Pharmacy as a profession

Pharmacy Council of India regulates the pharmacy education in India till the graduation level. The other body which looks over it is the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education.)

Admission to B-pharm Courses is either on the basis of merit or entrance exam conducted by the technical education board of each state or a common entrance exam (AIEEE). On completing the course, you must undergo practical training in a recognized hospital, pharmacy or dispensary. At the graduation level there is no specialization. There is also an option of Diploma in Pharmacy (D-pharm), but highly unadvisable as there is talk of phasing out this course in near future.

Eligibility for M-Pharm

Higher education can be pursued by opting for M-pharm, followed by a PhD for those who wish to get recruited into academics or research. While doing M-pharm you will have to choose specialization in any the fields like pharmaceutics, industrial Pharmacy, pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical analysis, Pharmaceutical Engineering.

GPAT rank is prerequisite to get into almost all the colleges/universities for pursuing M-pharm.

Personal Qualities desired in a Pharmacy Professional

In order to be a successful pharmacist, one must have a liking for science particularly life sciences, medicine and chemistry. An ability to do hard work, patience, and a sense of responsibility are required. Patience is essential in the field of drug development as launching a new drug into the market for human consumption may take 11- 15 years as it has to undergo laborious and time consuming clinical trials. Strong analytical abilities and strong academic foundations are needed in the field of research and drug formulation. To be a successful medical representative one needs to have good communication skills and a flair for convincing people, Retail pharmacists need to have business skills together with good product knowledge and patient counseling skills. Pharmacy analysis and quality control departments require highly ethical and responsible candidates because all drugs with undesirable side effects have to be strictly monitored and should not be let into market.

Opportunities Abroad

Golden opportunities galore for qualified Pharmacy professionals in various countries including the U.S.A., Canada, and European Countries.

There is plenty of scope for higher education and research opportunities in the developed countries along with excellent job openings. The pharmaceutical career is one of the highest rewarding careers in these countries. The monetary job benefits abroad are highly exciting.