How to become a Pharmacist?

What is Pharmacy about?

Pharmacy is one of the fastest growing areas of healthcare and Pharmacists, the experts in medicines, are going to play an important role in this field in the near future. Pharmacists dispense drugs, prescribed by the doctors (health practitioners), to the patients. They provide information about those drugs and help patients understand the. Globalization has helped the Indian pharmaceutical market to grow by about 10% a year in recent years. MNC’s like Pfizer, Ranbaxy, Cipla, Nicholas Piramal and Glaxo, are some of the leading players in the pharmacy trade. Other than MNC’s, local small sized firms are growing and making their presence felt in this sector. To become a graduate in pharmacy (Pharmacist), a candidate needs to opt for B. Pharma after completion of 12th class. Students from both PCB and PCM stream can apply for these courses. A diploma course (D. Pharma) is also offered for students who have completed the matriculation.

D. Pharma: It’s a two-year diploma course in pharmacy. One may pursue this course after completing either metric or plus two.

B. Pharma: It’s a four-year degree course in pharmacy. One can get admission to this course either after plus Two or after completion of D. Pharma

Higher Education: Courses leading to award of M Pharma & Ph.D. are offered at several universities and institutions in India.

Job prospects for a B Pharma degree holder:

1. Pharmacist, 2.Drug Therapist, 3. Hospital Drug Coordinator, 4. Health Inspector, 5. Drug Inspector, 6. Drug Technician, 7. Pathological Lab. Technician, 8. Bio-tech Industries, 9. Medical Representatives (MR)

Pharmacy Council of India (PCI):

There are hundreds of premier institutes and universities across the country who offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs. Pharmacy Council of India, established under the pharmacy act 1948, is responsible for prescription, regulation and maintenance of minimum educational standards for the training of pharmacist and their registration throughout the country. The council also prescribes syllabus rules and regulations for diploma, graduate, postgraduate courses.

The Institutions offering B Pharma courses:

The institutes listed below offer B. Pharma courses. These institutes are either recognized by PCI or AICTE or affiliated to a university. Most of these institutes barring few also offer either D. Pharma or M. Pharma courses. Some of the institutes admit students based on AIEEE rankings and some based on a common test conducted by individual institutes or through a common entrance test conducted by individual states.

Andhra Pradesh

Admission to B. Pharm in Colleges affiliated to Andhra Pradesh University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada, is made through a state level Test known as EAMCET. Notification is made in the month of March and result are declared in the June.

1. Bapatla College of Pharmacy, Bapatla, Guntur

2. College of Engineering, Andhra University, Waltair, Visakhapatanam

3. Deccan School of Pharmacy, Zafargarh, Hyderabad

4. Department of Pharmaceutical, J.V.D. College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam

5. G. Pulla Reddy College of Pharmacy, Mehadipatnam, Hyderabad

6. L. S. Institute of Pharmaceutical, Warangal

7. Nalanda College of Pharmacy, Nalgonda

8. Sarojini Naidu Vanitha Mahavidyalaya, Exhibition Grounds, Hyderabad

9. Shadan Women's College pf Pharmacy, Peerancheru, Hyderabad

10. Shri Vishnu College of Pharmacy, Vishnupur, Bhimavaram

11. Siddhartha College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vijaywada

12. Sri P. Rami Reddy Memorial College, Nagarajpet, Cuddapah

13. Sripadmavathimahila Visvavidyalaya, Tirupathi

14. Sri Padmavati School of Pharmacy, Tiruchanur, Tirupati, Chittoor

15. Sri Venkateswara College of Pharmacy, R. Reddy

16. ST. Peter's Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hanamkonda, Warangal

17. Sultan-Ul-Uloom College of Pharmacy, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad

18. University College of Pharamaceutical Sciences, Kakatiya University, Warangal

19. University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Warangal

20. Vagdevi College of Pharmacy, Ramnagar, Warangal