Lucrative offers, increasing job opportunities, direct employment after education and convenient working hours are attracting scores of students to pick up pharmacy a choice over medicine, according to Dr. HG Shivakumar, principal, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysore.

“This is evident from the presence of parents and students with high scores who could easily get into medical colleges approach pharmacy colleges including JSS in Mysore and Ooty to ascertain possibility of seeking admissions in B Pharm and Pharm D besides evaluate future career prospects. ”Dr. Shivakumar told Pharmabiz.

The 100 per cent placement during campus recruitment has led students to look beyond medicine. Typically a qualified medical professional spends 9 years to arm himself with a degree before practice. This covers 5 ½ years of MBBS with a six month time lag to seek a PG admission and then another three years to qualify as an MD to seek a suitable opening.

Pharmacy degree course or B Pharm is proven to be far more affordable as the fees is Rs.1 lakh a year which is one fourth of the cost of a MBBS annual course at Rs.4 lakh.

The job profile of a pharmacist has moved away from a mere drug dispenser. It is a knowledge-driven industry and necessitates highly qualified trained pharma professionals armed with expertise to take on drug research, production of high-value active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished formulations in a highly regulated environment which puts his capabilities to test. There is both challenge and credit to his effort.

Particularly, Indian pharma sector which is fourth in volume and 14 in value is brims with job offers in research, manufacture, marketing. In addition, there are openings for licencing and enforcement, besides academia. A large presence of multinational pharma companies in India are seen to perpetually scout for talent. The fresh pharmacy graduates and post graduates are also earn higher salaries over the MBBS -MD counterparts. “A paradigm shift in the professional education landscape is palpable as students and their parents are convinced on the career growth prospects of pharmacy,” he added.

The Pharm D course provides jobs on a platter. The presence of a qualified community pharmacist and hospital pharmacist are seen to play an integral role in healthcare. Particularly in critical care, Pharm D candidates work along with medical specialists to assess patients and make specific therapeutic recommendations.

The Union government’s Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) for patient safety and Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs.reporting, the profession of pharmacy has been given an impetus. The Pharmacovigilance centres across the country are also seen to be hot bed of job openings.

Even the diploma holders (D Pharm ) have begun to play a pivotal role in pharmacy trade outlets as the government mandates their presence to dispense drugs. Therefore qualified D Pharm, B Pharm, M Pharm, Pharm D are seen to seek greener pastures faster than their MBBS degree counterparts pointed out Dr. Shivakumar.