Pharmacist: a Profitable Business

by PRATIMA ACHREKAR
Posted on 2009-01-07
Here is an opportunity for those who are confused after completion of their twelfth science, and seeking for the right option that will lead to a fruitful career. Pursuing the better option job is in your hands. Wherein, pharmacy can also be the right choice for you. Hence, it can pay you handsome perks and of course, a profession of repute.
“Today, the discipline of Pharmacy has made enormous progress and has matured as a distinctly independent branch as pharmaceutical sciences, mainly through the acquisition of the wealth of knowledge, research and a vast array of drugs and therapeutic remedies. Unlike the other curricula Pharmacy is a product, as well as, service related discipline, increasing its scope two-fold,” says a pharmacist P.V. Ramesh from Vasco.
Principal Madhav G Pai of Goa College of Pharmacy, Panaji says, “In our college 80 percent of girls pursue pharmacy while rest 20 percent are boys.”
While Chief pharmacist Mr Raj Vaidhya from Hindu Pharmacy, Panaji says, “Industries try to prefer boys rather than the girls. Eventually, they too take girls. So it is good that boys too should opt these course.”
“In India Pharmacy education is a two-tier system. After 12th Science with 50 percent is compulsory with major subjects physics, chemistry, mathematics/biology only after the merit basis of GCET (Goa Common Entrance Test) seats will be available for candidates. One can opt for any of the two courses, namely Diploma (DPharm.) and Degree (BPharm). However the Diploma Students can also be included in Degree course directly in Second Year BPharm after scoring G2CET (Goa second year common entrance test), first class marks,” says Principal Madhav G Pai, Goa College of Pharmacy, Panaji.
Adding further Mr Pai said that Goa College of Pharmacy has Diploma in pharmacy for two years, Bachelor of Pharmacy for four years and Masters for two years. He also informs about the specialisation courses for post graduations are quality assurance and pharmacology.
A career in pharmacy, unfolds a vista full of opportunities leading to a golden future for a young career aspirant. The job opportunities, working conditions, job satisfaction and monetary benefits are excellent.
The chart from Goa college of Pharmacy shows the careers in pharmacy are community pharmacy, bio-informatics and genomics, under clinical pharmacy they have alternatives like drug information services, patient education and counseling, adverse drug reactions monitoring systems, nursing education, news letter of drugs of prescribing information, hospital formulatory, research activities TDM-Therapeutic drug monitoring, where as, into pharmaceutical marketing they can get into retail pharmacy, wholesale pharmacy, drug retailing, export.
Under drug control administration set up it covers state drug control administration, drug testing, state government laboratories, private testing laboratories, where in, industry regulatory affairs has options like drug control administration functionaries at various levels, Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940. Industry regulatory affairs can get into drugs and magic remedies, (objectionable advertisement) Act, 1954, Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substance Act, 1985, drugs (price control) order 1995 under Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Pharmaceutical manufacturing has quality assurance, quality control, research and development, formulation development and production, and last is education that is teaching, research and development, continuing education community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy.
“If anyone is interested to make it as a business then even a normal person can open a pharmacy without the completion of BPharm. But for that they need to hire a pharmacist to function the pharmacy,” says Mr Vaidhya.
Pharmacy is involved in all the stages related to a drug, from its discovery, development, action, safety, formulation, use, quality control, packaging, storage, marketing, etc.
“The drugs and pharma industry is a multibillion-dollar business. In India, now a matter of only a couple of years, the pharmaceutical industry and professionals will play a vital role in shaping up our economy,” says Pharmacist from Vasco.
In our day-to-day life pharmacists play important role, as they are very much into research and manufacture of drugs. As a pharmacist, you are supposed to be in a position to comprehend the composition and effect of drugs.
Golden opportunities galore for qualified Pharmacy professionals in various lines. The pharmaceutical career is one of the highest rewarding careers in western as well as in our country.
“All over the world pharmacy is become a wide scope. Over here in India also we do lot of export to various places, so we do need professional pharmacist,” says Mr Pai.