In the United States and other foreign countries a pharmacist is allowed to practice clinical pharmacy. A statutory system exists wherein the diagnosis is carried out by doctors and then the patient is sent to the pharmacist who prescribes medication and charge for it. Pharmacists are highly salaried in the US where their average salary is around 40-50 USD or even more per hour. India is taking its initial steps in instituting such a system by bringing about remarkable changes in the pharmacy profession.
Pharm D in India
Pharm D or “Doctor of Pharmacy” is a professional doctoral degree in pharmacy introduced by the Pharmacy Council of India in 2008 giving a new dimension to pharma profession. This relatively new course in India includes various patient handling modules within the hospital set up along with one year internship to facilitate the implementation of clinical services. The entire curriculum is patient centric and highly targeted towards wellness of the patient.
What is the course structure?
It is a six years study after 10+2 which comprises of five years of academics and one year of internship. This course includes same subjects as B.Pharm degree with additional pharmacy practice components like clinical toxicology, clinical pharmacy, clinical pharmacokinetics clinical research, hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy, biostatistics and research methodology, pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, and pharmacotherapeutics drug monitoring. The curriculum also includes a project work for six months in the fifth year of the course.
What are the roles and responsibilities of a Pharm D professional?
Listed below are few of the clinical pharmacy services Pharm D professionals are trained to provide:
- Medication history interview participation in ward rounds and meetings to enquire patient about his medication history for optimizing the treatment
- Providing accurate and relevant information to patients on drug related matters either written or verbal
- Prevention, identification, assessment, management and reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs)
- Encouraging the medical staff and patients to report ADRs
- Preparing drug related protocols and patient information leaflets
- Evaluating and monitoring the therapy and reviewing the treatment outcomes
- Promoting quality use of medicines
- Encouraging safe and appropriate use of medicines
- Patient medication counselling
- Collaborating with community services
Career opportunities for Pharm D in India
There are numerous career opportunities available for Pharm D candidates after completion of the course. Most potential ones include pharmaceutical companies, clinical research organizations, pharmacovigilance, research and development, medical writing, regulatory affairs, community pharmacy, geriatric pharmacy, government agencies, hospitals, pharmacoeconomics and academia. Since it is a newly launched course in India, there is a long way to go to get it well established. Nonetheless, substantiating the need of clinical pharmacy services in India, Pharm D professionals are likely to prove their importance very soon and gain greater career opportunities that are rewarding in the long run.
Online courses at James Lind Institute for Pharm D candidates
James Lind Institute offers various online training programs that complements the Pharm D students with highly focussed and industry relevant trainings and necessary updates directly from industry experts. The courses available are broadly categorized under the fields namely clinical development sciences, pharmaceutical medicine, medico-marketing, medicine communication and journalism. The courses offered by our institute in these fields encompass clinical research, data management, Pharmacovigilance, medical writing, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, pharmaceutical medicine, translational medicine, medical journalism, medical law and bioethics opening up a wide range of career opportunities for the aspirants. The curriculums for these courses are tailored by highly experienced industry experts as per the ever-growing needs of the clinical research and healthcare industry.
Most of these programs are self-paced and the students will be assessed by their respective faculty on an on-going basis based on their performance in online examination and timely submission of assignments. Eligibility criteria to enrol in these programs differ for each of these courses.
Technologically advanced e-campus that acts as a forum for online discussions between students and the faculty members and Online Campus Tutoring Center (OCTC) where the faculty answers all questions related to the programs are distinctive features of James Lind Institute. If need be, placement assistance and career development support are also provided towards the end of the program.
For more information on various online training programs available in the fields of their curriculum, eligibility criteria to enrol in those courses, fee structure, assessment, career opportunities and academic support, please visit www.jli.edu.in