Pharmacy, derived from the word ‘Pharma’, is the branch of health sciences that deals with the preparation and dispensing of drugs. It aims to ensure the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs. Pharmacy is one of the famous field opted by the students for a career. The academia in pharmacy varies from country to another. In India, the pharmacy courses starts from diploma to doctoral level. Pharmacists are the health professionals who have done their specialization in different Pharma courses. Job opportunities & scope in the field of Pharmacy are huge. A of large pharmaceutical companies are opening up which is increasing the job vacancies thereby offering a great deal of job options to pharmacists. Pharmacists have myriad jobs opportunities available in government as well as private firms. Once the course is completed, it will be easy for students find jobs in pharmaceutical industries, government departments, colleges and universities, hospitals, investigation and research institutes. Pharmacists will be able to practice in clinics, hospitals, extended care facilities, psychiatric hospitals, community pharmacies, and regulatory agencies. Even sales and marketing sector also offers jobs to pharmacy graduates. One also gets to work in retail stores of medicines. Another job opportunity is that once one register with the state Pharmacy Council, he/she can open a own chemist/drug shop and sell medicines as per doctor’s prescription. Job opportunities abroad are also immense. The pay package offered depends upon factors like qualification, location and candidate’s experience.
Most Popular Pharmacy Courses:
- Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm):
This is a foundation course in the pharmacy domain that covers the basic knowledge related to the Pharmacy.
- Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm):
B.Pharm is an undergraduate degree course opted by many students. Post course completion, the students can practice as a pharmacist or chemist.
- Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm):
M.Pharm is the postgraduate degree course in Pharmacy which are opted by students who have completed their B.Pharm. This is also a highly sought after course due to the career opportunities it offers to the students.
- Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.):
Pharm. D. is a professional degree programme essential for candidates to practice pharmacy. The programme covers uses, production and application of medicines with respect to the disease that the patient is suffering.
Doing a course in Pharmacy is indeed interesting. If one has a liking for science, you can undoubtedly opt for any of the Pharma course. You will learn about drugs, will come across physiology and anatomy, and learn about Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics. You will also gain knowledge on other subjects like Chemistry and Biochemistry. Pharmacists in a way deal with people’s life. Pharmacy is hence a science that serves and saves human life. The duty of a pharmacist is basically to provide the right medicines prescribed by Doctors. A small fault in performing the duty vigilantly can cost a lot. Thorough and complete knowledge is essential to deliver proper patient care. It can be made possible only with proper theoretical knowledge backed by practical experience. The courses in Pharmacy will equip the students to deal with the real world scenarios with ease. Completion of the course you give you a lot of opportunities all over the world. Pharmacy courses are never out of demand at any situation. You will find decent job soon after your course completion. All you have to do is to pay attention to knowing and learning new things in the world of Pharma.
The advantages of Pharma courses are multi-dimensional:
- You gain knowledge of medicines/drugs
- You will learn how medicines work, how they are prepared, how they are discovered and extracted from plants or animals, how the dosage of a particular medicine is found and so on.
- It gives you insight on the uses of medicinal plants
- You will have an opportunity to start your career in life sciences industry
- You get license to dispense medicines making you registered Pharmacist
- You will have a broad understanding of how human body reacts to drugs and vice-versa.
- In case of government sectors, you can be a Pharmacist in hospitals, Research Analyst, get into Drug squad in Police department, and be Drug Inspector etc.
- In private sectors, you can be a Pharmacist marketing and selling medicines, work in Pharma & Biotech companies, be a Pharmacist Consultants, get into Food & Drug Industry or be part of Quality Management and Assurance.
- You can become a lecturer.
- You can work as a consultant for drug manufacturers
- You can become a medical representative and give samples to doctors and push certain drugs
- You can work in big companies like Himalaya, Cipla, Biocon, and Ranbaxy in market research, production, sales and marketing.
- You can become an wholesale distributor
- You can become a member of NGO’s working on Free Drug related issues.
Thus the job opportunities for Pharmacy students are unlimited and diverse. Though majority of pharmacists find job in an independent or retail chain pharmaceutical company, many have chosen other opportunities for themselves. Different healthcare sectors for pharmacists include managed care organizations, hospitals, nursing homes, the pharmaceutical industry, colleges and much more. The role of pharmacists is constantly expanding. With the development of many care organizations, pharmacists are assigned duties for reducing hospital readmission rates; they are put in chronic disease management and medication therapy management. Pharmacists are not merely part of the medical care team but also participate in clinics, seeing and counseling patients. A lot of developments are taking place in the field of pharmacy. Pharmacogenomics, Specialty pharmacy, and advancements in the digital sphere like artificial intelligence are all making the future of Pharmacy an exciting one. Biosimilars and other specialty medications are becoming a great part of the pharmaceutical industry. Specialty pharmacies are also flourishing as demand is increasing.
Why join Nehru College of Pharmacy (NCP)?
Deemed as one of the top Pharmacy colleges in Thrissur and Palakkad, Kerala, Nehru College of Pharmacy (accredited by NBA) offers the best Pharmacy courses for aspirants who want to get into the field of Pharma. The institute is among the popular private Pharmacy colleges in Kerala to offer superior quality D.Pharm, B.Pharm, and M.Pharm programs. Our institute has also been among the best and highly sought after Pharmacy school that is advancing the educational tools with the changing technologies to meet the requirements of growing Pharmacy field, thereby making our students excellent Pharma professionals. Our curriculum is designed to give our students strong theoretical foundation coupled with practical knowledge to gain in-depth knowledge so that they are industry ready once they leave the institute. The strong support from our departmental faculties helps our students to gain intricate understanding of the subject. A holistic approach in the academic program makes it easy for them to find job in their field of interest. Many of our students have found the best job that offers them an attractive pay, job satisfaction and excellent work-life balance. So, if you want to set your career on the right track, join Nehru College of Pharmacy and make a difference in your life!
