PHARMACY PROGRAMS

A variety of pharmacy degree programs are offered in India:

• Diploma in pharmacy (D.Pharm),

• Bachelor of pharmacy (B.Pharm),

• Master of pharmacy (M.Pharm),

• Master of science in pharmacy [MS(Pharm)],

• Master of technology in pharmacy [M.Tech (Pharm)],

• Doctor of pharmacy (PharmD), &

• Doctor of philosophy in pharmacy (Ph.D).

📢The entry point, for D.Pharm, B.Pharm, and PharmD programs is 12 years of formal education in the sciences.

📢The D.Pharm program requires a minimum of 2 years of didactic coursework followed by 500 hours of required practical training anticipated to be completed within 3 months in either a hospital or community setting.

📢The B.Pharm involves 4 years of study in colleges affiliated with universities or in a university department.

📢Students holding a B.Pharm degree can earn an M.Pharm degree in 2 years, of which the second year is devoted to research leading to a dissertation in any pharmaceutical discipline, for instance pharmaceutics, pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, or pharmacognosy.

Recently, M.Pharm programs on industrial pharmacy, quality assurance, and pharmaceutical biotechnology have been introduced. To train the graduate pharmacist to provide clinical-oriented services, the M.Pharm program in pharmacy practice was introduced at Jagadguru Sri Shivaratreeswara (JSS) College of pharmacy at Mysore in 1996 and at Ooty in 1997.There are 6 National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) in India offering MS (Pharm), MTech (Pharm), and higher-level degrees. The NIPERs were created with the vision of providing excellence in pharmacy and pharmacy-related education.

📢Students with an M.Pharm degree in any discipline can work toward a Ph.D with an additional minimum 3 years of study and research.

📢The PharmD program constitutes 6 years of full-time study. The PharmD (post-baccalaureate) program is a 3-year program. The PharmD program was introduced in 2008 with the aim of producing pharmacists who had undergone extensive training in practice sites and could provide pharmaceutical care to patients.