Pharmacy Education in India

Pharmacy Education is presently one of the top choices opted by students across the country. Various universities and colleges of India offer D.Pharma, B.Pharma, M.Pharma and other courses in this field.
Through various entrance exams for Pharmacy after class 12th, students can get admission into Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharma) and Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharma) programs offered by the Government and Private colleges in India.

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) conducts the Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) for admission to post graduate (PG) programs. In fact, on the basis of the GPAT score, the candidates can also receive scholarships and financial help in pursuing the pharmacy courses.

Candidates can further opt to choose specializations at the PG and doctoral level courses. Candidates can choose any of the specializations like Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, etc. Students looking for admission in pharmacy courses are required to clear the national, state or university level examinations organized by the respective authorities.

The beginning of pharmaceutical education in India was initiated at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1932 by Professor M. L. Schroff. From there it has been a long journey of almost 80 years for this profession in this country. The enactment of the Pharmacy Act 1948 established the statutory regulation of pharmacy institutions in India.

Pharmacy Programmes in India

A variety of pharmacy degree programs are offered in India: Diploma in Pharmacy (DPharm), Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm), Master of Pharmacy (MPharm), Master of Science in Pharmacy MS(Pharm) and Master of Technology in Pharmacy MTech (Pharm), Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), and Doctor of philosophy in Pharmacy (PhD).

The entry point, for DPharm, BPharm, and PharmD programs is 12 years of formal education in the sciences. The DPharm 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 BPharm involves 4 years of study in colleges affiliated with universities or in a university department. Students holding a BPharm degree can earn an MPharm 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.

Admission Criteria for Pharmacy Programs in India

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.

Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT), BITS Higher Degree M-Pharma, are two of the prominent national level entrance exams conducted for admission to pharmacy programs.

DPharm Program: Students who have passed Class 12th Examination with Science Subjects can join this program. Generally entrance examination is conducted and merit list is declared for the final selection.

BPharm Program: Admission to the first-year BPharm 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.

MPharm Program: The criterion for entry to an MPharm program is academic performance in the BPharm or an entrance test or both.

PharmD Program: Admission to a PharmD degree program is on the basis of successful completion of the higher secondary examination or the D.Pharm program.

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