National Pharmacy Week will be observed from November 15 to 21. Going by the increasing opportunities in the field, this year's theme is 'Make Pharmacy your career'.

This year's theme will help prospective pharmacy students take a decision about a career in pharmacy, said Dr Premnath Shenoy, secretary of Indian Pharmaceutical Association, Karnataka branch.

According to him, prospective candidates should carry out some research before taking up a career. One suggestion is to spend time with the pharmacists in the neighbourhood to have an additional insight on the prospects and challenges in the field. Further, details could also be sought from the colleges of pharmacy and industry bodies like the Indian Pharmaceutical Association, State Pharmacy Council and Pharmacy Council of India.

So far, Indian pharmacy colleges have been offering bachelor and post graduates degrees in pharmacy. The six-year Pharm D programme (doctorate in pharmacy) which has been introduced recently prepares candidates to be the primary providers of 'pharmaceutical care'. The pharmaceutical care model suggests that health information professionals in clinical settings could be educated and trained to provide what we might call health information care, he said.

In India in the coming decades, pharmacists are expected to become more integral within the health care system. Rather than simply dispensing medication, pharmacists will be recognized for their patient care skills. This shift has already commenced in some countries; for instance, pharmacists in Australia receive remuneration from the Australian government for conducting comprehensive Home Medicines Reviews.

In Canada, pharmacists in certain provinces have limited prescribing rights. In the United Kingdom, pharmacists who undertake additional training are obtaining prescribing rights. They are also being paid for by the government for medicine use reviews.