Pharm.D Doctor of Pharmacy

Doctor of Pharmacy is a Professional Pharmacy Doctoral Programme. The degree awarded for this programme is known as Pharm.D or Pharma.D which is an abbreviated form of the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. 'Pharm.D' is a Latin term which stands for 'Pharmaciae Doctor' which means 'Doctor of Pharmacy'. Pharm.D is a registrable qualification under the Pharmacy Act 1948. Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) is the regulatory body of Pharmacy education in India. Pharmacy Council of India introduced the 6 years Pharm.D. course in India from the academic year 2008.

There are 2 types of Pharm.D

1.  Pharm.D - The duration of  Pharm.D. is 5 years + 1 year of internship/residency.

2.  Pharm.D (Post Baccalaureate) - The duration of  this course is 3 academic years which include 2 years of study and 1 year of internship or residency as per PCI.
 
The number of admissions for the Pharm.D program are prescribed by the Pharmacy Council of India from time to time and presently it is restricted to 30 students intake for Pharm.D & 10 students for Pharm. D (PB) per academic year. Doctor of Pharmacy Programs are focused on class room theory, penetrative laboratory experiments and motivated research projects. Only PCI approved Colleges can offer Pharm. D course in. There are only a limited number of Pharmacy Schools which provide Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Some of the Doctor of Pharmacy Schools are as follows:

• Deccan School of Pharmacy, Hyderabad.
• J.S.S. College of Pharmacy, Mysore.
• Krupanidhi College of Pharmacy, Bangalore.
• Ramakrishna Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Coimbatore.
• Ramachandra College of Pharmacy, Chennai.
• Smt. Sarojini Ramulamma College of Pharmacy, Andhra Pradesh.

Eligibility

For Pharm.D (6 year course):

i) A pass in 10+2 examination with Physics and Chemistry as compulsory subjects along with one of the following subjects: Mathematics or Biology.

ii) A pass in D.Pharm. course from an institution approved by the Pharmacy council of India under section 12 of The Pharmacy Act.

For Pharm.D (Post Baccalaureate):

i) A pass in B.Pharm. from an institution approved by the Pharmacy Council of India under section 12 of the Pharmacy Act.

Doctor of Pharmacy Subjects

The following subjects are of Pharm.D (6 year course). Pharm.D (Post Baccalaureate) subjects may vary form the former.

• Pharmaceutics.
• Medicinal Biochemistry.
• Pharmaceutical Microbiology.
• Pharmacognosy & Phytopharmaceuticals.
• Pharmaceutical Analysis.
• Clinical Research.

Who can and Who should pursue Doctor of Pharmacy Degree

Doctor of Pharmacy Degree is meant for those who want to understand the concepts of clinical research and acquire an in-depth understanding of Pharmacy Practice concepts.

Advantages or Benefits of Doctor of Pharmacy Degree

• Pharma.D enables one to prefix the title of 'Dr.' for the purpose of practising Pharmacy Profession.

• The for the purpose of practising Pharmacy Profession under Pharmacy Act.

• Pharm. D is a registrable qualification for practising pharmacy profession under the Pharmacy Act.

• After completing Pharm. D, candidates are eligible to undertake Ph.D. programme.

Doctor of Pharmacy Jobs

Pharmacy has become an independent branch of science dealing with all aspects of drugs and pharmaceuticals therefore it's importance is significant. A Doctor of Pharmacy degree provides enormous national and international career and employment opportunities in areas such as: Academics - Teaching, Research and Development, Administration, Management, etc. and Regulatory Affairs - In Government and Statutory bodies in drug / manufacturing regulation / implementation / Quality Control, etc.

Employment Areas

• College.
• University.
• Foundation / Trust.
• Franchise.
• Hospital.
• Non-Profit Organization.
• Pharmaceutical Company.
• Private Practice/Firm.
• Self-Employed.

Job Types

• Clinical Pharmacist.
• Hospital Pharmacy Director.
• Hospital Staff Pharmacist.
• Pharmacist.
• Pharmacist in Charge.
• Retail Pharmacist.
• Retail Staff Pharmacist.