How to Become a Pharmacist After 12th?

Students who are passionate about getting into the medical stream, but do not like to get into the Doctor profession can apply for a career in Pharmacy by pursuing a degree in Bachelor of Pharmacy(B.Pharm) or completing a diploma course in pharmacy D.Pharm after completing 10+2.

You can apply for B.Pharm(Bachelor of Pharmacy) which is a 4 year degree course or for D.Pharm (Diploma in Pharmacy) which is a 2 year course after completing 12th.

Who is a Pharmacist?

By the time a student completes his graduation in pharmacy, he would have learnt how and for what purposes a medicine works, on what basis the formulas of different medicines are developed and how and why they can be administered to patients and finally to promote a safe and appropriate use of medicines.

In other words, a pharmacist is responsible for a safe distribution of medicines based on a registered physician’s prescription. A pharmacist in India is not legally permitted to prescribe drugs and medication to anyone on his own though he is knowledgeable about the medications supposed to be provided for each ailment in the human body.

What Are his/her Responsibilities?

The main roles of a pharmacist include:

Ensuring good quality medicines are dispensed to the patients approaching them.
Providing the patients with more information about the medicines prescribed to them.
Inform them how often the medicines prescribed to them need to be consumed.

A pharmacist will also need to answer any question based on the medicines dispensed by him to the patient.

Pharmacists have a wide range of roles and responsibilities in the market. They can work in marketing of medicines, drug research, new drug approvals, industrial pharmacy or even medical writing if you also have a passion for writing.

However a vast majority of pharmacists choose to work as either a community pharmacist or a retail pharmacist whom we visit often with a prescription from our physician.

In many countries around the world, a community pharmacist is playing a vital role in counseling and educating patients towards proper and appropriate usage of medicines for various ailments.

In countries like Australia, UK and US, the role of community pharmacies are encouraged and recognized for their contribution to the healthcare system.

However, in countries like Singapore, India and other neighboring countries, the role of a community pharmacy is limited to just dispensing of medicines based on a physician’s prescription.

So in our country, many pharmacy students work in the retail setting(which is our nearest drug/medical store) in dispensing the required medicines to the patients on the basis of a physician’s prescription received.

After 12th, to be registered as a pharmacist in India one must complete.

B.Pharm(Bachelor of Pharmacy) for 4 years with 1 month industry training

D.Pharm(Diploma in Pharmacy) for 2 years with 500 hours of industry training.

Pharmacist Educational Requirements

If you are interested in pursuing a career in Pharmacy, here are some of the courses offered by Indian Universities and their required educational qualifications :

D.Pharm (Diploma in Pharmacy) : You must have completed 10+2 with physics, chemistry and biology/mathematics subjects in the curriculum.

B.Pharm(Bachelor of Pharmacy) : You must have completed 10+2 with 50% aggregate marks from physics, chemistry and biology/mathematics subjects OR you should have completed a Diploma in Pharmacy course with 50% aggregate marks which lasts for 3 years.

M.Pharm(Master of Pharmacy) : You must have completed a Bachelor’s Degree course in any of the Pharmaceutical courses with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks. You should have appeared in any of the Pharmacy Entrance Tests such as GPAT, APPGECET, NIPER etc.

Pharm D (Doctor of Pharmacy) : One can pursue this pre-Ph.D 6 years postgraduate course soon after completing 10+2 in physics, chemistry and biology/mathematics with 50% aggregate.

You should have appeared in any of the Pharmacy Entrance tests namely GPAT, NIPER etc.

PharmD(Post Baccalaureate) : You will be eligible for this 3 year post-graduate course once you complete the 4 year Bachelor’s degree course in Pharmacy.

Also Read: How to Become a Cardiologist After 12th?

What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Pharmacist?

There are several qualifications offered in India in the pharmaceutical field. We have listed a few of them below starting from the Diploma in Pharmacy to Doctorate in Pharmacy :

Diploma Courses :

Diploma in Pharmacy(D.Pharm).

Undergraduate Courses :

Bachelor of Pharmacy(B.Pharm)

Post-Graduate Courses :

Master of Pharmacy(M.Pharm)

Doctoral Courses :

Ph.D in Pharmacy.

Also Read: How to Become a Veterinary Doctor After 12th?

What Courses to Take to Become a Pharmacist?

There are a number of courses offered in India for each qualification in the pharmaceutical industry. Few of them include :

Diploma in Pharmacy Courses :

D.Pharm(Diploma in Pharmacy)
Diploma in Veterinary Pharmacy
Diploma in Ayurvedic Pharmacy
Diploma in Pharmaceutical Management.
Diploma in Unani Pharmacy

Bachelor of Pharmacy Courses :

(B.Pharm)Bachelor of Pharmacy.
Bachelor of Pharmacy – Ayurveda
Bachelor of Pharmacy – Unani
Integrated (D.Pharm) in Ayurveda – (B.Pharm) in Ayurveda.

Lateral-Entry Courses :

Lateral Entry B.Pharm
Lateral Entry B.Pharm(Ayur)
Lateral Entry B.Pharm(Unani)

Master of Science Courses :

Integrated M.Sc and B.Sc in Pharmaceutical Sciences
M.Sc in Pharmaceutical Sciences
M.Sc in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacology.
M.Sc in Advanced Pharmaceutical Sciences and many more

Post Graduate Courses :

Post Graduate Certificate in Pharmaceutical Marketing
Post Graduate Certificate in Biological Techniques: Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and many many more.

Doctor of Philosophy Courses :

Ph.D in Pharmacy
Ph.D in Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Technology; Pharmacology; Pharmaceutical Analysis; Pharmaceutical Chemistry; Pharmacognosy and many more.

Also Read: How to Become a Cricketer in India After 12th?

What Subjects are Needed to Become a Pharmacist in India?

Students who are passionate about a career in pharmacy will need to clear their 10+2 examinations in any of the following 2 combination of subjects :

Physics, Chemistry, Biology.

Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics.

Career Scope as a Pharmacist? Is It a Good Career?

Yes, with rising demand for medical help in recent years all around the world, a career in pharmacy can help in contributing towards the growing healthcare industry in helping millions get maximum therapeutic benefits from their treatments with medicine.

Well, you could start your own pharmacy business or you can even apply to be a part of any of the growing organized pharmacy chains (e.g. Apollo Pharmacy) which entered the market a few years ago. It has been found that there are a lot of openings in the community pharmacies off late.

It is not just about the retail setting. Pharmacists have a wide variety of roles to play as discussed earlier. They have an opportunity to work in research and creation of new drugs, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, pharmaceutical marketing etc.

So, a pharmacist has a wide variety of roles to choose from with a lot of openings in the pharmacy market. Choose wisely!

Salary of a Pharmacist in India Per Month

The salary of a pharmacy graduate can vary between 15,000/- per month to around 65,000/- per month according to his/her qualification and experience.

Diploma in Pharmacy after 12th (What are the diploma courses after 12th to become a pharmacist)

There are several diploma courses offered in India to pursue after 12th. If you have passed your 10+2 exams with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks with the core subjects being Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics/Biology you will be eligible for any of the following Diploma courses:

Diploma in Pharmacy
Diploma in Pharmaceutical Marketing
Diploma in Pharmaceutical Management
Diploma in Ayurvedic Pharmacy
Diploma in Homeopathic Pharmacy and many more.

Minimum Training Required to be a Pharmacist in India

To be registered as a pharmacist in India, one needs a minimum qualification of Diploma in pharmacy, which is a 2 years course(along with the required industry training) from a recognized educational institution in India.

Is a Pharmacist a Doctor in India?

According to the Pharmacy Council of India(PCI), the students who have completed their Doctor of Pharmacy(Pharm.D) Degree are permitted to use the prefix ‘Dr.’ to their names.

Pharm.D is an integrated course with both undergrad and postgrad courses in one single academic course for 6 years.

Upon the completion of a Pharm.D course from one of the recognized universities under the Pharmacy Council of India(PCI), the institutes are advised to use ‘Dr.’ prefix to the names of the students while handing over the Pharm.D certificates to the students.

Best Colleges to be a Pharmacist in India

As an aspiring student with ambitious career goals, you will start looking for the best institutions to graduate from, once you decide the path.

So we would like to help you here by enlisting some of the top universities in India which are offering various courses in the field of pharmacy :

Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi.
Punjab University, Chandigarh
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Mohali..
Institute of Chemical Technology(ICT), Mumbai
BITS, Pilani
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Hyderabad.
Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal.
JSS College of Pharmacy, Udagamandalam.
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Ahmedabad.
JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysore and many more.

How to Become a Pharmacist After 12th? – Career Scope & Salary

Who is a Pharmacist?

What Are his/her Responsibilities?