For a layman, a pharmacist is just someone who holds a medical store or is a chemist selling medicines but, believes it or not, Pharmacy has way more than that to offer. Pharmacists are the people who invent medicines – develop them, experiment on them, and are responsible to vouch for them. It is that subset where biology, health sciences and chemistry meet.
A Pharmacist needs to have a good knowledge of all these three fields to be able to do his job properly. In fact, in as far as medicinal drugs are concerned, he needs to have more knowledge of them than doctors. They also have a role in advising and counseling patients and prescribing medicines.
If you wished to be a doctor but medical entrance exams are too tough for you or fees of medical colleges is too much, then courses of pharmacy are a way to stay close to what you wish to do. It will still mean counseling and interacting with patients.
Another advantage is that there are several government jobs open exclusively to Pharmacy graduates – and we are not just talking about government hospitals. Even within the private sector, pharmacy opens career paths to several industries of which Pharmaceutical companies are only one. Some of the other industries in which you can find a job include Healthcare, Academia, IT, FMCG, Food, IT etc.
Another advantage is that even during graduation you will be studying a large variety of subjects and thus a large number of options will be available after graduation too. Does the field attract you? Well, we will tell you how you can set on a career path:
There are a few essential qualifications that you need to complete for commencing work as a pharmacist. You need to achieve higher secondary education and the subject combinations of PCMB, which means Physics, Chemistry, Maths, and Biology.
After 12th, students can complete the following course options:
The graduation course, ‘Bachelors in Pharmacy‘ or B. Pharma, is a four-year-long course. You will cover several subjects like Human Anatomy & Physiology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology to name a few. This course covers all Pharmaceutical Sciences and offers many career options – of which clinical or community pharmacy is just one. Please make sure that you do your B. Pharma from a college approved by both PCI and AICTE.
If you want to go for clinical or community pharmacy, D. Pharm is the option for you. It takes only two years plus three months of internship after 10+2. However, you must have Physics and chemistry in 10+2 as mandatory subjects and either biology or medicine.
The diploma makes you eligible for registration with the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) and the State Pharmacy Council. And thus you can open your Pharmacy course. The diploma is shorter and more accessible as it covers the basics and won’t provide any specialization. If you are looking for something better, B. Pharma is the way.
Suppose you are confused between B. Pharma and diploma, go for a certification, at the end of it, you can still take admission in the second year of B. Pharma.
The two-year program is a specialization course in one of several Pharmaceutical sciences. For eligibility, you need a B. Pharma degree.
Introduced by PCI in 2008, it is a 6-year long program that includes one year of internship. If you already have B. Pharma, you can be admitted to the fourth year, and thus, it will remain only a three-year course. It is an excellent option if you can plan forward and are sure to go for the master right after 10+2 as it will save you a year.
Are you fanatic about exploring diverse career prospects as a pharmacist? Here are the six career options to look out for:
There are many career prospects in the pharma sector, and a few of them are discussed below. Take a look at the lucrative ones:
Do read our detailed guide on how to develop a career in Pharma Industry as a Doctor!
Establishing a career as a pharmacist is a great idea to give wings for your prosperous life! If you prefer the medical and healthcare sector, this is the best profession for you. Getting a Pharma degree can open much more avenues than you can imagine for yourself. There are ample profiles and job options that could result in exponential growth. Find a perfect pharmacy job and enjoy the success ahead!
The level of freedom pharmacists avail to choose the right career path is commendable. They can dive into research, sales, development, and even pharmacy jobs as per their desire.
The demand for pharmacists is shooting the upwards graph and would probably increase all the more in the coming years. Patient care and medications are the essential aspects of a healthcare system that stay incomplete without a pharmacist.
The Pharmacist can explore multiple careers to pursue, such as the mental health pharmacist, locum pharmacist, pharma expert, drug safety officer, and several others.
