The pharmacy students, pharmacy teachers and personnel in pharmacy profession are most of the time in dilemma of regulatory authorities-PCI versus AICTE, Technology or medicine or science etc. One of the biggest dilemmas for a pharmacy student is either to go for opportunities or the interest in the subject. There are two type of jobs available for the pharmacists in ample numbers in pharmaceutical companies one of the marketing and other in manufacturing.

From money point of view marketing is more lucrative then that in production. However, during graduate program not even 10% teaching is devoted towards marketing. Because of this student get interest in pharmaceutical manufacturing or formulations where opportunities money wise get limited. Jobs in government sector are much limited i.e. FDCA. Many students aspire to go abroad but the type of teaching/training during their program is inadequate to clear the qualifying examination there in USA.

Service in a pharmaceutical industry, having own pharmaceutical industry or pharmacy outlet are major opportunities wherein one can get money. But it is not so easy. Much is being talked of clinical pharmacy, community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy. These are beyond doubt interesting facets for young pharmacist.

But where are the jobs available there? Subject like clinical pharmacy, clinical pathology etc have recently being included but there is hardly any interaction with the hospitals. In nutshell, there is very much imbalance between opportunities after B.Pharm. versus training /teaching given. The solution to such problem may be either to have B.Pharm. with specialization being given in the final year. Compulsory industrial training for 3 months should be replaced with project work for 3 month in a pharmaceutical industry.

New opportunities in Retail Pharmacy
Retail pharmacy has been neglected, as a career by student pharmacists so far. It was always regarded as a low esteem job fit only for diploma students. But of late this side of Pharmacy Profession is getting recognition.

The Retail Pharmacy is passing through a new transition, from ''product oriented'' approach to ''patient oriented'' approach. As in many other retail businesses, service is becoming the focal point, unless you offer service , you will no longer be able to attract customers. What service can a retail drugstore offer? Many-in fact. Drug information, how to take medicines, giving simple Do''s and Dont''s about the drugs, possible side effects are some of the services; which were so far never offered. For doing all these, a good pharmacy knowledge is required. All that you have learned in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Dosage Formulation, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology will be helpful. But there are some extra skills that will have to be learned, like communication skills, marketing skills, operational skills etc.. As the jobs in pharma industry, become less and less, due to various reasons, it is time to think about starting the retail pharmacy of your own; and be your own boss.

-- Prof. Ramesh K. Goyal, Department of Pharmacology, L. M. College Pharmacy, Ahmedabad