PHARMACY AS A PROFESSION
Nowadays, people are sceptical about pharmacy as a profession. When we hear the word pharmacy, oftentimes things running in our mind are something in the line of medical stores and dispensaries. But that’s not it. Pharmacy is itself a whole thing. Let’s get into details....
SO, WHAT IS PHARMACY?
For most people, a pharmacy is a shop or hospital dispensary where medicinal drugs are prepared or sold, and by definition it is correct. But for professionals, pharmacy is the “science or practice of the preparation and dispensing of medicinal drugs.”
WHAT DOES PHARMACY ENTAIL?
To become a pharmacist, the candidate must consider one of these options:
DIPLOMA COURSES(after successfully completing 12th grade)
- D. Pharm i.e. Diploma in Pharmacy
- Duration – 2 years
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES(after successfully completing 12th grade)
- B. Pharm i.e. Bachelors in Pharmacy, Duration – 4 years
- B. Pharm after D. Pharm (direct admission), Duration – 3 years
POST-GRADUATE COURSES
- M. Pharm i.e. Masters in pharmacy Duration – 2 years
- Pharm. D (Post Baccalaureate) Duration – 3 years
- Pharm. D i.e. Doctor of Pharmacy Duration – 6 years
DOCTORAL COURSES
- Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences
A candidate can select any one of the following specializations for their M. Pharm degree:
- Pharmaceutics
- Pharmacology
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Pharmacognosy
- Biopharmaceutics
- Drug Regulatory Affairs
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
- Clinical Pharmacy
- Drug Discovery and Drug Development
- Master of Public Health
- Pharmaceutical Administration
- Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance
- Pharmaceutical market & Management
- Pharmaceutical Technology
- Pharmacy Practices
- Phytopharmaceuticals & Natural Products
SCOPE AFTER STUDYING PHARMACY
While having your own medical store or working in a hospital, or dispensaries are some known opportunities after a pharmacy degree, there are various job sectors that one can pursue.
Some of those are enlisted below:
1. Pharmaceutical industries
2. Clinical research and development
3. Quality control and quality analysis
4. Pharmaceutical production and manufacturing
5. Sales representative and marketing
6. Lectureship
7. Pharmacovigilance
So to conclude, pharmacy like any other profession requires knowledge, skills and hard work with lots of luck and dedication.
