PharmD Info

A forum for Indian Pharmacy Professionals

Interested in Pharm D Course? (Doctor of Pharmacy) related details, PharmD Syllabus, Career Opportunities, Courses After PharmD in India, Frequently Asked Questions.
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The Doctor of Pharmacy degree, abbreviated as Pharm.D. or Pharm.D, is a professional doctor degree in Pharmacy. It is very much similar to professional degrees like Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) in USA or equal qualifications in other countries. Today Pharm.D became a global program available in all most all countries in the world. The duration of the program varies from five years ( eg. USA, Pakistan) to eight or nine years (eg. Ghana,France) of academic education at the University/ College levels. In some countries like Hungry, Netherland, Portugal etc. It is a post graduate program while in yet other countries Pharm.D is considered as superior to masters qualification and post graduates are admitted to the program. During the last few years, Pharm. D became popular even in the Middle East countries.

Through the Pharm.D programs the pharmacists are trained to become active and integral members of the patient care team. Increasing emphasis on improving quality of medication use and enhancing medication safety have dramatically increased the demand for clinical pharmacy and the Pharm.D program in all parts of the world. The ward rounds, clinical postings, clerkship and the residency are the core components of the Pharm.D program. It is through these the students get accustomed to real hospital practice situation and oriented to the evidence based therapy concepts. The clinical rotations provide students the opportunity to apply knowledge acquired in the classroom to the practice of pharmacy in different patient care settings.

The Universities and pharmacy schools through the Pharm.D program prepare pharmacists who can assume expanded responsibilities in the care of patients and assure the provision of rational and effective drug therapy both in public and private set ups. The Pharm.D students are provided with the opportunity to gain experience in patient care in close relationships with health practitioners like physicians, nurses, biochemists, nutritionists and other health care professionals.

The Universities conducting the program have to continuously enhance the curriculum with new course offerings that reflect the pharmacist's importance as a frontline health care provider. Problem-based learning and active exposure to clinical opportunities will help the students attain necessary skills and personalize the education to reflect their individual interests and professional goals.

The Pharm.D program combines rigorous basic science education with extensive and varied clinical and pharmacy practice experiences. It helps the graduates to contribute positively for revolutionizing the future of health care through new discoveries and innovations to improve patient lives. The Universities conducting the program have to continuously enhance the curriculum with new course offerings that reflect the pharmacist's importance as a frontline health care provider.

The Pharm.D is not equal to doctor of philosophy (PhD) and is intended for people who want to practice as pharmacists. The Pharm.D people are in a better position to pursue for the PhD in matters related to health care and drug therapy aspects compared to all other post graduates (M.Pharm) in pharmacy. Many Colleges and Universities in US and other countries offer a dual Pharm.D /PhD degree program for students with strong interest in research who also want to practice as pharmacists. The Pharm.D curriculum is designed to produce pharmacists who have the abilities and skills necessary to achieve outcomes related to pharmaceutical care to patients, and ensure safe and effective drug therapy with the support of professional pharmaceutical knowledge and information

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