Diploma in Pharmacy Course in India

Last Updated on July 28, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Do you want to become a pharmacist in India? If yes, this article will be of help to you. In this article, details about Diploma in Pharmacy course have been provided. The article covers topics like- course details, eligibility criteria, admission process, PG courses & further studies, career prospects, job profiles and salary details.

Diploma in Pharmacy program is a Diploma certificate course. It is well known by the short names of D Pharm and D Pharma . Diploma in Pharmacy is the minimum qualification required to practice or work as a pharmacist in India.

Who is a pharmacist, what are his/her tasks? What is it like to become a pharmacist? What’s the field of pharmaceutical studies all about? Questions like these will be answered in the coming paragraphs.

Pharmacy is the science and technique of preparing and dispensing drugs. This science uses principles of health sciences, biology and chemical sciences to create and dispense pharmaceutical drugs.

Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who practice in the field of pharmacy. They are knowledgeable about drug therapy, different types of drugs (their composition, manufacturing process and properties) and optimum use of drugs (depending upon the condition of the patient). Pharmacists are also known by titles such as- druggists, chemists and Doctor of Pharmacy. Their main tasks include- compounding, checking prescriptions, dispensing drugs, advice dosage and directions to patients and checking and maintaining the drug store inventory (at hospitals, clinics or drug stores).

In India, professional Pharmacy courses are available in Diploma, undergraduate degree (B Pharmacy), Pharm D (Doctor of Pharmacy), M.Pharm., PG Diploma and PhD levels. In this article, we will be focusing only on Diploma in Pharmacy course.

Come, let us check out the basic course details-

Duration, eligibility criteria & admission process

Diploma in Pharmacy is a Diploma certificate course. The course consists of two academic years and practical training session. On course completion (academic program and practical training), successful candidates will get Diploma certificate from the University/Institute.

Duration: 2 years.

Eligibility criteria: 10+2 passed with Science stream subjects (PCB or M) from a recognized board is the minimum educational qualification required (in some institutes, PCB subjects are mandatory). Minimum aggregate marks required may vary from one institute to another. It could be anywhere between 45-60% marks (in main science subjects).

Admission process: Depending upon the institute, it could be direct admission or merit based admission process. Reputed and well established institutes follow merit based admission process. Under this process, marks scored by students in board examination are taken into consideration. Seats are allotted to deserving students on the basis of merit marks scored by them.

Note: In cases of some institutes, marks scored in relevant entrance examination are also taken into consideration (while preparing the merit list).

Age limit: Candidate should be at least 17 years of age while securing admission.

PG Courses and further studies

After completing Diploma in Pharmacy, successful candidates may secure admission directly in the 2nd academic year of Bachelor of Pharmacy course. Admissions are provided to Diploma in Pharmacy holders based on merit marks obtained by them in Diploma course.

For more details about B Pharmacy course, check this article out- Bachelor of Pharmacy after 12th. After completing the Bachelor’s program, graduates may go for advanced courses like Pharm D (Doctor of Pharmacy), M.Pharm. and PG Diploma courses.

For more details about Pharm D course, check this article out- Pharm D course. After completing Master’s, PG Diploma or Pharm D, one may go for relevant PhD program.

Master’s and PG Diploma courses can be used to specialize in disciplines within the field of pharmacy. Some of the well known disciplines include-

• Clinical Pharmacy
• Community Pharmacy
• Pharmaceutical Chemistry
• Nuclear Pharmacy
• Pharmacognosy
• Pharmacology
• Toxicology

Career prospects and job opportunities

Diverse job opportunities are available in front of Diploma in Pharmacy certificate holders. Government and private sector job opportunities are available in front of them.

Diploma in Pharmacy certificate holders may start practicing as pharmacists in India. They may work at drug stores in Government hospitals, private hospitals, clinics, community health centres or private drug stores. In such a work setup, they usually check prescriptions (made by the Doctor), dispense drugs to patients, give them advice & directions, keep stock of drugs in storage, keep accounts and maintain the inventory.

Other than working for hospitals or private drug stores, D Pharm certificate holders may even start their own private drug store! To thrive in such a venture, one must have access to decent financial resources and entrepreneurship skills.

Pharmaceutical companies are also known to hire D Pharm folks. In this sector, they may work at divisions/sections like- manufacturing, process control, quality control and marketing. Talking about marketing sector, one may work for firms involved in pharmaceutical products marketing. One may also work as a medical representative.

Other than working right after completing D Pharm course, one may also go for further studies (B Pharm, Pharm D, M.Pharm. etc). After completing Master’s level course, one may take up the job of a lecturer/tutor/instructor at relevant pharmacy schools or institutes.

Completing advanced course like PhD will help one build a career in the R&D (Research and Development) sector associated with the field of pharmacy.

Salary

Starting salary depends on factors like profile of the employer, job location and job profile. Depending upon the above mentioned factors, Diploma in Pharmacy certificate holders may earn anywhere between 8-20K Rupees per month (at start).

Vishnu Nambiar

I am Vishnu Nambiar a career and educational blogger from India. I am also a full time educational consultant having more than 12 years of experience in the educational sector.

I share articles related to courses, colleges, careers, exam tips and more here.