Career in Pharmacy

What: Pharmacy is the branch of science that is concerned with the discovery, development, production, and distribution of drugs. The word pharmacy was derived from the Greek word pharmakon , which means remedy, and from the Egyptian term ph-ar-maki , which means bestower of security Pharmacists are responsible for the preparation, dispensing and appropriate use of medication and which provides services to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes.

A Pharmacists job is to prepare, mix, compound or dispense drugs and medicines, ointments, powder, pills, tablets and injections on the prescription of a medical practitioner, dentist or veterinarian. Those in research concern themselves with synthesis of new drugs, clinical testing of the effects of such drugs on animals and humans, and obtaining the required License from the drug control authorities.

How: The line of pharmacy or pharmacy as a career option is not only alluring, but also lucrative. There was a popular presumption that one who chooses pharmacy as a career option will ultimately become a pharmacist, but thanks to the research and growth of Pharmaceutics (the study of manufacturing and functional mechanism of drugs) that the notion of people changed, thus making this field one of the most sought after, attractive, interesting, and lucrative. India is country of millions with both rich and poor coming equally in the same frame when we talk of diseases. This is where, Pharma comes into light.

The students who are interested in this area can join either the diploma courses after 10th level itself or can go for full-time B. Pharma course after 10+2 level (it is four year course with physics, chemistry, maths, and biology as mandatory subjects) and for higher studies one can go for M. Pharma (it is a two years master’s degree course offered after the completion of B. Pharma). One can also go for D. Pharma (it is a two year professional doctorate degree in pharmacy course). In India, a new course by the name, ‘Pharm. D’ (post baccalaureate) (2 years + 1 full working year internship in a 300-bedded hospital) is offered to B. Pharma graduates. In some countries like Africa (especially Nigeria and Kenya), a six year combined course is provided. In India, there are a large number of government and private institutes offering courses in Pharmacy.

Where:  The job avenues for a pharmacist are open in public and private sector. They are mostly absorbed in by government hospitals and health care departments. Besides they have also ample avenues in private hospitals, clinics and nursing homes. They can also work in pharmaceutical industries. Various government departments like Railways and Defence also recruit pharmacists in their departmental hospitals.

Appointments are also available in sales promotion work as medical representatives. M.pharm or Ph.D holders are normally absorbed in research work, to develop new useful drugs, in laboratories and in production work in pharmaceutical industry and analysing them for purity and strength. Pharmacist may also take up teaching as a profession as lectures in pharmacy colleges and universities.

Institutions:

• Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi
• Indian Institute of Pharmacy, Jamshedpur
• New Delhi Collage of Pharmacy, New Delhi
• Hamdard University, New Delhi
• Collage of Pharmaceutical Science, Manipal
• Trivendrum College of Pharmaceutical Science, Trivendrum
• Collage of Pharmacy, Indore
• Bombay College of Pharmacy, Mumbai
• Sri Jayadev College of Pharmaceutical Science, Puri