12,May 2020
Best career option after Completing D. Pharm in India
Birla Institute of Technology
Ranchi
JSS College of Pharmacy
Mysore
Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya-Sagar
Madhya Pradesh
University College of Pharmaceutical Science, Kakatiya University
Warangal
Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research
New Delhi
Bombay College of Pharmacy
Mumbai
Eligibility criteria:
10+2 passed with Science stream subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Mathematics) from a recognized board is the minimum educational qualification required (in some institutes, PCB subjects are mandatory). Minimum aggregate marks required may vary from one institute to another. It could be anywhere between 45-60% marks (in main science subjects).
Read Also : B. Pharma Course Details
After completion of the course, successful candidates will get Diploma certificate from the University/Institute. Candidates are trained in all the basic concepts of pharmaceutical science like: Dispensing and compounding of medicines, accurate record keeping as required under Food and Drug Act, accurate and safe processing of prescriptions, pharmacy software practice, third-party billing, inventory control, Purchasing, Merchandising and Inventory control, Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence (laws regulating the profession of pharmacy), Computer processing, Patient provider relationships, verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills etc. so they must be accurate in their work, diplomatic in their attitude and should have the ability to multitask. D.Pharm candidates should also be well-versed in industry ethics as well
CAREER/JOB AFTER D PHARMA
India is a big country by population of around 130 crore, and there is huge requirement of medicines. Due to the opening of many large and multinational pharmaceutical companies, the future in the field of pharmacy is too bright. Therefore career, scope and job opportunities in Pharmacy field are huge. Diverse job opportunities are available for D.Pharm candidates. Government and private sector job opportunities are available for them.
One can work in chemist shops or retail stores of medicines. After registering with the State Pharmacy Council, D. Pharm certificate holders may even start their own private drug store or chemist shop and sell medicines as per doctor’s prescription. To thrive in such a venture, one must have access to decent financial resources and entrepreneurship skills. He can start his own wholesale business or open his own surgical items shop. D. Pharm candidates may start practicing as pharmacists in India. Pharmacist can practice in community pharmacies, where he can choose to become a community pharmacist after the completion of the course. His job will be to distribute and dispense medicines. He will be working under ethical and legal guidelines while ensuring that safe and correct medicines are supplied to the general public. As a community pharmacist, he will be facing the customers directly while giving them advice and information about their general health. He will be selling OTC and prescription medicines to patients and inform them about the use and dosage.
Apart from Community pharmacies D.Pharm candidates can work in hospitals, clinics, extended care facilities, psychiatric hospitals, and regulatory agencies. They may work at drug stores in Government hospitals, private hospitals or private drug stores. In such a work setup, they usually check prescriptions (made by the Doctor), dispense drugs to patients, give them advice & directions, keep stock of drugs in storage, keep accounts and maintain the inventory.
Pharmaceutical companies are also known to hire D Pharm candidates. In this sector, they may work at various divisions like- manufacturing, process control, quality control and marketing. Talking about marketing sector, one may work for firms involved in pharmaceutical products marketing. Sales and marketing job is a big sector where pharmaceutical companies hire maximum number of Pharmacist, where the pharmacist works as a Medical representative. The number of jobs available in the sales and marketing sector are plenty. The salary structure is also decent. More importantly, on good performances, the incentives are really lucrative. The job is challenging of course, but rewarding as well. They have to travel a lot, and they do get chances to travel to new places in India and abroad. The pressure of achieving targets is obviously there, but, more often than not, the targets are pretty achievable. D.Pharm candidate can also get the franchisees of top medicine supplier such as APOLLO Pharmacy, Guardian Pharmacy etc.
Other than working right after completing D Pharm course, one may also go for further studies (B Pharm, Pharm D, M. Pharm. etc). In case he has already done D.Pharm he can directly apply for 2nd year of B. Pharm. Thereafter, he can also pursue postgraduate degrees. After completing Master’s level course, one may take up the job of a lecturer/tutor/instructor at relevant pharmacy college, institutes or university. Completing advanced course like PhD will help one build a career in the R&D (Research and Development) sector associated with the field of pharmacy. Another interesting future for your career can be degree in Law after D. Pharm. Many pharmaceutical companies hire Litigation and IPR (Intellectual property) lawyers. In general there are various post available for Pharmacist in India. Indian Pharmacist can work in various departments as Consultant Pharmacists, Clinical Pharmacist, Dispensary Manager, Dispensary Pharmacist, Community Pharmacist, Hospital Pharmacist, Medicines Safety Manager, Medicines Management Technician, Pharmacy Assistant, Senior Clinical Pharmacists and so on.
Salary :- The pay package depends upon the qualification and experience of the candidate. In India, the starting salary of a D. Pharm candidate ranges from range from Rs. 15000/- to Rs. 25,000 a month, but a lot also depends upon your merit, interpersonal skills, profile of the employer, your job profile and job location. Those, owning their own medicine shop will be able to make more.
Author
Dr. Khursheed Alam
(Professor)