Even while the youngsters are showing greater interest to join the much highlighted international pharmacy course Pharm D, the regular as well as the prospective students of the programme from several colleges are raising a broad range of concerns and queries with regard to their prospects and the future of the course.

The students as well as their parents argue that the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has to address these concerns before the first batch of Pharm D (PB) comes out in 2011.

Apart from the job prospects, the students of both Pharm D regular and Pharm D (PB) raise doubts over the status of the programme as to whether it can be treated as a graduate course or a post graduate one. Some concerns that haunt the B Pharm graduates while preparing to join the Pharm D post baccalaureate programme are that whether it can be reckoned as equal to M Pharm pharmacy practice or will they be eligible to apply for Ph D after completing the three year term or for any higher studies. The M Pharm graduates can apply for several job opportunities including that of lecturers. Will these chances can be utilized by the students completing the three year Pharm D, the students raise questions.

Another concern is about the loss of their stipend benefit. Pharm D is now controlled by PCI, so the students joining for the course are not eligible to get monthly stipend given by AICTE. The GPAT qualified students are eligible to get Rs 8000 per month towards stipend for their PG course. Since Pharm D is not recognized as a PG course by any university, the students cannot avail this benefit.

For getting a career in US, the B Pharm graduates have to pass the NAPLEX Test (North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination). But before taking this test they need to clear the FPGEE (Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination). On completion of the Indian Pharm D course, can the students directly go for NAPLEX, they ask.

The colleges which have been approved for conducting the courses have already cleared the admissions for this year and those affiliated to private universities have started their classes also. In Tamil Nadu, most of the colleges have already started their third batches.

While speaking to Pharmabiz, some students of Pharm D said they have doubts about their being accepted as equal to a medical doctor by the clinicians. So far the students could not reach into a conclusion about whether the programme is done on a globally uniformed syllabus or the Indian syllabus would meet the requirements of foreign countries, especially of US.

Currently medical doctors are appointed as the principal investigators in clinical research organizations. The Pharm D students are hospital trained. So it has to be confirmed whether in place of medical doctors, these Pharm D graduates can be appointed as principal investigators. The students said the central and state PSCs have to recognize the course as eligible qualification for specialized job. Without a degree status, the Pharm D graduates cannot apply for a drug inspector's post, they said.

In foreign countries, Pharm D is a hospital trained clinical course with six year duration. In India one of the programmes, Pharm D (PB), has only three years study. So will that programme get acceptability and credibility as that of Pharm D regular in foreign countries, asked the students. In the public domain, what is their acceptance, whether as doctor or pharmacist, doubts haunt the students.