Pharm D or Doctor of Pharmacy is a six-year course for doctorate-level students who wish to complete a doctoral program in professional pharmacy. During the course, candidates go through 5 years of academic study and 1 year of internship. The eligibility criteria for the course Pharm D is that students have to cleared 10+2 (Science). from a recognized school as stated by PCI (Pharmacy Council of India).
Pharm D Course Highlights
The course highlight includes the duration, eligibility, admission process, colleges, top recruiters, job profiles, fee and salary.
| Course type |
Doctorate |
| Duration |
6 years |
| Examination Type |
Semester wise |
| Eligibility |
10+2 with minimum 50% marks with science stream |
| Admission process |
Entrance exam |
| Course Fee |
INR 6,00,000 - INR 20,00,000 |
| Average Salary (per month) |
INR 3,00,000 – INR 10,00,000 |
| Top Recruiters |
Home health care, community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, geriatric pharmacy, managed care, governmental agencies, etc. |
| Job Position |
Pharmacists, drug experts, retail pharmacists, hospital pharmacy director, hospital staff pharmacists, clinical pharmacists, etc. |
Pharm D: What is it about?
Pharm D is an important course that deals with the study of pharmaceuticals, medicine and drug-related practice.
- The course is divided into two stages. The first stage includes academic study. The total duration of this stage is for a period of 5 years. The second stage is the internship and residency training that involves pharmacy practice or clinical pharmacy service.
- The course was launched in India in 2008 and is regulated by the Pharmacy Council of India.
- Doctor of Pharmacy is a combination of science and the art of dispensing medicines.
- Students are acknowledged as practical in clinical pharmacy, and medical pharmacy.
- After completing the course, students are gained with the skills in diagnosis, therapeutics usage of drugs, treatment and selection of diseases, etc.
- They perform tasks like monitoring patients, diagnosing the disease, etc.
Why Study PharmD?
The PharmD course has its own set of advantages but it also gives an edge in the competitive world. The demand for PharmD graduates is high.
- Involvement in the community: Pharmacists are an important part of the community because they contribute to the health and welfare of the patients and residents. Also they served minorities.
- Many career options: There are a variety of career options in this field. Pharmacists can work in organizations, nursing homes, hospitals, colleges, and the medical industry.
- Part of the Healthcare Team: They work with the other professionals to ensure the continuity of care. They are playing an important role in decreasing chronic disease management. They are also a part of clinics, counseling patients.
- Growth: The growing rate of the Pharmacy industry is very fast these days. According to a report by IBEF, the Pharmacy Industry in India is expected to grow upto USD 65 Billion by 2024 and would double its size by 2030 to USD 130 Billion. Hence creating more employment opportunities.
- Flexibility: There is flexibility in work hours and it balances the work – personal life. There is day shift, night shift, 7 on shifts or 7 off shifts. You can choose either of the shifts which are comfortable.
- Autonomy: There is autonomy in work as you can choose your workplace and work hours. You can do a job or start your own business.
Who should do Pharm D Course
- Aspirants who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare can pursue the Pharm D course
- Candidates who are interested in working with various drugs regulation authorities and preventing medical or drug overdose should pursue this course.
- Candidates who want to pursue a career in pharmaceutical must pursue this course.
Pharm D Admission Process
The admission to the majority of the Pharm D courses are done mainly on the basis of entrance examination.However few of the colleges provide admission on the basis of merit list. The merit list is prepared on the basis of the marks obtained in 12th or equivalent exams.
The detail of the PharmD admission process has been described in the following section
