Career as a Pharmacist: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Eligibility, Top Colleges, Job Profile, Salary, Scope 2023

Types of Pharmacist

There are different types of pharmacists depending on their nature of work and the sector in which they are working. There are some pharmacists who work with patients, some work as a technician and some work in medicine manufacturing units and so on. So, depending on the profession there are different types of Pharmacists. Some of them are:

• Community Pharmacists: Community Pharmacists works in retail stores and provides medication to the patients and also prescribes them the required medicines.
• Clinical Pharmacists: Clinical Pharmacists are those who work in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. They are involved in patient care by recommending medications and oversee the dosage and timing of delivery of those medicines.
• Consultant Pharmacists: Consultant Pharmacists advise healthcare and insurance facilities on the usage of patient’s medication or to improve the pharmacy services.
• Pharmaceutical Industry Pharmacists: Pharmaceutical Industry Pharmacists work in marketing sales, or research and development fields, they are involved in designing drugs under safety regulations and ensure the quality control for drugs as well.

How to Become a Pharmacist in India

To become a Pharmacist, one has to prepare themselves mentally first and prepare according. As the first step towards preparation starts from schooling, it needs careful attention towards the subject selection which is done after 10th grade.

• School Level Preparation: School level Preparation initially involves the mentally that one has to take Science Stream along with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as the main subjects. And for that they need to score sufficient marks in their board exam, only then they will be able to get that stream. After that one should focus on the topics that are studied in 11th and 12th because they create the basic structure to our understanding.

How to Become a Pharmacist after 12th

Becoming a Pharmacist after 12th, the first thing it is mandatory to have Science with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as the main subjects. Only then the students can go for UG preparation for pharmacy.

• UG Preparation: After 12th, students need to get admission in a college where pharmacy courses like B.Pharma are provided with all facilities in terms of training, internships, infrastructural needs, etc. for this they may undergo entrance exam as there are colleges/universities which conduct entrance exam for UG courses. Preparations of those entrances are purely based on the content that they have studied in their 11th and 12th grade. After that, while doing their UG they can look for different internships and training in Pharmaceutical companies so that they can get an idea of the actual working reality of the outside world. Concepts studied during graduation should be clear based on that only they can apply for higher studies or for any job in the healthcare industry.
• PG Preparation: After completing graduation, based on their graduation result they can apply for a master’s in any university. Masters admission is based on entrance and the preparation of it purely depends on the concepts studied in graduation. Masters provide an additional benefit towards the career of Pharmacy. Later based on their theoretical and practical knowledge, they can apply to different pharmaceutical companies in the healthcare industries. Also Check: B Pharmacy Jobs in Indian Army

Pharmacy Courses

There are different courses available to become a pharmacist in a different field. The courses start with graduation level and end with doctorate level. Some of the courses are mentioned below:

Bachelor of Pharmacy in Pharmaceutics 

B. Pharm in Pharmaceutics is a 4- year full undergraduate course that involves the knowledge of biochemical sciences and the healthcare business. It covers the aspects of designing, creation, distribution, and clinical use of drugs for the treatment of infectious disease and prevention activities. It involves subjects like Organic chemistry, Mathematics, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Engineering, Physical Pharmacy, and so on.

B. Pharm Admission Process: The admission process to the B. Pharm Pharmaceutics course is based on both Merit and on Entrance tests conducted by the institutions. Entrance exams like GPAT, WBJEE, and IPU CET are conducted by different institutions to provide admission in this course. Admission based on the Merit list generated by the institution based on the 12th-grade marks.

B.Pharm Pharmaceutics Entrance Exam: As mentioned above, that admission is done through the Entrance Exam. Details of some of the exams are tabulated below:

ligibility Criteria for B. Pharma Entrance Exam

• Completion of 10th and 12th grade with science stream from a recognized institution.
• Minimum aggregate marks of 50% (45% for SC/ST candidates) at 12th level.
• Minimum age of the candidate should be 18 years of age.

See: B Pharmacy Jobs

B.Pharm in Ayurveda

Bachelor of Pharmacy in Ayurveda is a 4-year full-time undergraduate course. It focuses on the Ayurvedic formulations, the Ayurvedic manufacturing process, and the study o raw materials in the manufacturing of Ayurvedic medicines. 

The courses consist of subjects like Pharmaceutical analysis, Pharmaceutical Biology, Introduction to Sanskrit, Pathophysiology, Pharmaceutical Engineering, and Physical Pharmacy, and so on. The course provides sufficient knowledge to an individual to join different job profiles as Medical Officers, Pharmacist, Ayurvedic Specialist, etc.

B.Pharm in Ayurveda Admission Process: Admission to B.Pharma in Ayurvedic is provided through both Direct Admission and Entrance Based Admission. The admission process is available through both online and offline modes. Entrance exams like GPAT, LPUNEST, and BITSAT are conducted annually at the state or national level to provide admission in Pharmacy courses.

B.Pharma in Ayurveda Entrance Exam: Admission to B.Pharma in Ayurveda through the Entrance exam is one of the ways for admission. Details of some of the entrances are tabulated below:

Eligibility criteria for B.Pharma in Ayurveda Entrance Exam

Candidates must have a science stream with subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics or Biology from a recognized institution.

• Must have an aggregate mark of 55% in 12th for general category students and 5% relaxation for reserved category students.

M.Pharm Pharmaceutics 

Masters of Pharmacy in Pharmaceutics is a 2-year full-time postgraduate course. It focuses on the knowledge of preparing medicines, treating patients, advising patients in terms of their medications, side effects, dosage, etc. 

The course consists of subjects like Modern Pharmaceutical Analytical Techniques, Drug Delivery, Regulatory Affairs, Modern Pharmaceutics, Molecular Pharmaceutics, Advanced Biopharmaceutics, Cosmetic and Cosmeceuticals. After completing this, one can get into different job profiles like Professor, Research, and Quality Controller, etc.

M.Pharm Pharmaceutics Admission Process: Admission to M.Pharm in Pharmaceutics is provided mainly Entrance Based and a few institutions done on the basis of Merit as well. Entrance exams like GPAT, NIPER JEE, GUGET, and MET are conducted annually at the state or national level to provide admission in Master courses of Pharmacy.

M.Pharm Pharmaceutics Entrance Exam: Admission to M.Pharm Pharmaceutics through the Entrance exam is one of the ways for admission. Details of some of the entrances are tabulated below:

Eligibility criteria for M.Pharm Pharmaceutics Entrance Exam

• Candidates must have a B.Pharm from a recognized university.
• Must have an aggregate mark of 55% (for general category students and 5% relaxation to reserved category students) in an undergraduate course.
• Apply for the entrance exam for masters.

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics is a doctorate course that involves a research and inquiry approach towards drug activity and drug dispositions. Students after completing the course of Ph.D. are eligible to perform tests on biochemical and physiological procedures. 

They learn about the in-vitro system and its precautionary steps while working in that condition. Subjects which are covered under this course include Pharmaceutics, Physiology, and Human Anatomy, Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry of Medicine, Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Biology/ Remedial Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Pathophysiology, and so on.

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics Admission Process: Admission to Ph.D. courses is through the entrance examination conducted by the University, followed by a personal interview. After clearing the entrance examination, students will be called for counseling and with this, the admission process followed.

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics Entrance Exam: Admission to Ph.D. Pharmaceutics is through an Entrance exam. Details of some of the entrances are tabulated below:

Eligibility criteria for Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics

• Candidates must have a complete Master’s degree in Pharmaceutics or in any equivalent subject related to Pharmaceutics.
• Candidates must have a minimum aggregate mark of 55% of marks in their Masters from a recognized university.
•  They need to qualify according to the set cut-off marks in the entrance examination.
• After clearing the entrance examination, the candidate needs to undergo a personal interview test as conducted by the institution.

How to Become a Pharmacist in Abroad

There are various countries like the USA, UK, Australia and Canada and so on which provide opportunities to become a Pharmacist in these countries. Different procedures are followed in terms of entrance exam to be passed, internship period, and others as well. Some of the crucial information for some of the countries is mentioned below:

How to Become Pharmacist in UK 

Pharmacy courses in the UK ensure that the student will learn expertise in medicines and their manufacturing. They ensure knowledge and understanding of the chemistry and pharmacology of medicines and other related materials like Biology, pathology, and so on.

• Educational requirements – In the UK Pharmacy degree is known as M.Pharm which is 4 years of University education. This is providing them a Masters’s degree, which is assured by the university and also by the General Pharmaceutical Council. Students have a strong background in Chemistry, Biology, and Calculation and must have work experience in the pharmacy.
• Other Requirements - To be registered as a Pharmacist in the UK, one has to get a Masters of Pharmacy degree and then under 52 weeks of supervised pre-registration training in clinical practice. After getting the training, they need to take the national registration exam conducted by the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Find Out: How to Become Pharmacist Abroad

Top Pharmaceutical Courses Offered in UK 

How to Become Pharmacist in US

The US provides an ample amount of pharmacy courses under different degrees of Graduation, Masters, and Doctorate with different specializations. They also ensure to provide graduates who are capable to become future pharmacists and therefore conduct different examinations to check.

• Educational requirements – Candidate needs to have a Graduation or Masters degree in Pharmacy which has to be approved by the pharmacy program in US home jurisdiction. Must have a valid license and fluency in English.
• Other Requirements – candidates need to get the certificate of FPGEE ( Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination) by the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee and an English Proficiency test ( Test of English as a Foreign Language or TOEFL) after that they need to complete the internship hours. 

Each state has a different number of intern hours but generally, it is between 500 hours to 1,500 hours. Some of the pharmacy school has an integrated application of providing clinical rotations or experiential learning program.

Lastly, they need to pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination to get a permit to practice in the United States.

Benefits of Career as a Pharmacist

Some of the key benefits of working as a Pharmacist are listed below for your reference,

• Salary – Salary in Pharmacy depends on the post, the degree one has and the institutions under which one is working. Like after Pharmacy Certificate, Diploma and Graduation course in Pharmacy, the average salary will be around INR 2 Lakhs to INR 5 Lakhs per annum. And after Master and Ph.D. courses in Pharmacy, the average salary will be around INR 4 Lakhs to INR 8 Lakhs per annum.
• Job Security – After completing the pharmacy courses like after graduation or master’s, one can get a different job profile of Medical Writer, Drug Safety Associates, Clinical Research Associate, Pharmacist, etc. Security purely depends on the organization under which one is working like under government sectors job security is there but in some of the private sector, job security is a question.
• Positive Impact of the career – As the job profile is based on a strong science background. It has several positive impacts as it helps to learn the working style of manufacturing industries, pharmaceutical experience in different industries. Handsome job salary with security.
• Higher Studies (if possible) – The scope of Higher studies depends on the course one has done before getting the job. Like if some has done a graduation or master’s course, they can go for Ph.D. in the research field. Or can look for different internships or training periods in different recruiters.
• Unique Experience – Unique Experience is provided in terms of healthcare facilities, knowledge of medicines and nutritive advice, work experience under trained pharmacists,, and so on.

Skills Required for Pharmacist

A career as a Pharmacist requires certain skills besides being aware of the theoretical and practical understanding. The skills help to work efficiently in different scenarios and conditions in the healthcare industry. Some of the skills are mentioned below:

Salary of Pharmacist in India

The salary of Pharmacists in India varies depending on several factors. It varies depending on the type of organizations, work experience, specializations, and sometimes also based on gender difference. Some of the difference in Salary is mentioned below:

Average Annual Salary 

Specialisation Wise 

Experience Wise

Career After Becoming a Pharmacist

There are different courses and options available after a Pharmacy job. It depends on the qualification that one has and on their capacity as well.

• Higher Education: If a person gets a job after graduation then after their job, they can go to complete their higher studies as from M.Pharma and for Ph.D. these two degrees enhance their opportunities to get the next job with a higher salary package. Higher education always helps to increase the qualification and a better chance of getting a higher post. Otherwise one can go for Diploma and PG Diploma courses of Pharmacy, as well as these, are short-term courses.
• Start Job: During Graduation or Masters, one can go for internships in different companies as in Piramal Enterprises, Alkem Lab, Cadila Health, and Torrent Pharma, and so on. The internship will help them to enhance their experience in the real pharmaceutical world and will make them understand the do’s and don’ts that one has to follow.  Otherwise one can directly go for a job in different job profiles like as Hospital Pharmacists, Drug Inspector, Administrative Officer, Clinical Research Associate, and so on.