COURSES
PHARMACY EDUCATION IN INDIA
Educational programs
In India, formal pharmacy education leading to a degree began with the introduction of a 3-year bachelor of pharmacy (BPharm) at Banaras Hindu University in 1937. In 1948, the Pharmacy Act was enacted as the nation's first minimum standard to regulate the practice, education, and profession of pharmacy. Provisions of the Act are implemented through the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI).
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The Act requires individual states to establish state pharmacy councils that are responsible for controlling and registering pharmacists in their respective states. The demand for pharmacists is further growing with the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in India.
A variety of pharmacy degree programs are offered in India:
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diploma in pharmacy (DPharm), bachelor of pharmacy (BPharm),
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master of pharmacy (MPharm), master of science in pharmacy [MS(Pharm)] and master of technology in pharmacy [MTech (Pharm)],
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doctor of pharmacy (PharmD),
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and doctor of philosophy in pharmacy (PhD).
The entry point, for DPharm, BPharm, and combined PharmD programs is 12 years of formal education in the sciences. Admission to the first year of any degree pharmacy program in any government college is merit based and generally through competitive examinations conducted by respective state either in conjunction with engineering entrance or as a separate exam. Many government institutions may adopt a middle ground and use a combination of grades in higher secondary and entrance examination scores in their selection process. However, private colleges have their own admission procedures that comply with the education regulations of the PCI. The Pharmacy curriculum is framed through the education regulations of the Pharmacy Act.
D.PHARM
B.PHARM
PharmD
M.PHARM
M.S.
MBA
D.PHARM
The DPharm program requires a minimum of 2 years of educational coursework followed by 500 hours of required practical training anticipated to be completed within 3 months in either a hospital or community setting.
The DPharm program was developed and designed to train students to serve as institutional and community pharmacists. Pharmacists with a DPharm degree have the opportunity to join a hospital (government or private) or community pharmacy (mostly private). They are also considered for placements in the pharmaceutical industry.
The BPharm involves 4 years of study in colleges affiliated with universities or in a university department. Followed by 2 months training in industry setting.
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The BPharm program of most of the Indian universities includes a mix of basic science (such as mathematics, physical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and organic chemistry), advanced chemistry and analysis (such as biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, and analytical chemistry) and basic pharmacy (such as pharmaceutics, pharmacology, pharmacognosy, and pharmacy law)’
Now a day’s many institution offer 5 year joint BPharm + MBA program also preparing students to work in business administration field of Pharma industry. Alternatively many students choose to do separate 2 year MBA program in various field like Human Resource, Marketing, Finance etc. after completion of their 4 year B.Pharm program.
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Certification/Diplomas programs like Drug Regulatory affair and clinical trials can also be done after B.Pharm or at some places with B.Pharm to enhance chances of job in Pharma companies.
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The vast majority of pharmacists with a BPharm degree normally seek positions (such as production, quality control, and marketing) with the thriving pharmaceutical industries in which services are well defined and industrial pharmacists are well remunerated. They also have the opportunity to be appointed to drug regulatory agencies or quality control laboratories by the state or central government.
After B.Pharm graduates can pursue MBA from reputed institute to get management Jobs in Heath Care and Pharmaceutical Industry. Some universities offer pharma management courses also. If MBA Institute is reputed you will get good package.
You can even pursue LLB (eg. from National Law University) after D.Pharma/ B.Pharma. to become lawyer and specialize in pharmaceutical jurisprudence, intellectual property law, patents, etc.
The MPharm degree program requires an additional 2 years of study after a BPharm degree (a total of 6 years of pharmacy study). M.Pharm can be persued in many pharmaceutical discipline, for instance pharmaceutics, pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, or pharmacognosy. Recently, MPharm programs on industrial pharmacy, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, and pharmaceutical biotechnology have also been introduced.
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The criterion for entry to an MPharm program is academic performance in the BPharm or an entrance test or both. Currently, there is more demand for the MPharm program in the country. An important criterion, Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) conducted by AICTE annually and a GPAT score, qualifies a student to receive government scholarship during the period of their MPharm study. This criterion is optional for admission to the first-year MPharm program. However, many public institutions require both past academic performance and GPAT score for application to the MPharm program.
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The curriculum is divided into 2 parts. The first part consists of 1 year of didactic course work (both theory and laboratory) and the second part involves completing a research project under the supervision of a pharmacy faculty member in a chosen discipline. Students who pursue an MPharm in industrial pharmacy may undertake research projects in pharmaceutical industries during their second year of the curriculum. An industrial expert is responsible for part of the research, serving as the student's co-supervisor.
There are 6 National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) 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 MPharm degree in any discipline can work toward a PhD with an additional minimum approx. 3 years of study and research.
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An MPharm degree in pharmacy practice/clinical pharmacy was started in 1996 with the aim of training the postgraduate pharmacy students in patient-oriented service. Students of such MPharm programs undertake their second-year research projects in either a hospital or community setting.
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Many MPharm graduates entering the pharmaceutical industry choose positions in areas such as research, formulation development, and clinical trials. Additionally, they have the opportunity to work in the academic area, typically as researchers or faculty members.
Those who are interested in doing job in pharmaceutical companies in foreign countries can pursue Master of Science in pharmacy and related MS degrees from foreign universities. NIPER in India also provide MS Pharm Course. In India scope of MS Pharm is similar to M. Pharm.
The PharmD (post-baccalaureate) program is a 3-year program while the PharmD program constitutes 6 years of full-time study. In 2008, the 6-year PharmD and 3-year post-baccalaureate PharmD began to be offered as professional degree programs in India focused mainly toward clinical and community aspects of the profession and mandatory practical training at practice sites.
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The PharmD program is comprised of 6 academic years, with 5 years of study and 1 year of internship and residency at a practice site. Six months of the internship and residency are spent in a general medicine department and 2 months each in 3 other specialty departments.
PhD
PhD is another option for a bright career in Pharmacy which can be pursued after M.Pharm (Post Graduation). Pharmacists with a PhD mainly work in academia (as lecturers) and in the research and development section of pharmaceutical industries.
Below is list of Indian institutes offering Intellectual Property Right (IPR) and Drug/Pharma Regulatory Affairs (DRA/PRA) courses -
Institute Offering IPR Courses in India
Government Institute
1. Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Intellectual Property Management, Nagpur
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2. Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, IIT, Kharagpur
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3. NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
PG Diploma in Patent Law
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4. IGNOU, Delhi
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5. National Law University, Jodhpur
Masters in Intellectual Property and Management (Distance mode)
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6. Government Law College, Mumbai
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7. Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Varanasi-
PG Diploma in IPR
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8. Osmania University, Hyderabad
Private & Deemed University
1. Institute of Intellectual Property Studies (IIPS), NMIMS University
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2. Indian Law Institute, Deemed University, New Delhi
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3. Jindal Global University
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4. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
Online Certificate Course on Intellectual Property(IP).
Online Certificate Course on Competition Law & Intellectual Property Rights (IPComp)
Online Certificate Course on IPR and Pharmaceutical R&D (CCIPR)
Private Institutions
1. Bioinformatics Institute of India
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2. Global Institute of Intellectual Property (GIIP), Delhi
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3. Indian Institute of Patent and Trademark, Delhi
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4. WIPO
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5. Institute Of Intellectual Property Research and Development Noida, Pune, California
Patent Portfolio Creation and Management (Six Months Certificate Course)
Regulatory Affairs Courses offered by various Institutions in India
Government Institution offering Master degree in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs in India
1. Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak-Haryana
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
M.Pharma (Drug Regulatory Affairs)
Approved by UGC and PCI
For more detail: Click Here
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2. Saurashtra University Rajkot
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
M.Pharma (Drug Regulatory Affairs)
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3. Ch. Bansilal University, Bhiwani
M.Pharma (Drug Regulatory Affairs)
Deemed Universities offering Master degree in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs in India
1. Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi
Approved by PCI and AICTE
M. Pharmacy (Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs)
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2. Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune
M.Pharma (Drug Regulatory Affairs)
Private Institutions offering Master degree in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs in India
1. JSS college of Pharmacy-Mysore- JSS University
Approved by PCI and AICTE
M. Pharmacy (Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs)
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2. Manipal University Manipal, Karnataka
M.Pharm (Drug Regulatory Affairs)
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3. Apeejay Satya University, Gurgaon
M.Pharm (Drug Regulatory Affairs)
4. Amity University
M. Pharm – Drug Regulatory Affairs
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5. Lovely Professional University
M. Pharm – Regulatory Affairs
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6. Lachoo Memorial College of Science and Technology (Pharmacy), Jodhpur
M. Pharm. (Pharmaceutical Management and Regulatory Affairs)
Approved by PCI and AICTE
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7. Charotar University of Science and Technology,Anand, Gujarat
M.Pharm (Drug Regulatory Affairs)
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8. Jaipur National University, Jaipur
M.Pharm (Drug Regulatory Affairs)
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9. AKS University, Satna
M.Pharm (Drug Regulatory Affairs)
M.Pharm (Pharmaceutical Management & Regulatory Affairs)
10. Sree Dattha Institute of Pharmacy, Ibrahimpatnam , R.R District. Andhra Pradesh
Approved by PCI and AICTE
M. Pharmacy (Pharmaceutical Management and Regulatory Affairs)
Institute offering Diploma Courses in Regulatory Affairs
1. Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi
Deemed University, Accredited by NAAC in ‘A’ grade
PG Diploma in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs
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2. Bioinformatics Institute of India (BII), Noida
Industry Program in Pharma Regulatory Affairs
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3. Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (IPER), Pune
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4. Global Institute of Regulatory Affairs (GIRA), Pune
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5. Institute of Pharmaceutical Management, Mumbai