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Pharmacy

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What is Pharmacy - Pharmacy is the art of preparing/ manufacturing medicinal drugs, or a place where such drugs are sold.

What is Pharmacist - A person licensed to prepare, compound, and dispense drugs upon written order from a licensed practitioner such as a physician and dentist. A pharmacist is a health care professional who cooperates with, consults with, and sometimes advises the licensed practitioner concerning drugs.

What is Pharmacology - Pharmacology is the scientific study of drugs. Pharmacology analyzes the breakdown and synthesis, biological activity, biological effects, and delivery of drugs in living system.

Difference between Pharmacy and Pharmacology - This is a critical question to get clear in your mind, because Pharmacology and Pharmacy lead to quite different careers.

  • Pharmacy - is a quite different area of study involving the scientific, legal and managerial aspects of dispensing medicines. A person who involved in to this profession is called as Pharmacists.
    • The main responsibility of the pharmacist is to provide safe and effective use of medication for the patient. Pharmacists require a license in order to practice.
  • Pharmacology - is the scientific study of drugs and how they work in the body. A person who involved in this profession is called Pharmacologist.
    • A degree in pharmacology does not qualify you to practice pharmacy

In simple term we can differentiate as, pharmacists deal with end products whereas pharmacologists deal with research.

Details of Pharmacy/ Pharmacists

  • Pharmacy is the art and science of preparing and dispensing drugs and medicines. It also refers to a retail shop where medicine and other articles are sold, which is a limited definition of the term
  • Pharmacists are health professionals and experts in medicines and their use.  Pharmacists have a unique knowledge of medicines from manufacture to their use in patients, spanning discovery, synthesis, formulation, manufacturing, quality assurance, distribution, therapeutics, and monitoring
  • They must understand the composition of medicines, as well as the laws that regulate their manufacture and sale.
  • Pharmacists can also engage in research concerning the synthesis of new drugs, clinical testing of the effects of such drugs on animals and humans after obtaining the required license from the drug control authorities.
  • Different Types of Pharmacists
    • Academic Pharmacists - Academic pharmacists teach and do research in colleges and schools of pharmacy
    • Ambulatory Pharmacist - They use to work mainly in rural areas
    • Clinical Pharmacist - providing drug information as well as monitoring drug interactions and drug therapy
    • Retail Pharmacists - Retail pharmacists advise customers about prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and their possible side effects and interactions
    • Hospital Pharmacists - Hospital pharmacists work in hospitals, clinics, or nursing homes and advise the medical staff on the selection and effect of drugs. They may perform administrative duties, teach in schools of nursing, and work in patient care areas as members of a medical team
    • Industrial Pharmacists - advance in marketing, sales, research, quality control, production, packaging, or other areas.
    • Research Pharmacists - Research pharmacists, who may work in hospitals, universities or drug companies, developing new drugs and studying the side effects of drugs.
Duties / roles and responsibilities of Pharmacist
  • Compounding refers to the process of mixing ingredients by hand to create medication. This is usually done by a machine or a pharmaceutical company, but pharmacists will be expected to compound medications from time to time.
  • Pharmacists dispense drugs and medicines prescribed by physicians and health practitioners
  • Pharmacists communicate directly with physicians in order to correctly deliver medications.
  • Many pharmacists consult patients on over the counter medications and provide information on home health care supplies and various other health care products.
  • Pharmacists also keep computerized and often detailed records of patient drug use and medical profiles
  • Pharmacists are the experts on medicines and are able to offer advice about minor ailments, such as coughs, colds, cold sores and general aches and pains.
  • Pharmacist can provide specialized services according to the specific area they are specialized. Some pharmacists specialize in psychiatric disorders, intravenous nutrition support, oncology, nuclear pharmacy, and pharmacotherapy

Personal competencies/ skill required for Pharmacist

  • In order to be a successful pharmacist, one must have a liking for science particularly life sciences and medicine. An ability to put hard work, strong logical thinking, patience, a sense of responsibility, patient counseling skills are some of the qualities needed for pharmacist.
  • Strong analytical abilities and strong academic foundations are needed in the field of research. To be a successful medical representative, one need to have good communication skills and a flair for convincing people, Retail pharmacists need to have business skills together with good product knowledge.

Scope/opportunity/ career in Pharmacist

  • India has a vast and growing pharmaceutical industry. Increasing number of hospitals, nursing homes and pharmaceuticals companies all over the country is a clear indication of the growing scope in this area.
  • Pharmacy offers reasonably good career opportunities both by way of jobs as well as in terms of starting your own business.
  • The job avenues for a pharmacist are with pharmaceutical industry, regulatory department, universities and colleges, hospitals, investigation and research institute etc.
  • Within the pharmaceutical industry you might be involved in activities relating to the development, formulation, production or marketing of new drugs for clinical use.
  • As a Medical Representative he keeps the medical practitioner informed about the new drugs and treatments developed by various pharmaceutical companies and thus indirectly promote their sales.
  • Pharmacists are hired in central and state government departments- the Health Protection Branch of the Department of Health and Welfare, the Pest Control Division of Agriculture, the Department of National Defense, Provincial Research Councils, and the Provincial Departments of Agriculture or the Environment.
  • There are employment opportunities within the food and cosmetic industries or within any other industry that requires the assurance that new products are as safe and effective as possible.
  • Diploma or degree holder in Pharmacy, after registering with the State Pharmacy Council, can set up and run their own pharmacy or chemists and druggists shop to stock and sell medicines and dispense them according to doctor’s prescriptions.

Course

Pharmacy typically has Bachelor's Science degrees/ Bachelor degree in Allied Medical Science Courses.

Duration -3 to 4yrs
Eligibility - +2 Pass with Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Bio-Technology/ natural Sciences

The main courses in Pharmacy are the 2 years Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm), 4 years Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm), 2 years Master of Pharmacy (M.Pharm) and Ph.d programmes. At Bachelor level there is no specialization. At the masters level (M Pharm) specialization is available in Pharmaceutics, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Engineering etc. And after M.Pharm candidates can go for Ph.d programme in Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Pharmaceutical Marketing & Management.

Under Graduate

  • B.Pharm Quality Assurance
  • B. Pharm – Bachelor of Pharmacy
  • B. Sc Pharmaceutical Technology

Postgraduate

  • M. Sc Pharmacology
  • M. Sc Medical Pharmacology
  • M. Sc Pharmaceutical Chemistry
  • MD Pharmacology
  • M. Pharm (Pharmacology)
  • M. Pharm (Pharmacognosy)
  • M. Pharm (Pharmaceutical Technology)
  • M. Pharm (Pharmaceutical Chemistry)
  • M. Pharm (Pharmaceutical Biotechnology)
  • M. Pharm (Phytochemistry)
  • M. Pharm (Herbal Drug Technology)
  • Ph.D. Pharmacy
  • Ph.D in Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance

Diploma

  • Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm).
  • Diploma in Pharmacy (Unani)- D.Pharm (Unani).
  • Diploma in Vet.Pharmacy (D.V.P.)
  • Diploma in Ayurvedic Pharmacy (DAP)
  • Drug Store Management Course
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Trial Management
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Trial Management
  • P.G. Diploma in Chemical Analysis and Quality Assurance
  • Integrated Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research and Pharmacovigilance

Certificate Course

Colleges

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