Jamia Hamdard University (JHU) of New Delhi has introduced two new pharmacy disciplines at the postgraduate level. The university will offer M Pharm courses in Pharmacy Practice and Quality Assurance from the current year onwards.

Informing this, Siraj Hussain, vice chancellor, JHU said that the unique courses are intended to cater to the growing human resource needs of the pharmaceutical industry and trade. He said that the Pharmacy department of the university has decided to bring in many changes in the structure of pharmacy curricula for the benefit of the students. "We have realized that our conventional theoretical methods of education provides no practical training to the students. In order to bring in a change, we have abolished the third session written examination this year and introduced projects of 4 -5 months duration for our pharmacy graduate students" he said.

Hussain felt that closer interactions with industry, hospitals, and trade are needed for improving the quality of pharmacy education in the university. "Better linkages with pharmacy professionals is going to help the students in acquiring essential practical skills they need" he said.

Hamdard College of Pharmacy, started in 1972, is one of the foremost pharmacy training institutions in the country. It was set up with the objective of providing education and training in all branches of pharmacy at a time when the conception of private professional education was totally new to the country. The university offers M Pharm courses in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Photochemistry, Pharmacy Practice and Quality Assurance. It has doctoral programmes in pharmacy disciplines like Pharmaceutics, Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacology.

While there are 46 seats for M Pharm, it is 60 each for B Pharm and B Pharm (Unani) courses. The university also admits 60 students each to its D Pharm and D Pharm (Unani) courses every year.