PHARMACY ADMISSION CRITERIA

Entry qualifications for pharmacy programs vary across and within states, and most significantly, between private and public institutions. Entry requirements also vary depending on the degree program. The majority of privately funded institutions do not have a direct formal application processes. There is no centralized data repository to indicate the number of applicants to private and public institutions in India.

:: D.Pharm Program :: In India, higher secondary study is concluded by a terminal examination, the higher secondary examination, at the end of 12 years. Admission to the first year D.Pharm program in any government college is based on performance on the higher secondary examination. However, private colleges have their own admission procedures that comply with the education regulations of the PCI. Students generally may choose to undertake the D.Pharm program as their second or third choice, having been unable to obtain a place at the college in another degree program that was their first choice. The D.Pharm curriculum is framed through the education regulations of the Pharmacy Act. The present education regulations framed way back in 1991. The curriculum is the same throughout the country.

:: B.Pharm Program :: Admission to the first-year B.Pharm program is made directly from higher secondary school on the basis of marks obtained in the higher secondary examination or on the basis of a merit list rank prepared based on scores on an entrance examination administered by a state or individual institution. Administering an entrance examination as an admissions requirement is used mainly by public institutions. The practice regarding preparing a merit list of applicants also differs. Some states and institutions place emphasis on entrance examination scores and use this as the only criterion in the selection process. Many government institutions adopt a middle ground and use a combination of grades and entrance examination scores in their selection process. In general, applicants who rank lower on the list enter a B.Pharm program. In 2008, more than 35,000 students completed an entrance examination in West Bengal, a northeastern Indian state. The 25,000 students who ranked highest on the list chose to enter engineering programs, while students below this rank selected B.Pharm programs in private institutions.There were reports in 2008 that institutions were having difficulty attracting suitable candidates to fill openings in their pharmacy programs.

:: M.Pharm Program :: The criterion for entry to an M.Pharm program is academic performance in the B.Pharm or an entrance test or both.

GRADUATE PHARMACY APTITUDE TEST (GPAT) is a national level entrance examination for entry into M.Pharm programmes. Till 2018, it was conducted by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) every year as per the directions of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. The Test will now be conducted by the NTA.

This test facilitates institutions to select suitable Pharmacy graduates for admission into the Master's (M.Pharm) program. The GPAT is a three hour computer based online test which is conducted in a single session. The GPAT score is accepted by all AICTE-Approved Institutions/University Departments/Constituent Colleges/Affiliated Colleges. A few scholarships and other financial assistance in the field of Pharmacy are also given on the basis of the GPAT score.

Currently, there is more demand for the M.Pharm program than the availability of places in the country.

:: PharmD Program :: Admission to a PharmD degree program is on the basis of successful completion of the higher secondary examination. Passing the higher secondary examination with physics, chemistry, and biology or mathematics entitles a student to enter the PharmD program. B.Pharm degree holders can join the PharmD program in the fourth year.