Pharmacy Courses: Eligibility, Admission, Syllabus, Placements

Surobhi Chatterjee

, Feb 28, 2023

Pharmacy courses introduce aspirants to subjects such as medicine, chemistry, biology and anatomy. During the Pharmacy course duration, students learn about safe and effective use of medicine in the healthcare industry. According to IBEF, India is the largest provider of drugs across the globe. The Indian pharmaceutical industry meets more than half of the global demand for various vaccines, 40% of generic demand in the United States, and 25% of total medicine in the United Kingdom.

There are plenty of Pharmacy courses in India that the students can study. These courses aim to ensure that the students have access to all the vital information they need to build a rewarding and successful career for themselves. There are many benefits of Pharmacy course degree. The most prominent of them is the rewarding and successful career students can build upon completion.

Students planning to pursue a career as a pharmacist can pursue Pharmacy degree courses at the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. B Pharmacy, M Pharmacy, and Diploma in Pharmacy are popular Pharmacy Courses After 12th. 

Table Of Contents:

• Pharmacy Courses List
• Eligibility for Pharmacy Courses
• Admission
• Entrance Exams
• Types of Pharmacy Courses
• Top 10 Pharmacy Courses in Demand
• Syllabus and Subjects
• Top Pharmacy Colleges in India
• Jobs and Salaries
• Scope of Pharmacy in India
• Top Recruiters
• Skills Required

Pharmacy Courses List

The Pharmacy course details can be accessed by the students by visiting the college’s official websites and research about the specific course. The Pharmacy course duration and fees for the students depend on the course that the students choose to apply for. Students can apply for Pharmacy course after 10th and 12th, under graduation or post-graduation based on the Pharmacy course qualification they are applying for.

Given below are different types of Pharmacy courses that the students can pursue:

• Undergraduate Courses
• Postgraduate Courses
• Diploma/PG Diploma Courses
• Certificate Courses
• Doctorate Courses

Undergraduate Pharmacy Courses

Pharmacy course list after 12th is very vast and promising for the students who are interested in pursuing a career in the field of pharmacy. Generally, the duration of a Pharmacy course at an undergraduate level tends to be four years. Some of the Pharmacy courses after 12th include:

• B.Pharma
• B.Pharm (Hons)
• B.Pharm Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• B.Pharm Pharmacognosy
• Bachelor of Ayurvedic Pharmacy
• B.Pharm Pharmaceutics
• B.Pharm + MBA

Postgraduate Pharmacy Courses

There are many Postgraduate Pharmacy courses in India that can be pursued by the students. These courses will enable students to learn about Pharmaceutical sciences in a more indepth manner. Due to the detailed nature of these Pharmacy courses after graduation students are presented with a wide range of career paths. Given below are some of the popular postgraduate courses that the students can enrol in:

• M.Pharm
• M.Pharm Pharmacology
• M.Pharm Pharmaceutics
• M.Pharm Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• M.Pharm Quality Assurance
• M.Pharm Pharmaceutical Analysis
• M.Pharm Pharmacognosy
• M.Sc Pharmacology
• M.Sc Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• M.Pharm Clinical Pharmacy
• M.Pharm Industrial Pharmacy
• M.Pharm Biopharmaceutics
• M.Pharm Biopharmaceutics & Pharmacokinetics
• M.Pharm Biotechnology
• M.Pharm Medicinal Chemistry
• M.Pharm Drug Discovery and Drug Development
• M.Pharm Cosmeceuticals
• M.Pharm Pharmaceutical Market and Management
• MSc Clinical Research and Pharmacovigilance

Diploma/PG Diploma Pharmacy Courses

There are also many diploma courses in Pharmacy that the students can pursue. Pharmacy courses from IGNOU have become popular over the years owing to the demand in the course. Diploma courses tend to be short, career focused courses that help the students enhance their knowledge in the field. Some of the best course in Pharmacy that are diplomas are listed below:

• D.Pharma
• Diploma in Ayurvedic Pharmacy
• Diploma in Pharmaceutical Marketing
• Diploma in Drug Store Management
• Diploma in Clinical Research and Pharmacovigilance
• PG Diploma in Drug Store Management
• PG Diploma in Principles of Clinical Pharmacology
• PG Diploma in Pharmaceutical Management
• PG Diploma in Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance
• PG Diploma in Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• PG Diploma in Herbal Products

Certificate Pharmacy Courses

There are many Pharmacy certificate courses that the students can enrol in. The primary purpose of a certificate course is to help the students gain in-depth knowledge in a specialised field in a short period of time. The certificate courses are often provided by industry relevant employers or educational institutions. Given below are some of the top certificate courses in Pharmacy that the students can take:

• Industry Certificate in Pharma Product Management 
• Industry Certificate in Pharmaceutical Technology Transfer 
• Industry Certificate in Pharmaceutical Packaging 
• Industry Certificate in Pharmaceutical Process Engineering 
• Industry Certificate in Biopharmaceutical Technology 
• Industry Certificate in Pharmacovigilance 
• Industry Certificate in Pharmaceutical Chemistry 
• Industry Certificate in Pharmaceutical Formulation and Entrepreneurship 
• Industry Certificate in Pharma Sales and Marketing Management 
• Professional Certificate In Pharmacovigilance
• Safety and Pharmacovigilance Certificate Program

Doctorate Pharmacy Courses

Students seeking careers in research and education can choose from among the several PhD or Doctorate programmes offered by universities. Doctoral programs are research oriented courses that enable students to learn about the existing research in a field and then further develop in the same field. Some of the popular doctorate courses in Pharmacy are listed below:

• Pharm.D
• Ph.D Pharmacology
• Ph.D Pharmacy
• Ph.D Pharmacognosy
• Ph.D Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
• Ph.D Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• Ph.D Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Ph.D Pharmaceutical Medicine
• Ph.D Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry
• Ph.D Phytopharmacy & Phytomedicine

Eligibility for Pharmacy Courses

The Pharmacy course eligibility depends on the type of course that the students are applying at. Undergraduate courses would put more emphasis on the student’s 10+2 marks whereas, the postgraduate courses would focus on the undergraduate marks. 

Hence for Pharmacy course admission, it is vital that the students research about the eligibility criteria from a reliable source. Almost all Pharmacy courses require students to give entrance examinations to get admitted to top colleges.

• Diploma in Pharmacy: Candidates should have completed class 10+2 with science subjects i.e. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics.
• Bachelor in Pharmacy: Candidates must have passed class 10+2 from a recognized board and studied Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics or Biology, and English subjects.
• Master of Pharmacy: Candidates who have a BPharm degree with minimum qualifying marks as required from a pharmacy college that is approved by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI).
• Doctor of Pharmacy: Candidates must have completed higher education from any recognized board and studied Physics, Chemistry with Mathematics or Biology as optional subjects. Candidates with a diploma in pharmacy degree are also eligible for the PharmD course.

Pharmacy Courses Admission

Pharmacy course admission is possible by both entrance examination and merit-based selection. 

Candidates applying for the Pharmacy degree might have their results from the respective entrance exams boards required by the selected/opted universities. The students can avail themselves of admissions through both online and offline methods.

For the online method, students must enquire at the official website of the colleges they are applying to. For offline means, they would be required to visit the college's admission office in person.

Pharmacy Courses Entrance Exams

When applying for the Pharmacy course, it is vital that the aspirants research about the entrance exams that are conducted. Entrance exams play an important role in the final merit list that is released by the students. These Pharmacy course entrance exams are a screening process through which the colleges can determine if the students would be a right fit for the course.

Given below are some of the top exams that are conducted for admissions to the different Pharmacy courses in India:

• BITSAT
• UPSEE
• MAH CET
• WBJEE
• KCET
• AP EAMCET
• TS EAMCET
• GUJCET
• GITAM GOT
• GCET
• HPCET
• OJEE
• GPAT

Types of Pharmacy Courses (Branches)

Pharmacy is a broad and diverse subject of study, and hence the students have scope to study about a wide range of topics in it. The stream is concerned with medicine, human body, anatomy and physiology and pharmacology. These broad topics are further divided into several branches, that are then divided into disciplines that the students can study in.

Owing to the diversity and flexibility of the branches presented to the students, graduates can expect to earn a good salary upon completing the course.

Below are some of the popular fields under Pharmacy that can help students decide what they want to pursue in their careers.

Ayurveda Pharmacy Courses

There is a lot of scope in Ayurveda for the aspiring pharmacists. These courses can be undertaken by the students at Undergraduate level, postgraduate level and diploma level. Some of the courses that can be pursued by the students are given below:

Homoeopathy Pharmacy Courses

There is a lot of scope in Homoeopathy for the aspiring pharmacists. These courses can be undertaken by the students at Undergraduate level, postgraduate level and diploma level. Some of the courses that can be pursued by the students are given below:

Veterinary Pharmacy Courses

There is a lot of scope in Veterinary Pharmacy for the aspiring pharmacists. These courses can be undertaken by the students at Undergraduate level, postgraduate level and diploma level. Some of the courses that can be pursued by the students are given below:

Clinical Pharmacy Courses

Clinical pharmacy is the branch of pharmacy in which clinical pharmacists provide direct patient care that optimises the use of medication and promotes health, wellness, and disease prevention. Given below are the Clinical Pharmacy Courses that the students can pursue:

Pharmacy Technician Courses

The Pharmacy Technician course is designed to equip students to gain the scope of skills needed for the profession, including, receiving, ordering, and managing inventory; Preparing, dispensing, and compounding medications; Interacting with patients and a variety of health care providers. There is only a diploma course provided in this stream.

Unani Pharmacy Courses

Pharm Unani, short for Bachelor of Pharmacy in Unani, is an undergraduate degree programme focused on Yunani - Greek Medicine. It is the only course available in the stream. This Course duration is 2 years including three months practical training in Unani dispensary/ Hospital/ Pharmacy/ Pharmaceutical Industry.

Top 10 Pharmacy Courses in Demand

Pharmacy courses can be pursued by the students at all levels of education. They can decide to pursue it at Diploma, Certificate, Undergraduate or Postgraduate level. Given below are the top ten Pharmacy courses that are in demand along with their duration.

Pharmacy Course Syllabus and Subjects

The Pharmacy course syllabus is designed to ensure that the students gain all the vital knowledge they need to get to build a rewarding career path for themselves. Although the detailed syllabus of every pharmacy course will vary a bit as they are of different duration and value, they all contain the important Pharmacy course subjects.

The curriculum integrates a variety of management, research and scientific knowledge that will enable the students to learn about concepts in detail.

Given below are some of the generic topics that the students may be taught during their Pharmacy course education:

• Human Anatomy & Physiology
• Pharmaceutics
• Pharmacognosy
• Microbiology
• Hospital Pharmacy
• Immunology
• Electronics & Computer Science
• Mathematics
• Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
• Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Biochemistry
• Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Computational Chemistry

Top Pharmacy Colleges in India

Given below are the top colleges along with their Pharmacy course fees in India:

Pharmacy Course Jobs and Salaries

The Pharmacy course job opportunities in India are very rewarding and promising for the students. There is a high demand for Pharmacists in the country and since the education provided to the students is very industry relevant, the Pharmacy course salary is also very attractive for the aspiring pharmacists.

Listed below are some of the popular job roles along with their average salaries:

Scope of Pharmacy Course in India

The Pharmacy course scope is very attractive and promising in India. With the growing pharma industry in India, pharma students have a number of career options. From hospital pharmacist to community pharmacist and the likes of a drug inspector, there are plenty of options to choose from. 

Pharmacy is a popular career option in India that provides aspirants with the opportunity to work in a wide number of fields including research labs, pharmacy stores, hospitals, armed forces, government hospitals, and pharmaceuticals industries.

Top Recruiters

Pharmacy courses in India provide students with ample job opportunities with a very bright future. Listed below are some of the top recruiters in India.

• Medilife
• AppolloPharmacy
• Wellness Forever
• MAX Pharmacy
• LYF Hospitals
• 3 MG
• PharmEasy
• MedPlus

Skills Required in Pharmacy Courses

Owing to the relevance of the education, the students have access to all the Skills Required in Pharmacy Courses and hence they have a promising scope for themselves.

• Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Management Skills
• Multitasking
• Patient Counselling
• Gaining Knowledge