this job is going to excite you, then you should check out more details about this course. There are several courses, which you need to complete in order. Also, there are some good colleges and universities in India that offer you the best education. All you need to do is choose the right career path as there are several job opportunities as well.
Eligibility Criteria to become a pharmacist in India:
If you wish to become a pharmacist in India, a valid license or permit that has been provided by the government of India is mandatory. You can begin your pharmacy practice only after you get the license or permit. Apart from the license, you should have to complete at least a Diploma in Pharmacy or Bachelors. So, here is what you need to start your pharmacist practice in India:
Step 1: Your first step towards your career as a pharmacist is you will have to take a science stream. You can go for MPC or BPC, or a combination of these two MBPC – Mathematics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry in your 12th standard. That makes your foundation very strong.
Step 2: Once you complete your 12th standard, you will have three different options to choose from. You have
- Diploma in Pharmacy: If you wish to become a pharmacist in India, then the least qualification that you can have is a diploma in Pharmacy. You will also be able to open a pharmacy with this Diploma. You will need at least 10+2 for getting admission to this course. It is a course of two years. You will either have an entrance test or interview for getting admission.
- Bachelor’s in Pharmacy (B. Pharm): If you are looking for employment in any pharmaceutical company, then B. Pharm is the educational qualification you need. If you have enrolled in a Diploma course, then you can get a lateral entry in the second year in the Bachelor course if you are scoring good in Diploma. It is a three to four-year course, depending on the process of admission. The course includes both training and academics as well. You should give your GPAT after you are done with the course, and you are eligible for this exam only if you score at least 50 percent marks in it. The admission process is based on the entrance test.
- Doctor in Pharmacy (Pharm. D): Pharm. D is a six-year course and only five years are academic subjects. One year you will have to complete your internship program. If you are pursuing B. Pharm, then you can get direct entry into the 4th year of Pharm. D course on merit basis only. The admission process is based on the norms that are set by the Pharmacy Council of India.
Step 3: Once you are having your Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Pharmacy, it is always good to go for a master’s degree if you are looking for a better career. The number of job opportunities and the companies are going to be high when you have a higher qualification.
- Master’s Degree in Pharmacy (M.Pharm): You should have completed your Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy if you wish to get admission in Master’s Degree in Pharmacy. You will be able to enjoy more benefits than the Bachelor’s degree holders like you can get in research and development with a Master’s degree. Also, you will have different specializations to choose from if you wish to get a master’s degree. The specializations include:
- Pharmaceutics
- Pharmacology
- Pharmaceutical Analysis
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
- Industrial Pharmacy
- Pharmacy Practice
- Pharmacognosy
- Regulatory Affairs
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Quality Assurance
You can choose a specialization of your choice so that you will be able to settle in a better role in life. It is going to be a course of two years.
- Doctor of Pharmacy (Post-Bachelor’s): You will have one Doctor of Pharmacy course as part of your Bachelor’s level, which is a six-year course. But you will also have one as part of your Master’s level course, and this is a course of two years and a one-year internship program. This is an advanced level course after your Bachelor’s degree. You should at least have a B.Pharm if you wish to pursue a Doctor of Pharmacy. The process of admission is based on an interview or entrance test. It is totally based on the university or college that you are choosing.
Step 4: Get your PhD in Pharmacy: Most people do not opt for Ph. D in Pharmacy, but if you want to make a career in research, then it is good to complete your PhD as well. It is a three-year course, and you will need Master’s in Pharmacy to complete the PhD. You should be very strong in doing research for a PhD program. The admission process for Ph. D is also done based on an interview or entrance test only.
Job Opportunities:
Once you complete a course in Pharmacy, you will start receiving a lot of job opportunities in Indian pharmacy companies and hospitals. The job opportunities depend on what course you have completed. Different offers are given to Bachelor’s degree holder, Master’s degree holders and PhD holders. Here is a small list of job offers that you will receive after the course:
Hospital Pharmacists: You will receive job opportunities in hospitals, and you will be in charge of checking the medicine, check the quality of medicines, purchasing and dispensing the medicine in and out of medicines.
Clinical Research Associate: As a clinical research analyst, you will be responsible for checking the medicine and monitoring the clinical trials that are conducted on the new medicines. You will have to assess the benefits and risks that are associated with the new medicine.
Drug inspector: As a drug inspector, you will be responsible for checking the quality of the medicine manufacturing process, right from its manufacturing to its sale.
Medical Sales Representative: As a medical sales representative, you will be responsible for selling medicine, medical equipment, prescription drugs and other things to nurses, doctors and customers as well.
Regulatory Affairs Officer: As a regulatory Affairs officer, you will have to deal with research organizations, pharmaceuticals, medical organizations and many other manufacturers to check if the quality and standards of the medicine comply with the norms.
Apart from these, you can also start a medicine store of your own and run your business. There are many companies in India that are recruiting the best talent from India in the pharmacy world. It is important for you to grab the right opportunity from so many different offers you receive.
Pay and Perks:
When it comes to the salary of a pharmacist, you will receive an average salary of Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 per month. As an entry-level pharmacist, you can earn two lakhs per annum, and at the mid-level, you can earn 3 to 3.5 lakhs per annum. As you gain a lot of experience, you can earn around 15 lakhs per annum. It all depends on the years of experience, the post and the organization with which you are working. So, there are different jobs roles that you will be able to choose if you opt for the pharmacist degree in India.
Some best colleges to choose from:
Whatever course you are choosing for your career, you just need to make sure that you have your admission to one of the best colleges or universities. Here for Pharmacist, there are different levels of courses, and for each level, you will have to pick the right college when you wish to continue your studies further. So, are some best colleges and institutes in India for different levels of pharmacist courses:
Some of the top colleges for the Diploma in Pharmacy are:
- Jamia Hamdard University (Delhi)
- MET Institute of Pharmacy (Mumbai)
- Bundelkhand University (Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh)
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research (Delhi)
Some of the top colleges for the Bachelor’s in Pharmacy are:
- Jamia Hamdard University (Delhi)
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research (Delhi)
- Bundelkhand University (Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh)
- Bombay College of Pharmacy (Mumbai)
- Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University (Uttar Pradesh)
- Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Manipal)
- MET Institute of Pharmacy (Mumbai)
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Chandigarh)
Some of the top colleges for the Doctor of Pharmacy are:
- VELS University (Chennai)
- Smt. Sarojini Ramulamma College of Pharmacy (Andhra Pradesh)
- Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara University (Mysore, Karnataka)
Some of the top colleges for the Masters’s in Pharmacy are:
- Jamia Hamdard University (Delhi)
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research (Delhi)
- Bundelkhand University (Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh)
- Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University (Uttar Pradesh)
- Jadavpur University (Kolkata)
- Birla Institute of Technology (Mesra, Ranchi)
Some of the top colleges for the Doctor of Pharmacy (Post-Baccalaureate) are:
- Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Manipal)
- PSG College of Pharmacy (Coimbatore)
- The Oxford College of Pharmacy (Bangalore)
Some of the top colleges for the PhD in Pharmacy are:
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Chandigarh)
- Jamia Hamdard University (Delhi)
- Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara University (Mysore, Karnataka)
So, this was the list of the best colleges you can find in India. Make sure that you check all the details of the college or university before you decide to get admission.
This was some useful information about how to become a pharmacist in India. We hope all this information was useful for you. You can easily make your decision when you have enough information about any course. Just go through all the information about this course and then decide whether it is perfect for you or not. The journey is not going to be an easy task for you, but it is not too tough as well. You just need to plan the career in the right way, and that helps you decide the right degree for you. When you start the preparation at the right time, no profession is tough for you. You just need to concentrate on what you wish to achieve. All the best!!!
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
