Pharmacy Career in India: 7 Path to Success

Pharmacy is a profitable and satisfying profession in the health care sector with enormous scope for career growth and potential for useful contribution towards the life of a person. For a career as a pharmacist in India, this book will take you from studying to earning profitably in the career.

1) Finish your 12th Grade with Science Stream

Beginning your career life as a pharmacist begins with passing your 12th standard with science stream. The applicants who wish to do pharmacy must have subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (or Mathematics). These basic lessons will provide you with the necessary groundwork to be able to comprehend tough things you'd be dealing with in doing pharmacy.

Make sure you attain a good percentage (50-60%) to be qualified to enter pharmacy colleges. Some colleges have requirements for extra marks or combination of subjects, so double-check college requirements which you want to apply for admissions.

2) Select the Right Pharmacy Course

Once you finish your 12th standard, the next thing to do is to study for a pharmacy degree. There are various courses available at various levels, and the choice of the right one depends on your career goals. The most popular ones are:

• Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm): Two year course that makes you eligible for lower level jobs in the pharma sector. It gives pharmacy basics and practical textbook practice in drug manufacturing, dispensing drugs, and patient care.
• Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm): A four-year undergraduate program providing a complete picture of pharmaceutical sciences. It deals with topics like pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical analysis, and formulations of drugs. It is the most popular pathway for registration as a registered pharmacist in India.
• Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm): If you are interested in specializing in areas like pharmacology, pharmaceutics, or pharmaceutical chemistry, then you can go for a master's course after B.Pharm graduation.

• Entrance Exams for Pharmacy Admission

In order to get admission into a pharmacy course in India, you may need to take entrance tests. Direct admission is provided by some private colleges, but the government colleges mostly ask the students to take entrance tests. Some of the most frequently organized entrance tests are:

• GPAT (Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test): A national-level exam organized by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions into M.Pharm course.
• State-level entry exams: Every state has a separate entry exam, i.e., WBJEE, KEAM, or CG PPHT, for admission in government and private colleges for the B.Pharm course.

They all follow varying syllabus, so thoroughly read the guidelines and prepare beforehand to achieve the best success rate.

3) Practical Experience and Internships

Internship enables you to gain required skills and knowledge in the outside world such that you will be marketable. Try to secure opportunities in internships from hospitals, pharmacies, or drug company corporations so that you may get exposed to various aspects of exposure in the career.

Apart from academic exposure, hand exposure is also very crucial. You will need hand exposure during your academic period leading to a degree. During the time you get your B.Pharm or D.Pharm degree, you will be devoting nearly all your time to an internship or clinical practice. This exposes you to hands in pharmacy practice like dispensing medicine, drug preparation, and handling patients.

4) Licensing and Registration

Once you have completed your pharmacy course, you need to be licensed to practice as a pharmacist in India. You need to be registered to practice lawfully as a pharmacist.

In order to become registered, you will be required to submit evidence of having secured your pharmacy degree or diploma and registration with the relevant State Pharmacy Council under the Pharmacy Act, 1948. On registration, you will be issued a certificate for practicing lawfully in the profession.

5) Post Graduate Education and Specializations

If you wish to pursue your interest towards further study and career change, you can go for Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm) or even Doctor of Pharmacy (Ph.D.). Both these postgraduation courses involve years of study along with deciding to specialize in areas like:

• Pharmaceutical Chemistry

• Pharmacology

• Pharmacognosy (natural medicine science)

• Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

Specialization can lead the way towards career prospects in research and development, academia, or higher positions in the pharma industry.

6) Job Opportunities Following Becoming a Pharmacist

Following your degree and licensure, numerous job opportunities are available. Pharmacists may be employed in:

• Retail Pharmacies: Giving out medication, offering patient counseling, and managing pharmaceutical sales.
• Hospitals and Clinics: Providing patient care, counseling patients on proper medication use, and discouraging drug abuse.
• Pharmaceutical Industry: Active in medicine development, quality control, production, and sales.
• Government and Regulatory Authorities: Serving in government institutions like the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) or State Drug Control Departments.

You also get to work as a Clinical Research Associate, Pharmacy Manager, or Regulatory Affairs Manager, etc.

It is a step by step process to be a pharmacist in India and it needs hard work and dedication. With your 12th standard degree, with a degree in pharmacy, in-job training, obtaining a license, and continually enhancing your skills, you can have a satisfying and lucrative career in the pharma sector. Whatever you would do, whether deal directly with patients, research, or service pharma job advertisements, pharmacy provides stability with room for being in a position to be able to contribute towards healthcare delivery.