Pharmacy education in India
Pharmacy since inception has played a major role in health care services, whether we talk about other civilizations be it Greece (Unani medicine) or Germany (Homeopathy) or our scriptures from which Ayurveda, Siddha evolved. And today, the pharmacy field has progressed to such an extent that it holds a distinctly independent branch as Pharmaceutical sciences which includes a broad range of scientific disciplines related to discovery and development of new drugs and therapies.
The first Pharmacy College came up in 1842 in Goa. Prof. M. L. Schroff (known as Father of Pharmacy) initiated Pharmacy Education in Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1932, now formally known as IIT (BHU) in Varanasi. Now, India is a hub of many Pharmacy colleges. Students come from other countries to pursue an education in pharmacy in India.
Regulation of Pharmacy Education
In 1948, immediately after Independence, the Pharmacy Act was enacted with the effect to regulate the pharmacy profession. In 1949, a statutory Govt. body of India was established under this act, the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) in the year 1949. Its objective was to keep a check on Pharmacy education in the country. It directs the basic criterion of education which is needed for successfully becoming a pharmacist and makes sure that the educational standards throughout India are being uniformly implemented. Today, PCI not only keeps a check on Pharmacy Education but also sponsors various programs such as Continuing Education Program to upgrade the skill of pharmacists.
Pharmacy Degree Programs
Several pharmacy degree programs are being offered in our country today. They include diploma programs such as D. Pharm. (Diploma in Pharmacy), Graduate programs such as B. Pharm. (Bachelor of Pharmacy) and Master Programs such as M. Pharm (Master of Pharmacy), M. Tech. (Pharm.) (Master of Technology in Pharmacy), M. S. (Master of Science in Pharmacy) and Doctoral Programs such as Pharm. D. (Doctor of Pharmacy) and Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ph.D.). If a student is interested in pursuing D. Pharm., B. Pharm., and Pharm. D. programs can apply after completing class 12th in science stream. Diploma in pharmacy is a 2-year course followed by practical training (internship) in a hospital for approx. 500 hours. The B. Pharm. program is of 4 years duration. Students after completing a B. Pharm degree can also do post-graduation in M Pharm degree which is a 2 year course, in which the first year emphasizes research-oriented analytical techniques and the second year is based on a research project followed by thesis submission. The research project is based on the pharmaceutical discipline chosen. But for entering into M. Pharm., one must be GPAT (Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test) qualified with a good percentile. M. Pharm. can be done in several specializations such as Pharmaceutics, Industrial Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Pharmacy Practice, Pharmacology, and Pharmacognosy.
The pharmacy syllabus too has changed drastically. Earlier the syllabus varied in Pharmacy colleges as per University requirements, but now PCI has designed a uniform syllabus that applies to all Pharmacy colleges all over India, meeting the demands of Industry and making it more innovative.
Careers in Pharmacy
Pharmacy is a rewarding career, in terms of personal and financial satisfaction. The demand for qualified pharmacists is increasing in clinical, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, community, research, academics, etc. both in India as well as outside India. After completing a course in D. Pharm., one can open a Medical store, be a Dispensing Pharmacist and go for Marketing (Medical Representative). After completing a 4-year degree course in pharmacy, one can opt for Production, Marketing, become a Drug Inspector and can establish one’s own Pharmaceutical Company.
M. Pharm. and Ph.D. courses open avenues for research, academics and CROs (Clinical research organizations).
With the advent of several lifestyles and chronic diseases such as diabetes, Heart diseases, Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Cancer etc., a pharmacist with their knowledge and expertise, have the potential to help our country in facing these challenges. Especially, for managing chronic ailments, a pharmacist plays a significant role in treating such long term diseases effectively.
