Graduates of Pharm D programmes in India can pursue opportunities in the US, but licensure will be a lengthy and tedious process for them, according to Dr Christine R Birnie, associate professor and chair, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wegmans School of Pharmacy, New York.

Dr Birnie was in India last week to attend the 52nd Pharmacy Week Celebration in Chennai.

In an interview with Pharmabiz, the pharmacy preceptor at Wagmans School said in order to practice pharmacy in the US, one must successfully complete a pharmacy foreign equivalency examination (TOEFL), complete intern hours gaining experience in a US pharmacy and then pass the therapeutic and law examinations.  These hurdles have to be cleared by students graduating from US schools also, and the process will typically take one to two years, she said.

On the part of opportunities in community pharmacies, the teacher said the Indian pharma graduates should be aware that the majority of jobs available to foreign pharmacists in US is in the community sector. “Even, this opportunity may be difficult to acquire and will require the companies to provide a work visa,” Dr Birnie added.

Responding to a question on framing of syllabus of Pharm D program in US pharmacy schools, the professor said the syllabus/ curriculum in the US is developed by each individual school, unlike the central agency, PCI, in India. “Each school follows a blueprint guideline of topics, which is provided by the national accrediting body, (Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education)- (ACPE). But the design of courses, order, organisation and format is very individual for each school. As a result, the curriculum at various schools may appear very different, but in the end, all schools are covering generally the same content”.

According to her, the Indian Pharm D programme does very much mimic the teaching style of classroom, laboratory and clinical teaching formats, having students spend the entire year of the program in a clinical teaching setting under the guide of a preceptor.

Regarding practical orientation for students of Pharm D in hospitals, the US teacher said although clinical pharmacy in the US still continues to make a place for itself in the healthcare sector, doctors and other health professionals in large teaching hospitals and developed academic centres have begun to work very effectively with clinical pharmacists. The clinical pharmacists are included in patient rounds, work in ambulatory care settings and seek their advice and input in formulary revision and drug information inquiries. However, Dr Birnie said, still clinical pharmacists will have to continue to advocate for their roles, both in India and in the US.

Dr Birnie further said, Pharm D graduates in the US work in a variety of pharmacy settings, since the graduates' clinical skills can be used in any pharmacy sector. “The preferences of individuals vary, but statistics show that about 60-70 per cent of pharmacy jobs in the US are in the community settings. This area provides ample opportunity to use pharmacist's clinical skills, providing extensive medication counselling and assistance in disease state management, screening and education programmes related to common ambulatory diseases.