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A pharmacist is a person who is a health professional, who has done studies in medicines/drugs. They are also known as chemists or druggists. A pharmacist should know all the chemical properties, interactions, composition, and use of proper medication of medicine. He is the person responsible for providing proper and correct medicine prescribed by the doctor to the patient. Moreover, he should know the medicine’s side effects, benefits, drug use, and minimal reactions.
Some of the most popular courses to become a pharmacist include BPharmacy, MPharm or Pharm D. Apart from these students can also pursue undergarduate and postgraduate Pharmacy Courses. Candidates aspiring to become a Pharmacist should have a minimum undergraduate or diploma degree. There are pharmacy courses that start with a diploma and go all the way to a doctorate. Read More: Role of a Pharmacist
The average annual salary of a Pharmacist usually ranges between INR 3.50 L – 5 L. Some of the career prospects in the pharmacy field are pharmacist, pharmacy assistant, pharmacy technician, medical representative (MR), pharmacy lab doctor, etc. Read More: Salary of a Pharmacist
Minimum Qualification for Pharmacists
There are various courses offered to a person to achieve the title of pharmacist or chemist. The courses have different levels- Diploma in Pharmacy, Bachelors in Pharmacy, Master in Pharmacy, and Doctor degree in Pharmacy.
- Diploma in Pharmacy - A person has to pass the 10+2 exam with a minimum of 50% in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or Mathematics. This course is known as D.Pharma.
- Bachelor in Pharmacy - A person has to pass the 10+2 exam with a minimum of 50% in Physics, Chemistry, Biology. or Mathematics. This course is known as B.Pharma and it is one of the most popular courses in the field of medicine.
- Master in Pharmacy - A person needs to pass the 10+2 exam with the above-mentioned subjects. Also, a person has to qualify for the B.Pharma course successfully with a minimum of 50%.
- D. Pharma course - The course duration is 6 years, in which 1 year of internship is mandatory. A person has to pass the 10+2 exam with Physics and Chemistry as mandatory subjects, and one of the two must be either Mathematics or Biology.
- P.hD. in Pharmaceutical Sciences - This is a doctorate-level program in the medical science field. A candidate could pursue this course after completing the Master of Pharmacy (M. Pharma).
Also Check: What does a Pharmacist Do?
Certificate Course in Pharmacy
- The course duration is about 3 months to 6 months.
- A candidate may pursue a certificate course in both online and offline mode.
- It serves as an experience in the industry sector, medical assistance, or pursuing higher studies as a career choice.
- Therefore, top companies like Mankind Pharma, Jubilant Lifesciences Ltd., Glenmark Generics, etc. offer jobs to the candidates.
Some of the certificate courses in this pharmacy field are -
| Certificate course | Duration of course | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Industry Certificate in Pharma Product Management | 3 to 6 months | INR 50,000 |
| Industry Certificate in Pharmaceutical Technology Transfer | 3 to 6 months | INR 50,000 |
| Industry Certificate in Pharmaceutical Marketing | 3 to 6 months | INR 50,000 |
| Industry Certificate in Pharmaceutical Process Engineering | 3 to 6 months | INR 50,000 |
| Industry Certificate in Biopharmaceutical Technology | 3 to 6 months | INR 50,000 |
| Industry Certificate in Pharmacovigilance | 3 to 6 months | INR 50,000 |
| Industry Certificate in Pharmaceutical Chemistry | 3 to 6 months | INR 50,000 |
| Industry Certificate in Pharmaceutical Formulation and Entrepreneurship | 3 to 6 months | INR 50,000 |
| Industry Certificate in Pharma Sales and Marketing Management | 3 to 6 months | INR 50,000 |
| Professional Certificate In Pharmacovigilance | 3 to 6 months | INR 50,000 |
| Safety and Pharmacovigilance Certificate Program | Self-paced | - |
Online Pharmacy Certificate Course
- A candidate may pursue a certificate course in pharmacy after completing 10th.
- IGMPI and other institutions, however, welcome applicants with bachelor's degrees in Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Microbiology, etc. Students studying BTech/BDS/MBBS/BPharma/BAMS/Diploma or other related courses are also eligible to apply.
- A candidate can apply to such courses on the official website of the institution.
| Course | Duration | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Udemy- Your Guide To the Pharmaceutical Industry | 42 minutes | INR 740 |
| Udemy- Become a pharmacy technician | 5 hours | INR 700 |
| Udemy- Top Drugs 1 - Medications you NEED to Know - Pharmacy | 3 hours | INR 700 |
| Coursera- Drugs, drug use, drug policy, and health | 29 hours | INR 3.642 |
| Coursera- Drug Discovery | 11 hours | Free |
Diploma in Pharmacy Courses
- Diploma Courses in Pharmacy are 1 to 3 years long. The course fee for a diploma pharmacy course usually ranges between 20,000 - 50, 000.
- A candidate has to pass the 10+2 exam with a merit score needed for admission to the college.
- Also, some colleges conduct their pharmacy entrance exam for the course.
- In some cases, a candidate may need to produce a certificate course degree to enroll in the diploma course.
| Course | Duration of course |
|---|---|
| Diploma in Pharmacy | 2 years |
| Diploma in Ayurvedic Pharmacy | 2 years |
| Diploma in Pharmaceutical Marketing | 2 years |
| Diploma in Drug Store Management | 2 years |
| Diploma in Clinical Research and Pharmacovigilance | 1-3 years |
| PG Diploma in Drug Store Management | 1-3 years |
| PG Diploma in Principles of Clinical Pharmacology | 1-3 years |
| PG Diploma in Pharmaceutical Management | 2 years |
| PG Diploma in Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance | 2 years |
| PG Diploma in Pharmaceutical Chemistry | 2 years |
| PG Diploma in Herbal Products | 1-3 years |
Know More: Pharmacy Courses After 12th
Undergraduate Course in Pharmacy
- A candidate has to pass the 10+2 exam with a minimum of 55% of marks.
- A candidate has to qualify for the state-level entrance exams- WBJEE, TS-EAMCET, AP-EAMCET, BCECE, KCET, etc. with a valid score.
- A candidate who has completed a diploma in pharmacy with a minimum of 50% is also eligible to apply.
| Course | Duration of course |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Pharmacy | 4 years |
| B.Pharma (Pharmaceutical Chemistry) | 4 years |
| Bachelor of Pharmacy in Pharmacognosy | 4 years |
| Bachelor of Ayurvedic Pharmacy | 4 years |
| Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) | 4 years |
| B.Pharm (Pharmaceutics) | 4 years |
| B.Pharma + MBA | 5 years |
Postgraduate Courses in Pharmacy
- A candidate has to pass an undergraduate course in pharmacy with a minimum of 50%.
- Also, a person has to qualify for the entrance exam GPAT or PGECET.
| Courses | Course Duration |
|---|---|
| Master in Pharmacy (M.Pharma) | 2 years |
| MSc (Clinical Research) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Clinical Pharmacy) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Industrial Pharmacy) | 2 years |
| M.Sc (Pharmacology) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Pharmaceutics) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Biopharmaceutics) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Biopharmaceutics & Pharmacokinetics) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Biotechnology) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Pharmaceutical Chemistry) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Medicinal Chemistry) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Drug Discovery and Drug Development) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Cosmeceuticals) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance) | 2 years |
| M.Pharma (Pharmaceutical Market and Management) | 2 years |
Skills to be a Pharmacists
Pharmacists need to be very well-versed in the names of the medicines and their uses and side effects. He should be solely responsible for his on-duty work, hence, he should not be dependent upon his helpers. Also, he should have minimum working experience before starting a pharmacy business.
| Knowledge about Medicines | Communication Skills | Multi-task ability |
| Scientific paper writing skills | Computer skills | Proofreading ability |
| Mathematical ability | Analytical skills | Research ability |
How to Get Hired as a Pharmacist
- A pharmacist should be patient and stay organized with his medicines.
- A pharmacist should be an honest and earnest person, as he should not do fraud with the customers.
- A pharmacist should have prior working experience if he/she wants to get hired by a big firm.
- A pharmacist with good knowledge and practical experience in the medical field has more chances to get hired by a good company.
- A person should rigorously search for jobs on online job portals. Numerous firms have shifted their workspace to digital mode.
- A new pharmacist has a plethora of energy, so he/she must take up new projects or assignments to build up their working experience in the industry.
Average Salary of a Pharmacist
The salary scale of a pharmacist varies from person to person, depending on work experience in the medical sector. So, the basic average pay scale of a pharmacist may be INR 2,56,483 annually.
| Name of the Franchise | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Apollo Pharmacy | 1.8 LPA |
| Frank Ross Pharmacy | 1.7 LPA |
| Medplus | 1.8 LPA |
| Sanjivani Pharmacy | 2 - 2.5 LPA |
Pharmacist Qualifications: FAQs
Ques. What is the minimum qualification required for an assistant pharmacist?
Ans. A person needs to pass a high school exam and he/she should have at least a certificate course degree in pharmacy to work as an assistant pharmacist.
Ques. What are the qualifications needed to work at Apollo Hospital as a pharmacist?
Ans. A person has to have an undergraduate degree like B.Pharm or M.Pharma ( a postgraduate degree) to work as a pharmacist.
Ques. Does the pharmacy job have much salary?
Ans. Yes, the salary structure varies from person to person in this field. As the person with much experience gets more opportunities day-by-day and gets paid according to his/her working experience.
Ques. What is the future of the pharmacy field post covid-19 pandemic?
Ans. As the post-covid situation is quite disastrous all over the world. The future in the pharmacy will prove to be fruitful, as the pharmacy industry will start producing personalised medication kits for people. There will be more demand for pharmacies in the future.
Ques. What do you need to become a pharmacy technician?
Ans. A pharmacy technician is a person who is responsible to locate and dispense the medicines and maintain the stock management. He works along with the pharmacist and close associates with all the activities being done. The average salary scale of a technician is INR 25,000/month.
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