Trends in pharmacy education

Sanjay Arora

Pharmacy profession is always a choice of preference for medical aspirants. There are many other medical or paramedical courses but from career opportunities point of view, the profession of pharmacy provides many job opportunities in this field.

Courses for pharmacy

Diploma in Pharmacy

It is a two-year course, followed by an internship of three months. The eligibility criterion is Class XII with physics and chemistry being mandatory subjects with biology/mathematics. After successful completion of the diploma programme, one can be employed in a pharmacy shop. After registering with the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) and/or the State Pharmacy Council, one can also set up his/her own pharmacy store. Diploma graduates are also eligible to get admission into the 2nd year of the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme (lateral entry).

Bachelor of Pharmacy

(B Pharm)

Bachelor of Pharmacy (B Pharm) is an undergraduate degree course in the field of pharmacy education. Students can choose this course after the completion of Class XII (PCM/B). After the completion of this degree, students can practice as a pharmacist. Pharmacists can work in a range of industries related to the prescription, manufacture and provision of medicines. The duration of the course is four years.

Doctor in Pharmacy (Pharm D)

Pharm D is among the latest pharmacy programmes introduced in 2008 by the Central Government and the PCI. It is a six-year professional doctoral programme in pharmacy, which also includes one year of internship or residency. Entry requirements are similar to D Pharma and B Pharma programmes. B Pharma graduates can be admitted in to the fourth year of the Pharm D programme as a lateral entry. It will be a three-year course (Pharm D Post Baccalaureate), which includes two years of studies and one year of internship or residency.

GPAT — National Level Admissions

Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) is a national-level entrance examination for entry into M Pharmacy programmes. Till 2018, it was conducted by the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) every year as per the directions of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. The test is now be conducted by the NTA. This test facilitates institutions to select suitable pharmacy graduates for admission into the Masters (M Pharmacy) programme. The GPAT is a three-hour computer based online test which is conducted in a single session. The GPAT score is accepted by all AICTE-approved institutions/university departments/constituent colleges/affiliated colleges. A few scholarships and other financial assistance in the fiel

Job opportunities

The vacancies for pharmacists are advertised by the Central and state governments from time to time. Present vacancies are:

1 Rajasthan State Services Selection Board: 1726 posts of pharmacist, last date 10-01-2020

2 Kerala Public Service commission, 45 posts of Pharmacist,

last date 15-01-2020

3 Bhakra Bias Management Board, 2 posts of Pharmacist,

last date 10-01-2020

4 Cabinet Secretariat, 1 post of Laboratory Technician,

last date 19-02-2020

exams like BVP CET 2020, IPU CET 2020, MHT CET 2020, etc.

d of pharmacy are also given on the basis of the GPAT score.

Eligibility for GPAT include that applicant must be a citizen of India, must be Bachelor's degree holders in pharmacy (4 years after Class XII, including lateral entry candidates). B Tech (Pharmaceutical and fine chemical technology)/ equivalent students are not eligible to appear for GPAT examination.

Traits required for pharmacists

We all know how legible doctors' handwriting can be so one can see why a patient would be happy to deal with one of the only professions whose training literally includes education on interpreting the phrasing, intent, and - yes - handwriting of prescribing doctors or nurse practitioners. Traits required for Pharmacists include good memory, ability to accurately interpret prescriptions, detail-oriented, knowledgeable and kind.

Institutes and admission process

Five top-ranked institutions for Pharma studies are:

1 National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali

2 Jamia Hamdard, Delhi

3 Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

4 Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani

5 Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Udupi

To get admission into the pharmacy course, students have to complete their Class XII education and apply for national-level or state-level pharmacy entrance exam. The national-level entrance exam is Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT 2020). You can also apply for the state-level exams such as TS EAMCET 2020, AP EAMCET 2020, BCECE 2020, WBJEE 2020, etc as per the eligibility criteria of the exams. There are various exams conducted by private and public universities for the admission to the various graduate and postgraduate pharmacy courses. There are some of famous university level exams like BVP CET 2020, IPU CET 2020, MHT CET 2020, etc.