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Table of Contents

About the book

Copyright

Preface

Forums

About the author

career options for those with a degree in Pharmacy

Changing Trends in Global Pharmacy Workforce

why one should consider Pharm D programme?

Pharm D the No. 1 employer in Medical Research ...

THE STRUGGLE

Pharma Clinic- Now PHARMACISTS can also Practice ...

PHARMACOVIGILANCE

The State of Affairs of Medical Profession - Pathetic

list of ADR monitoring centers under Pharmacovigilance ...

articles

MoleculesNovel Molecules

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About the book

This book is made to provide information about recently started Pharm D andPharm D(Post Bacclaurreatte) courses in india to all.

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Copyright

Author

[Dr SAMRAT PAUL]Editor

[Dr SAMRAT PAUL]Copyright 2013 [Dr SAMRAT PAUL]

First Published using Papyrus,2013

ISBN : [Enter ISBN here]

This book may be purchased for educational, business, or sales promotional use.Online edition is also available for this title. For more information, contact ourcorporate/institutional sales department: [Insert your phone number here] or[Insert your email here]

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, thepublisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or fordamages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

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Preface

I Samrat Paul , welcome all readers, viewers, researchers and aspirants to this sitefor upgrading knowledge and aptitude in clinically oriented Pharmacy. This blogis a forum for anyone interested in the intersection of health, communication andsocial world.

The setup is changing in the world. Changes are occuring everywhere, in everyfield, in every aspect. This is a transition period for everybody, even for PharmacyCouncils of each and every country...Uptill very recently in the past Pharmacywas industry oriented in india , only with the advent of Pharm d and Pharmd(PB) it has become clinically oriented.

One must understand why and how the syllabus of this course got structured up?The PharmD syllabus is nothing but a combination of syllabus of courses likeB.Pharm (industry oriented pharmacy)) and MD Pharmacology (clinicallyoriented pharmacy).Many hypotheses which comes to my mind are :

1. If we look into the broader picture, in western allopathy system of healthcare,the ward rounds are done in team by the clinicians ie. healthcare professionals andparticularly doctors like physicians, pharmacists and nurses.

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Now, physicians like MBBS and specialists like MDs and DMs of departmentschest, ortho, gyneac, surgery,paediatric,psychologist,pharmacologist were activelyparticipating in the ward rounds and their perspectives were gained. Howeverperspectives from MD pharmacologist point of view were missed considerably bythe healthcare team, because MD Pharmacologist were more involved in clinicalresearch rather than in ward rounds. And though they do practice but not in suchproportions as done by MDs of other departments. This created a demand andrequirement for vigilance by Pharm D professionals to fill up the gap created dueto non- availability of MD Pharmacologist for ward round participations. AlsoMD Pharmacologists are reluctant to do jobs of a bedside pharmacist like strip-cutting, because of their busy schedule and perhaps they consider it as menial job.

However, in India, there is still monopoly enjoyed by the physician in clinicalsetups in most nursing homes and small capacity hospitals regardless of underwhich sector these fall,private or government (may it be community hospitals,public healthcare hospitals, charitable hospitals,military hospitals, missionhospitals,primary care hospitals,secondary care hospitals,tertiary teaching carehospitals, tertiary referral hospitals,rehabilitation hospitals,for profit hospitals, nonprofit hospitals,state hospitals, regional hospitals) and alone they do the wardrounds, and rightly so because here economic budget for healthcare and healthliteracy is very less, constrained or restrained.Therefore a physician who spends aconsiderable more amount of money on his medical education is rightly empoweredwith more authority in a clinical setup.

2. Moreover, other education system like M.Pharm in Pharmacy Practice whichwas started with intention to bring a new setup of clinical pharmacovigilantbiopharmaceutical analytical system (Pharm D), due to increase in incidents ofdeaths due to medical errors and medication errors and due to faulty drug-dosetitrations, ADRs and drug -drug interactions and further due to non-vigilancewhich should be considered as clinical error. But they being new in the clinicalsetup, confused about their role to play in this new setup and lacked the required

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proficiency and authority to write independent prescriptions to patients, lackedconfidence. Not having the power of writing independent prescriptions (M.PharmPP and PharmD)is correct also in my opinion due to reasons like for a givenpatient there can be apart from surgical therapy,radiation therapy, physicaltherapy, psychotherapy; a pharmacotherapeutic approach and also a non-pharmacotherapeutic approach, therefore a physician should always remain thecaptain of the ship. Howsoever, to instill confidence in such professionals,aprovision had been made so as doctorate degree was conferred to clinicalpharmacists of pharmacy practice stream in form of PharmD and PharmD(PB){6 years course} as much like MBBS{ 5 year course}, which gave them identityand recognition and respect and competitiveness enough to do atleast ward roundsin presence of other healthcare professionals and be vigilant in the clinical setups ofcorporate hospitals. Still there are loopholes present in this education system inIndia such as PCI has termed it as integerated PG course and its not clear orpublic are not made aware of whether its a professional doctorate( obvious) oracademic doctorate or honorary doctorate, also when we come to interns ofPharmD there is still no terminologies exist as CRHPs(compulsory rotatory housepharmacists) as compared to CRHSs(compulsory rotatory house surgeons) whichis used for MBBS interns.

3. Another point of view is that each and every country has a quo status quo.They are different for each and every country in terms of various factors likeculture,traditions and customs followed, liberality provided, economic status,budget affordability, applicable rules and regulations,even HDI(humandevelopement index) and GDPs (gross domestic product) sanctioned byGovernment. In western developed countries, along with other healthcare sectors/paramedical course/paraclinical courses, Pharmacy is becoming more IT orientedas well as statistically oriented in its functions and approach towards the societyie. for incorporating more transparency about drug use in society. To homogenisethis kind of work system and setup in allover world, a more advanced andupgraded course was brought out for students to pursue.

4. With the improvement in economic status of countries, Government is investingmore finance on the budget of Healthcare system for its people.

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5. Individualisation of pharmacotherapeutic treatment to individuals.

6. Bringing up a new setup of clinical pharmacovigilant biopharmaceuticalanalytical system.

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7.Bringing up Homogenization of allopathy system, implementation andtransparency and upgrading quality and standards of pharmacare, pharmaproducts, drug information, pharmaceutical calculations etc.

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SOME INTERETING FACTS:

Doctor of Pharmacy Education in India-Its Genesis and Prospects: A CriticalStudy based on the Global Vs. Indian Scenario

The post1920 period, particularly the 1940 to 1970s, witnessed many scientificdevelopments and achievements in the area of Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy inUSA and such developments helped for starting Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D)in American Universities in the 1950s as an innovative program in pharmacy.

Pharm.D.is a professional doctor degree in Pharmacy and has become a globalprogram by 2000 AD. The Pharm.Dstudents are provided with the opportunityto gain experience in patient care at hospital and community levels, in closeassociation with other health care professionals.Universities conducting Pharm.Dhave to continuously enhance the curriculum with new course offerings that reflectthe pharmacists importance as a frontline health care provider.

The first effort to introduce Pharm.D in India was initiated in GovernmentMedical College ; Trivandrum in 1999 when the syllabus and regulations framedwith the help of some American Universities got approved by the Board of Studiesand the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Kerala. It was designed as a postgraduate program,but could not be started for some reasons.

Later in 2008, the Pharmacy council of India (PCI) managed to introduce bothsix year regular PharmD and the three year post baccalaureate Pharm.D in thecountry through a Gazette notification of Government of India dated 16th May2008. The norms and regulations for Pharm.D program were also prescribed andnotified.

By 2013 November, the PCI had given approval to over 140 institutions mainlyin South Indian States. Only four Government institutions have so far started

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Pharm.D in India.

The Indian Pharm.D needs the care and active involvements of pharmacy practiceprofessionals in its growing stages.

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Forums

Is Pharm D or PharmD(PB) is a professional doctorate degree or an academicdoctorate degree?

why is it so that Pharm D course has been initially started in South Indian statesonly?why GPAT or any other entrance exam is not undertaking Pharm D course?

whether Pharm D is approved by UGC?

Doctor of Pharmacy Education in India-Its Genesis and Prospects: A CriticalStudy based on the Global Vs. Indian Scenario

The post1920 period, particularly the 1940 to 1970s, witnessed many scientificdevelopments and achievements in the area of Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy inUSA and such developments helped for starting Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D)in American Universities in the 1950s as an innovative program in pharmacy.

Pharm.D.is a professional doctor degree in Pharmacy and has become a globalprogram by 2000 AD. The Pharm.D students are provided with the opportunityto gain experience in patient care at hospital and community levels, in closeassociation with other health care professionals.Universities conducting Pharm.Dhave to continuously enhance the curriculum with new course offerings that reflectthe pharmacists importance as a frontline health care provider.

The first effort to introduce Pharm.D in India was initiated in GovernmentMedical College ; Trivandrum in 1999 when the syllabus and regulations framedwith the help of some American Universities got approved by the Board of Studiesand the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Kerala. It was designed as a postgraduate program,but could not be started for some reasons.

Later in 2008, the Pharmacy council of India (PCI) managed to introduce bothsix year regular PharmD and the three year post baccalaureate Pharm.D in thecountry through a Gazette notification of Government of India dated 16th May2008. The norms and regulations for Pharm.D program were also prescribed andnotified.

By 2013 November, the PCI had given approval to over 140 institutions mainlyin South Indian States. Only four Government institutions have so far started

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Pharm.D in India.

The Indian Pharm.D needs the care and active involvements of pharmacy practiceprofessionals in its growing stages.

Doctor of Pharmacy in India, Genesis of Indian Pharm.D

Pharm D course

Pharmacy as a profession and as a health care discipline has gone throughphenomenal changes and development during the last few decades, at global aswell as regional levels.

In the past, Pharmacists were known by names like alchemists, apothecaries andcompounders.

Modern pharmacists are professionally qualified,scientifically trained andtechnically competent health care professionals knowing the secrets and facts ofdrugs and medicines. Contemporary pharmacy education is highly scientific andgenerally students spend 4 to 10 years at University levels to acquire and mouldtheir competency and skills.

Pharmacy Practice has a vital role in drug therapy, health care and other relatedareas.The areas and activities of community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy andclinical pharmacy constitute the various functions of pharmacy practice. The roleof modern pharmacist has evolved dramatically from the product (medicine)orientation to patient care outcomes.

Independent pharmacies were first established in 12th century in Italy and then inneighboring countries like France and Germany. However pharmacy education at

College/ University level started only in 1777 in Paris in France. Later in 1803six schools of pharmacy were started in France.

Private pharmacy educational institutions arose in Bavaria, the south east state

It was in 1821 the first American Pharmacy College-Philadelphia College ofPharmacy-

admitted the first batch of pharmacy students which was followed byMassachusetts College of Pharmacy (1823) and New York College of Pharmacy(1829).

Since then the focus of pharmacy education and pharmacy practice got orientedtowards USA

Innovations in Pharmacy Practice

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http://globalresearchonline.net/journalcontents/v24-2/46.pdf

The post 1920 period, particularly the 1940 to 1970s, witnessed many scientificdevelopments and achievements in the area of Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy inUSA.

In 1953 Heber .W. Youngken Jr of University of Washington wrote an articleentitled

"The Washington Experiment- Clinical Pharmacy" in the American Journal ofPharmaceutical Education.Through that article H.W. Youngken brought to thenotice of the world pharmacists how Prof. L.Wait Rising of Washington had in1945-46 initiated a research program in teaching pharmacy students utilizingsome of the numerous professional prescriptions in Seattle. It has brought forth astorm of protest from American Association of College of Pharmacy (AACP) andthe American Council in Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) in the 1950s.

The term 'Clinical Pharmacy' was not seriously used in any book even in theearly 1960's. In 1961 Dr. John Autian at University of Wisconsin used the term

'Clinical Pharmacy' as a proposal to replace 'Compounding and dispensing' and

in the same year Dr.Glenn Sperandio coined the term Clinical Pharmacy inAmerican Journal of Hospital Pharmacy in his "Hospital Pharmacy Notes".

Dr. Sperandio explained that direct contact with person or persons is the essentialof "Clinical" in any specialty. In 1969, Clinical Pharmacy was linked with"patient orientation". Today Clinical Pharmacy denotes the practice of pharmacynear the bed side of the patient and is practiced by both hospital pharmacists andcommunity pharmacists.

The first scientific residency program in pharmacy in USA was developed byHarvey A.K. Whitney at University of Michigan hospital in 1927.

Due to the innovative thinking of people like Paul F Parker, many clinicalpharmacy activities were introduced in pharmacy in the 1960s.

Inspired from the success of Whitneys experiment on Drug Information Center inMichigan University, Paul F Parker opened the first Drug Information Center ata Pharmacy School in 1962. Other Universities like the University of Kentuckyhad also

taken leading roles in developing Clinical Pharmacy programs in the world.

The first unit dose distribution program in a hospital set up in USA was initiatedat the University of Kentucky in 1965. In 1968 the pharmacy residency programwas started at

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University of Kentucky which helps to award both Pharm.D degree and residencycertificates to the students.

The introduction of Post graduate programs in hospital pharmacy, clinicalpharmacy and starting of Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) programs contributedpositively for the development and popularisation of pharmacy practice in USAand other countries.

What is Doctor of Pharmacy or Pharm.D 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) orDoctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) in USA or equal qualifications in othercountries.

Today Pharm.D became a global program available in all most all countries inthe 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 theUniversity/ College levels.

In some countries like Hungry,Netherland, Portugal etc. It is a post graduateprogram

while in yet other countries Pharm.D is considered as superior to mastersqualification and post graduates are admitted to the program. During the last fewyears ,Pharm. D

became popular even in the Middle East countries.

Through the Pharm.D programs the pharmacists are trained to become active andintegral members of the patient care team. Increasing emphasis on improvingquality of medication use and enhancing medication safety have dramaticallyincreased the demand for clinical pharmacy and the Pharm.D program in allparts of the world.

The ward rounds, clinical postings, clerkship and the residency are the corecomponents of the Pharm.D program. It is through these the students getaccustomed to real hospital practice situation and oriented to the evidence basedtherapy concepts.

The clinical rotations provide students the opportunity to apply knowledgeacquired in the classroom to the practice of pharmacy in different patient caresettings.The Universities and pharmacy schools through the Pharm.D programprepare pharmacists who can assume expanded responsibilities in the care of

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patients and assure the provision of rational and effective drug therapy both inpublic and private set ups. ThePharm.D students are provided with theopportunity to gain experience in patient care in close relationships with healthpractitioners like physicians, nurses, biochemists,nutritionists and other healthcare professionals.The Universities conducting the program have to continuouslyenhance the curriculum with new courseofferings that reflect the pharmacist'simportance as a frontline health care provider.

Problem- based learning and active exposure to clinical opportunities will help thestudents attain necessary skills and personalize the education to reflect theirindividual interests and professional goals.

The Pharm.D program combines rigorous basic science education with extensiveand varied clinical and pharmacy practice experiences. It helps the graduates tocontribute positively for revolutionizing the future of health care through newdiscoveries and innovations to improve patient lives.

The Universities conducting the program have to continuously enhance thecurriculum

with new course offerings that reflect the pharmacist's importance as a frontlinehealth care provider.

The Pharm.D is not equal to doctor of philosophy (PhD) and is intended forpeople who want to practice as pharmacists. The Pharm.D people are in a betterposition to pursue

for the PhD in matters related to health care and drug therapy aspects comparedto

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 wantto practice as pharmacists. The Pharm.D curriculum is designed to producepharmacists who have the abilities and skills necessary to achieve outcomes relatedto pharmaceutical care to patients, and ensure safe and effective drug therapy withthe support of professional pharmaceutical knowledge and information.

First Pharm . D Course and its impact in Pharmacy education

The Pharm.D program as it is understood and popularized today, originated as aninnovation program of University of Southern California (USC) in 1950 as a sixyear program. The USC is a private research University in USA established in1880 with its main campus in Los Angeles, California. USC started its firstPharmacy School - USC School of Pharmacy - in Southern California in 1905.

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The takeoff of the Pharm.D in USA was not smooth and resistance free.

It has to face some unfriendly reactions and resistances from certain corners withinthe country. In 1955, the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) alsostarted Pharm. D and by 1960 many other Universities in USA startedPharm.D. It took about two decades for getting Pharm. D popularized in USAand other parts of the world. Those who opposed the program in the beginninglater started welcoming it and by 1970s students from other countries joined theprogram in large number. In 1973 UCSF started Department of ClinicalPharmacy as an independent unit which was responsible for the development ofthe first clinical pharmacy curriculum in the world. Today the clinical pharmacyresidency program of UCSF is the largest in USA

The US authorities adopted Pharm.D as a national professional degree programby 1980s. In 1992, the American Association of College of Pharmacy (AACP)and other pharmacy professional organizations took a joint decision to makePharm D as the minimum requirement for practice of Pharmacy in USA. TheAccreditation Council for Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE), the nationalorganization that accredits pharmacy degree courses, also endorsed the decision.For the next few years they were jointly doing the homework for implementationof the decision.

All the existing pharmacists with B.Pharm / B.S and M.Pharm qualificationswere provided sufficient opportunities to take Pharm.D through various modulesin the 1990s. The Universities framed their own modules for part- time anddistance/ e-learning process of Pharm.D for existing licensed pharmacists.

Till 1998 both B.S (Pharmacy) and Pharm.D programs of 5 year duration wereconducted in America. In 1998 orders were issued to all American Universities toreplace their B.S (Pharmacy) and B.Pharm with Pharm.D focusing on clinicaland community pharmacy practice. Since the graduating class of 2006, the BSPharm / B.Pharm degree has been completely replaced by Pharm.D degree inUSA ( Carrie 2008). All these developments have positively influenced thepharmacy educational institutions and authorities in other countries in the worldto take proper precautions in their education system. Today Pharm.D or itsequivalent degree is required to sit for the North American Pharmacist LicensureExamination (NAPLEX), one component of the licensure process required topractice as a pharmacist in U.S. states

Professional status of Pharmacy after Pharm. D

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The Gallup poll in USA is well known among professionals all over the world. Itwas initiated by George Gallup in 1978 with the objective of evaluating variousprofessions which are supposed to serve humanity in the country. The mainquestion asked to the participants of the Gallup poll is "How would you rate thehonesty and ethical standards of people in these different fields? The Americansrate the honesty and ethical standards of 28 or more professions/ occupationssurveyed by the Gallup poll. The pharmacists are ranked in No 1 or No 2 positionsamong all professionals in USA for the last thirty or more years

A similar type of rating known as Morgan poll is conducted in Australia since1994. The Australians too rate their professions based on ethics and honesty. Thenursing profession and pharmacy were closely ranked as No 1 and 2 up to 2002.Since then there is always a tight fight between Pharmacy and Nursing for thefirst position. In Canada in 2012 Pharmacists were ranked at No 1 positionamong all professionals

This is not the case with USA or Australia or Canada alone. Throughout theworld where well regulated pharmacy education and practice systems are inexistence, pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences has emerged as a high profile,sought after profession. It is mainly because of the services, innovations andachievements in the areas of hospital, community and clinical pharmacies.

Pharmacy education in India

The pharmacy education in India is not very old. It was started at the Universitylevel

only in 1932 in Banaras Hindu University (BHU) by a thirty year old youth,Mahadeva Lal Schroff popularly known as M.L. Schroff. Originally it was a B.Sc. programme and got converted into a B.Pharm course in 1937. Schroff

could start pharmacy education in India just because of the encouragement andsupport he got from Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, a national figure who wasthe

The growth of pharmacy education in India was in bonsai style' till 1980s.

At the time of independence there were only five pharmacy colleges in the countrywhich increased to 16 by 1967. However during the period 2000 - 2008hundreds of new pharmacy degree colleges were started in India. The number ofdegree colleges increased to around 900 by 2009 and by 2013 there are about1500 pharmacy colleges imparting diploma, degree , M.Pharm, Pharm.D andPhD programs. Only about 15 per cent of the Indian Pharmacy Colleges are

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situated in the health care campus attached to the hospitals or medical institutionsand most of them are in the South Indian states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu andKarnataka. Right from 1950s, highly qualified graduate and post graduatepharmacists started working in the hospital pharmacies attached to majorhospitals like Medical colleges in India. They were engaged in different teachingpositions in the department of pharmacology and were well respected and acceptedby the medical professionals in those institutions. In the 1970s, someacademicians like Dr.P.C.Dandiya, Professors Gode and Gambir (Department ofPharmacology, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU), Prof. R.D. Kulkarni(Department of Pharmacology, Grant Medical College, Bombay) andDr.B.D.Miglani (Delhi University) tried to bring the evolution of clinicalpharmacy in the West, into the Indian pharmacy profession. However, clinicalpharmacy could make an impact in Indian pharmacy only by 1990s. Dr. B.D.Miglani, the father of Indian Hospital Pharmacy and a living giant of pharmacypractice in the country was responsible for starting the first post graduate coursein

Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy in India in Delhi College of Pharmacy( nowknown as DIPSAR) in 1984. In 1996 C MC Vellore started a post graduatediploma course in Clinical Pharmacy and in the next year ( 1997) the J.S.SHospital & College of Pharmacy Mysore started a post graduate programme(M.Pharm) in Pharmacy Practice giving special importance to ClinicalPharmacy.

In the next 5 years period, many institutions in India, from various states andUniversities, (K.M.College of Pharmacy, Madurai; Periyar College of PharmacyTrichy;

SRIPMS, Coimbatore; JSS Ooty;Govt. Medical College. Trivandrum; AnnamalaiUniversity, Chidambaram, College of Pharmacy, Manipal; KLEs College ofPharmacy, Belgaum; Al Ameen College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, HamdardCollege of Pharmacy, Delhi, NIPER, Chandigarh etc.) Initiated similar postgraduate programmes in Pharmacy Practice. By 2013, there are over 100institutions in India imparting such programs. The important pharmacyeducation programs currently offered in India include

i)Diploma in pharmacy (D.Pharm, a 2 year program after 10+2)

ii)Bachelor of pharmacy (B.Pharm, a 4 year program after 10+2)

iii)Master of pharmacy ( M.Pharm, a 2 year program after B.Pharm)

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iv)Doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D, a 6 year program after 10+2)

v)Doctor of Pharmacy ( Pharm.D) P.B. 3 year program after B.Pharm

vi)Doctor of philosophy (Ph.D, generally 3 years work after M.Pharm).

India is perhaps the only country in the world which is having a diploma course(D.Pharm) as the minimum qualification for registering as a professionalpharmacist with the statutory Council or agency for getting approval or license forthe practice of pharmacy. Other countries have made degree in pharmacy(B.Pharm /M.Pharm/Pharm.D) as the minimum qualification for the practice ofpharmacy.

In countries like US, one must have a Pharm D degree and then pass the statepharmacy licensure examination and complete pharmacy internship for a period(500-2000 Hrs. depending upon the individual states) for getting registered as apharmacist.

The pharmaceutical industry in India has attained tremendous growth anddevelopment during the last few decades. However the pharmacy practice is onlyin the developing stage. With growing internationalization of the pharmaceuticalindustry and the globalization of the pharmacy education program, the standardsof pharmacy education and pharmacy practice needs to be of world classstandards. Starting of Pharm. D in India The first effort to introduce Pharm.D inIndia was initiated in Trivandrum Government Medical College in 1999 when thesyllabus and regulations framed by K.G.Revikumar , the head of Hospital andClinical Pharmacy, of the Medical College with the help of some AmericanUniversities got approved by the Board of Studies and the Faculty of Medicine ofthe University of Kerala. However the program could not be started as Revikumarwas transferred to Calicut Medical College subsequently.It was designed as a postgraduate program aimed at moulding a team of young pharmacy practiceprofessionals and teachers

Immediately after starting Pharm.D, Annamalai University tried to establishsome tie-up with certain American Universities. In February 2009 Dr. JamesScott from Western University, California visited Annamalai University to studythe situation and the facilities available at the University for running theprogram. In that connection Dr. Scott visited and studied the facilities in someother centres in south India like Amrita School of Pharmacy (Amrita University,Kochi,Kerala), Alshifa College of Pharmacy (Kerala University of Health

21

Sciences), KLE College of Pharmacy ( KLE University, Belgaum) and SriRamachandra University, Porur, Chennai. The opportunity to popularise thePharm.D in India with the help of UGC and AICTE was not exploited and usedby PCI. Pharmacy professionals working in public Universities and Govt.institutions are not taking steps to popularise Pharm.D in the country.

By 2013 November, the PCI had given approval to over 140 institutionscovering states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP and Punjab for starting Pharm.D inIndia. Rajasthan, Punjab and UP have one each, Gujarat two and Maharashtrathree colleges. Out of them about 130 have already started the Pharm.Dprogram. However the fact that only four Government institutions - two inMaharashtra, one each in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, have startedPharm.D course. It shows that involvement of government institutions in thecourse is currently nominal and insignificant. In Maharashtra out of the threePCI approved institutions, two are in government sector one at Aurangabad andanother at Amarabati. In Tamil Nadu out of 18 institutions one, AnnamalaiUniversity, is in Government sector. In Kerala the Pharm.D was not started inTrivandrum Medical College even though they got the PCI approval in 2011.Some Pharmacy teachers propagate the message that it is a program designed forexporting Pharm.Ds to other countries and that it is designed for the rich andaffordable sections of society.

Table 1:Pharm.D Colleges in India approved by PCI (As on Oct 2013)

State Private Colleges Government Colleges

Uttar Pradesh 01 NIL

promote, popularise, encourage and support public sector institutions to startPharm.D. The involvement of government institutions is essential in popularisingand ensuring job opportunities for Pharm.D in India. After the 16th May 2008Gazette notification of Pharm.D, PCI invited first applications for startingPharm.D in India in July 2008 giving just one month time for the institutions toplan and apply for the course. Still they received about 50 applications frompharmacy colleges in states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.Inspections were conducted inAugust 2008 and in September PCI approved about twenty pharmacyinstitutions from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra andKerala for starting Pharm.D course from the

Subsequently few more institutions were approved for starting the program.Some22

of them were given the permission to start both Pharm.D and Pharm.D postbaccalaureate.

given to only such institutions which were conducting B.Pharm course for theprevious four years is not a wise

subjects (like anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmaceutics, pharmaceuticalchemistry, pharmacognosy

In some colleges both B.Pharm and Pharm.D classes are clubbed together forcertain subjects.There are no specific guidelines for practical, assignments,clerkship, internship and residencies.Hardly 15 per cent of Indian pharmacycolleges are situated in health care campus or attached to a hospital. As per the2008 Pharm.D Regulations of PCI

Pharm.D with 30 students intake. It can be either an own or a rented hospitalwith the support of an MOU. The hospital is needed for providing training,clerkship and residencies for the students. The tie-up or memorandum ofundertaking

Many Pharm.D colleges use the MOU only for PCI inspection purpose and not foracademic activities.

Community Pharmacies, Hospital Pharmacies, Clinical Pharmacies, ClinicalResearch including clinical trials,

The Indian community Pharmacies have to be made professional both in outlookand practice.

community and hospital pharmacies. Registered pharmacists alone should begiven licence and permission to establish and run community pharmacies. Thecurrent Pharm.D syllabus and Regulations give very little focus for employabilityof the graduates coming out of the Universities and schools/colleges of Pharmacy.Those who frame the syllabus and Regulations of a course should be responsible

like the parents of well brought up children. Why and for what purpose Pharm.Dwas introduced in India have to be reflected in the syllabus and Regulation.Students who join the course and spend six years at the universities should be ableto contribute positively for the development and

In countries where the Pharm.D program is well established and developed, theyhave by this time established a system for providing clerkship (rotationship),internship, residency and fellowship components of Pharm.D programs.

Unfortunately in India no existing facilities are available for such activities and23

the Pharm.D teachers are not trained or oriented for such works.

director, mentor etc. may be new to Indian pharmacy teachers. Students should belead to where they should be. Both clerkship and residency components of IndianPharm.D

needs to be made more effective to ensure placements in India. Clerkship andresidency should help for the acquisition and development of required professionalskills.

and should be developed as an excellent opportunity to find career path forPharm.Ds. Many of the students may stick with what they know and believe.However a few will be

prompted to step out of their comforts and traditional locations and dare to see adifferent and challenging side of practice because of Preceptorship and mentoring.Home infusion, geriatric care homes, prison pharmacy, pet animal pharmacy,satellite pharmacies, part-time pharmacies,

in the minds of Pharm.Ds during their clerkships, internships and residencies.Mentorship helps to support, inspire, motivate and guide students in bothprofessional and

personal growth and developments. Good mentorship is essential to polish thethinking power of students and prompt them for challenging and innovativeprofessional activities.

The term Preceptorship is well known to the American

Pharmacists and medical doctors right from the beginning of 20th century,though it was introduced in their nursing profession only in late 1970s. Howeverthe concept of preceptors and Preceptorship are new to Indian pharmacy

education.

Preceptorship implies one-to-one teaching leaning relationship involving anexperienced preceptor and a novice

Preceptor helps the preceptee to connect the link between the theory taught in classrooms and the practice set up in hospitals and communities. Clerkship forobtaining clerical workmanship in pharmacy practice aspects and will be verymuch useful during residencies. It is not equal to ward rounds or clinical postings.Clerkship is usually done outside own hospital while internship is within thehospital by performing in-house jobs. The clerkship co-ordinator or director willtake the students in small groups of 3-5 to other institutions including primary

24

health centres to speciality or superspeciality hospitals and pharmacies duringclerkship to acquire the skills for practice in various situations with the support ofdepartmental teachings and discussions.It is not a simple requirement forobtaining a degree.The work hours are that of full time job but with week-end andon-call works as decided by the clerkship director or administrator. Issues like whythe student cohort is divided into small groups for

clerkship/rotations or who can be appointed as a clerkship administrator/coordinator or director and what are their duties etc. need to be defined to IndianPharm.D teachers and students. Problem solving and decision makes skills haveto be developed in the students with the support of

clerkship and residencies.The course duration has to be re-designated as 5+ 1 =6years for Pharm.D regular program. Currently it is specified as 6 years. Sincethe students through P1 to P5 years of study acquire the skills for handing

public health, physiological investigations, biochemistry tests, lab datainterpretation etc. required for the hospital and community practice situations theycan contribute seriously for the hospital health care programs during the generalresidency in P6. They also have to practice hospital pharmacy and clinicalpharmacy in the hospitals.

Above all, the P6 Pharm.D have to act as preceptors and guides for all the juniorstudents. If properly utilised, they will be more effective in teaching and trainingjunior students

than their teachers.The students have to be paid proper stipend in P6 withoutcharging any tuition fee. For finding suitable jobs in Indian hospitals, thePharm.D have to be specialised in disciplines like Nephrology and Urology,Psychiatry, Neurology, Oncology, Dermatology, Paediatrics,

Endocrinology/ Diabetology etc.so that the concerned medical specialists will seektheir support for drug therapy and various clinical studies.The students have to bespecialised in the drugs used in those specialities.

The pharmaceutical industry in India has attained tremendous growth anddevelopment during the last few decades. So also the Pharmacy education.However the

pharmacy practice at community and hospital levels are not yet modernized andmade professional compared to international standards and practices. ThePharm.D

relationship between the pharmacy practice department and the health care25

professionals in the hospitals and community set ups.The Pharm.D students haveto exhibit their calibre, competence and capabilities in making the drug therapyand health care safer, cost- effective and user friendly. In hospitals, the practicingpharmacists, including pharmacy practice teachers, have to work in tandem withother health

care professionals.They have to acquire knowledge about other health careprofessions through interactions, discussions and team work. In spite of thenumber of deficiencies and weaknesses of the Indian Pharm.D programmes, theexperiences of the first 4 or 5 years of

Pharm.D in India show that it is a sought after pharmacy course in the country,though currently limited to certain south Indian states.

Students brilliant academic background and visions are joining the course Theeducated classes of people including the NRIs and internet information from acrossthe world help

of the profession and the professionals to help them materialise their dreams andlead them to a better tomorrow.

They need the leadership by teachers who are good and capable guides, influentialmentors and skilled preceptors

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About the author

Samrat Satyarnjan Paul successfully completed Pharm D(PB) course and 1yearof internship in the year 2014,from Navodaya Medical Hospital and Researchcenter, Raichur, under RGUHS. He did his schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya,Surat and passed SSC in 1999 and HSC in 2001. He did his graduation fromJ.L.Chaturvedi College Of Pharmacy under R.T.M Nagpur University. Hepassed B.Pharm in 2007. He appeared in many entrance exams in his course ofcareer : PMT, GATE, MHCET, GRE, IELTS. Then in 2010, he took admissionin Pharm D(PB) course which was then recently started by PCI. He got lateralentry directly into the 4th year of Pharm D.

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When in 5th year of Pharm D(PB), he did a six months period project on topic Drug Use Evaluation of Antibiotics used in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital,which was accepted in 64 IPC (INDIAN PHARMACEUTICALCONGRESS) for poster presentation.

He presented his own research paper titled Drug Use Evaluation of Antibioticsused in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in 64 IPC.

th

th

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He has publications in scientific journals:

2. Study on prescribing and administration of therapeutic aerosols in pediatricpulmonary disease at a private tertiary care teaching hospital in InternationalJournal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, IJPBS July-Sept 2013: 3(3);455-461

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He is a registered pharmacist under Gujarat State Pharmacy Council.

He is also a member of IPA (INDIAN PHARMACEUTICALASSOCIATION).

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WORK EXPERIENCE:

After he graduated in B.Pharm, he worked in Multinational PharmaceuticalCorporate Companies like Pfizer and Ranbaxy in their Sales department andpromoted their brand products.

Job description : Detailing of Higher Antibiotics and other drugs to Physiciansand General Practitioners, their uses, advantages, side effects, drug interactions,precautions, relevant clinical trials occurred and their significance etc,(Antibacterials - Clarithromycin, Azithromycin, Clindamycin and othercompetitor molecules); Painkillers like Piroxicam and competitors like Diclofenacand Aceclofenac; novel molecule like Vernaciline tartarate ; cough syrups;Antidepressants like Sertraline

Job description : associated with various activities like- detailing to doctors andphysicians the profiling of cardiac and diabetic products(medicines), mainly drugswhich belong to classes like Antihypertensives (Olmesartan, Nebivolol), Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (Voglibose), Biguanides (Metformin), Diuretics (Torsemide,Hydrochlorthiazide), HMG CoA Reductase Inhibitors (Atorvastatin), Fibric Acidderivative (Fenofibrate) and also the others that belong to other relatively pitted-against drugs or classes of drugs; conducting Diabetic Detection Camps ( bloodglucose test and HbA1c test) and Lipid Profile Testing camps in association withdoctors and physicians; conducting Outpatient department (OPD) camps andContinuous Medical education (CME) programs in association with doctors and

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physicians, dealing with retailers (medical stores), stockiest and CarryForwarding Agency (CFA).

He got an appraisal letter for his outstanding performance for the month of May2010 with over 110% achievement, on 7 June 2010, from Mr. Yugal Sikri,Country Head, India Region, Ranbaxy Labs Ltd.

After he completed his post graduation in Pharm D(PB), he worked in MedicalCoding sector like Medusind Solutions as a Content Analyst and also didoutsourcing job .

3) Company :Medusind Solutions

Duration : 13 Aug 2014 to present

Job description : Content Analyst

Pharmacotherapeutics, Patient Counselling , Clinical Research,Pharmacovigilance and Applied Clinical Pharmacokinetics. He is devoted to makethe concept of practicing clinical pharmacist a reality and promote pharmacist asan active and important health care professional. Pharmacists Care, no matterwhere!!!

Achievements

1 Participated in Intercollegiate Debate Competition held by IndianPharmaceutical Association.

th

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2 Got an appraisal letter for my performance for the month of May 2010 with over110% achievement, on 7th June 2010, from Mr. Yugal Sikri, Country Head,India Region, Ranbaxy Labs Ltd.

3 Attended 62nd and 64th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress held at ManipalUniversity, Manipal and SRM University, Chennai respectively.

4 Presented poster of my own research paper titled Drug Use Evaluation ofAntibiotics used in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in 64th IPC

5 Attended National Seminar on Recent trends in Clinical Research and DrugDiscovery held at Oxford College of Pharmacy, Bengaluru

6 Attended National Seminar on Recent trends in Clinical Research and DrugDiscovery held at KL College of Pharmacy, Bagalkot.

7 Attended seminar on Pharmacovigilance, organized by AbottPharmaceutical Company at NMCH and RC, Raichur.

8 Attended National Seminar on " Pharmaceutical Quality by design(QbD):Product and Process Development" organized by dept. of Pharmaceutics, NETPharmacy College, Raichur.

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career options for those with a degreein Pharmacy

Most of us think of pharmacists as the persons who are behind the counter whenwe go to a drug store with a prescription. While retail pharmacy is a commoncareer choice for pharmacists, there are many other options available to those whohave completed their Pharm.D degree and the necessary licensure requirements.Although there are a variety of practice settings, compensation remains relativelyconsistent across all of these employment options with minor variations accordingto hours of work and call.

Retail Pharmacy/ Chemists

A pharmacist in medical retail store prepares and dispenses drugs on prescriptionto the general consumer. With the growing availability of pre-packaged doses, thepharmacists now monitor the drug sale on the basis of prescriptions and dosageand give over-the-counter advice on how to use the prescribed drugs.

In the retail sector pharmacists run chemist's shops. As medical representatives,they inform and educate medical practitioners about the potential uses of the drugor health product and its administration along with the side effects or precautionsfor its use. The job entails regular visits to medical practitioners, hospitals, clinics,nursing homes, health centres. There is usually a lot of touring to be done in thiscase.

Hospital Pharmacy

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The primary role of a hospital pharmacist is to provide medication and medicationmanagement services to patients who are hospitalised or are visiting hospital-based clinics, and to provide medication services to health professionals who carefor patients in the hospital set up.

Hospital pharmacists have exposure to many complicated and unique therapyneeds, including intravenous medication therapy, nutrition, and the specific needsof newborns and the elderly. Pharmacists in the practice find working with otherhealth professionals, work variety and focused clinical care opportunity rewarding.This is the second most common practice area.

Industrial Pharmacy

While most firms are involved in the production of pre-formulated preparations, agrowing number of firms are developing new formulations through autonomousresearch work. Industrial pharmacists carry out clinical trials, where drugs aretested for safety and effectiveness work in research and development to develop newformulations the production job entails management and supervision of theproduction process, packaging, storage and delivery work in marketing, sales andquality control.

In addition to the many opportunities for graduates in the many areas ofpharmacy practice there are increasing numbers of opportunities within thepharmaceutical industry in advanced and specialised areas, as the depth andbreadth of education in pharmacy increases opportunities in industry. Thisincludes the promotion of pharmaceuticals to health professionals, marketing,

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development of new drugs and dosage forms, clinical studies in patients,monitoring pharmaceutical use on a population scale, and managing regulatoryand legal issues.

Government Services

Pharmacists are hired within the central and state government departments - theHealth Protection Branch of the Department of Health and Welfare, the PestControl Division of Agriculture, the Department of National Defense, ProvincialResearch Councils, and the Provincial Departments of Agriculture orEnvironment. There are employment opportunities available also within the foodand cosmetic industries or within any other industry that requires an assurancethat new products are as safe and effective as possible. In governmentdepartments, a pharmacist maintains proper records according to various Actsgoverning the profession.

Pharmaceutical Education

Many pharmacists work as faculty in colleges of pharmacy. These pharmacistsenjoy influencing the future of pharmacy by educating future pharmacists andmay participate in direct patient care and/or scientific research as well. Academicpharmacist practice has its rewards in disseminating and discovering new ideasthat change medication use, pharmacist practices and healthcare policy. Career asa teacher is satisfying as it allows interaction with people, especially students, andprovides them with the flexibility to pursue their own ideas in the field.

Nuclear Pharmacy

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Nuclear pharmacists are responsible for measuring and delivering radioactivematerials which are used in digital imaging (MRI, CT, etc) and other proceduresin medical offices and hospitals. Due to the nature of the radioactive materials andhow they are handled, nuclear pharmacists are typically required to start eachwork day very early, sometimes pre-dawn, as the radioactive materials must bedelivered within a few hours of their use, or they lose their effectiveness

Clinical Research

Recently, Clinical research has also opened its door for B.Pharma graduates asmedical underwriter, CRO, data validation associate, clinical research associateetc. A clinical research associate plays an important role in monitoring andoverseeing the conduct of clinical trials, which are conducted on healthy humanvolunteers. They have to see that the trials meet the international guidelines andthe national regulatory requirements.

The primary role of a community pharmacist is to provide medication andmedication related services to patients. In most settings, pharmacists provideprescription drug services to their community of patients, working with thepatients and a broad spectrum of healthcare providers to achieve the best possiblehealthcare outcome of medication.

Quality Control & analysis

A pharmacy graduate can play a crucial role in controlling product quality as ananalytical chemist or a quality control manager. The Drug and the Cosmetics Act(1945), Rules 71(1) and 76(1) says that the manufacturing activity should betaken up under the supervision of a technical man whose qualification should be BPharmA, B Sc, B Tech or medicine with Bio-Chemistry.

Research and Development

New and expanding knowledge in healthcare and biomedical sciences providestremendous opportunities for the pursuit of research careers for pharmacists.Graduates with Pharm.D degree can pursue a research career directly or go in foradditional education either in the form of residency and fellowship training or informal graduate programmes leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

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With a clinical focus one can be involved in the conduct and analysis of large-scalehuman drug studies in academic, industrial, and governmental settings.Pharmacists are also highly qualified to pursue additional training in business,public health, or pharmaceutical socioeconomics in order to become involved inresearch in drug utilisation, healthcare outcomes, and the provision of pharmacyservices.

Sales and Marketing

Ambitious achievers with pleasant personality and good communication skills canopt for the job of Medical Sales Representative. Companies prefer pharmacygraduates for this job, as they have a good knowledge about the drug molecules,their therapeutic effects and the drug -drug interactions.

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Changing Trends in Global PharmacyWorkforce

INTRODUCTION

Increased demand for health services and increasing expectations to servicedelivery have a significant effect in shaping work dynamics.Contemporary issuessurrounding the global pharmacy workforce identified from the literature's includethe importance of working conditions and job satisfaction, wide range of supplyand demand factors affecting the workforce and migrations.To support growth inthe establishment of pharmacy practice and its aspiration for increased patientfocused care, work force needs another trends will need to be factored intopharmaceutical service development plans.

Global Policy Context

The worlds health workforce is facing significant challenges with a shortage ofmore than FOUR million health workers worldwide. The global health workerscrisis is possibly the greatest health system constraint on countries seeking to meettheir 2015 millennium development goals (MDGs). Increased demand for healthservices and increasing expectations for service delivery has changed the health

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workforce issues have generated huge interest and international action to bringabout change. -World health report 2006

In order to meet the MDGs, had laid revolutionary change in every sector ofhealthcare system in accelerating, delivering and planning the future health careprofessional not only to national needs but also to global health innovations.

In many countries, pharmacists are the most accessible of all health care workersand a such play a key role in the delivery of health care services, particularly thesafe distribution of medicines at all levels. In an era of rapidly accelerating changein health care delivery, the roles of pharmacists are constantly being redefined, asroles, competency, and training requirements change.Thus, understanding thecurrent workforce and the factors that influence it are key components to humanresource planning in pharmacy. As the recent report from the Office of The ChiefPharmacist of US, a health system improvement that is well supported by theevidence-base is to maximize the expertise and scope of pharmacists in minimizeexpansion barriers for an already existing and successful upgrading the healthcare delivery models in USA, Canada, Australia and Great Britain. There is alsoa need for countries to model their workforce needs based on predicted futureprovision of services and care, roles and responsibilities of the pharmacy supportworkforce, increased use of technology, the advancement of biotechnology andpersonalized medicine, demographic changes, and future patterns of working allwhile ensuring there is a sustainable academic workforce to maintain the supply ofsuitably trained pharmacists.

Work Condition & Job Satisfaction

The level of job satisfaction among pharmacy personnel is an important indicatorof staff turnover and retention. A number of studies found female pharmacists holdhigh levels of job satisfaction compared with their male counterparts.Other factorsidentified as increasing pharmacist retention were good remuneration, goodrelationships with co-workers, and flexible schedules. Factors increasing staffturnover included high stress, insufficient or unqualified staff, and poorsalary.Evidence also suggests that pharmacists engaged in shift work mightpresent unique characteristics, which has implications for labour supply andpharmacy services delivery.

Workforce development: Education, training, & leadership

Continuing professional development (CPD) has the potential to be useful inpharmacy workforce revalidation. Pharmacy professionals on the whole agreedwith the principle of engaging with CPD, but there was little evidence to suggest

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widespread and wholehearted acceptance and uptake of CPD, essential forrevalidation.Direct experience of effective CPD in the absence of perceived barrierscould impact personal and professional development and patient benefit, thusstrengthening personal beliefs in the value of CPD.

Supply and demand issues: Current status & future directions Increased demandand limited supply of pharmacists constrains the ability of the workforce toexpand. Many different supply and demand factors that influence the pharmacyprofession were identified, the majority of which were common to most countries.

Supply and demand issues: Current status & future directions The most commonfactors increasing demand for pharmacists were increased feminisation, increasedclinical governance measures through continually reviewing and improving thequality of patient care, increased numbers of prescriptions, and increasedcomplexity of medication therapy. The most common factors mitigating demandfor pharmacists included increased use of technology, expansion in the numbersand roles of pharmacy technicians, and increased numbers of pharmacy graduates.

Pharmacy workforce migration

There is greater migration from less-developed countries to more-developedcountries. The pharmacist workforce from African and Asian countries wasdisproportionately affected by migration. Significant number of pharmacists fromdeveloping countries migrate to the developed world; however, the extent of suchmigration was not properly captured. Postulated reasons for migration includebetter remuneration, joining or supporting family, political and social instability,poor living conditions, poor working conditions and management, unsafeenvironment, further training and qualifications, and job opportunities andsatisfaction.

Conclusion

The current challenges affecting the global pharmacy workforce in ensuringequitable access and responsible use of safe, effective and quality medicines. Thepresent status states that there is a huge paradigm shift from the past to currentPharmacy profession leading in the developed countries for more advancement andthe developing countries upgrading for the better services with new branches inmanaging future needs in delivering of the health services. But still many skillfulpharmacists are needed to strengthen the workforce in the Global Pharmacy.

Source: Global workforce Report 2012

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42

why one should consider Pharm Dprogramme?

Different people have different career dreams. Just like any other career, pharmacyis not as easy as it seems. This is especially considering the fact that you will haveto work really hard first before you can get your degree. Nevertheless, it is correctto say that every moment of it is worth your effort. This is because pharmacyoffers you a wide range of career opportunities in the different health sectors.

Pharm.D simply refers to a six year doctorate program in pharmacy. Differentcountries have different policies and in some countries this is considered as a firstprofessional doctorate degree in pharmacy and the grandaunts can be given thelicense to exercise their profession. The health care industry is very vital. A doctorof pharmacy is intended to prepare the students for different responsibilities aspharmaceutical care, research, pharmaceutical science and health policy andmanagement among others.

With the many job opportunities contracted for this career, it is correct to say thatthe Pharm.D programs are one of the most marketable syllabuses globally.Positions are usually available in research facilities in different universities,

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hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and advisory boardsamong many other places. Such programs will usually differ from the regularPhD which is usually theoretical to a research based degree.

You can get your doctorate in pharmacy from the different universities across theglobe. While a simply degree in pharmacy is acceptable, today, more and morepeople would prefer to graduate with a Doctors in pharmacy especially due to thetight competition in the career opportunities available.

A Pharm.D degree is intended to equip you with all the knowledge necessary forany pharmaceutical field of practice. What is more, students are also endowedwith the necessary health care skills which are going to come in handy once theystart practicing.

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Pharm D the No. 1 employer inMedical Research !!!

OR Ideally it should be Pharmaceutical Research.The pharmacy community contributes to biomedicine at multiple levels includingeducation, scholarly activity, and service through patient care. Pharm.D have abroad base of knowledge in pharmacology, including pharmacokinetics,pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenetics, pharmacotherapy,pharmacoepidemiological and pharmacoeconomics, as well as a strongunderstanding of human metabolism, transport, and elimination. Because ofsignificant interest in clinical research questions related to drug development andtherapeutics, the field of pharmacy is in a unique position to conduct researchtoward achieving the goal of individualized prescription drug therapy. With theability to envision translational endpoints, Pharm.D is a valuable component ofthe current biomedical research enterprise.

Pharmaceutical scientists can offer unique perspectives to clinical and translationalresearch, such as introducing and integrating pharmacogenomic approaches andmethods to clinical trials in various disease areas. In addition, Pharm.Dresearchers can play an important bridging role between clinical investigators whomay not otherwise find each other. Broad training in physiology and drugmetabolism enables Pharm.D scientists to pursue research interests in a range oftherapeutic areas, including but not limited to oncology, cardiology, HIV/AIDS,liver disease, and health services research. Pharmaceutical scientists that arecurrently conducting studies in these areas provided brief accounts of theirresearch, described their own career paths, and offered suggestions onstrengthening the Indian Pharm.D researcher pipeline.

Despite a wide range of individual career trajectories, these successfulpharmaceutical researchers all viewed certain characteristics of their training aspivotal to their becoming productive, independent scientists. These include i) high-quality mentoring, ii) grant-writing education and experience, iii) exposure torigorous research, and iv) clinical acumen acquired through practice experience.

Leading pharmaceutical scientists have followed diverse paths to yield successfulresearch careers

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Historically, most of the trailblazers in pharmacy research discovered their interestand compatibility with scientific investigation relatively late in the game. Mostreported that they turned to research after realizing that manufacturing &dispensing alone was not sufficient to hold their interest. Many also weredissatisfied with the lack of a literature basis for pharmacy practice. Once theseinvestigators chose to pursue a research career, a common thread to their eventualsuccess was the significant value of mentoring (occasionally from outside theprofession). Whether on-site or from a distance, mentoring is an essentialcomponent of the professional development of junior investigators. Throughcontinual nurturing from experienced investigators, junior scientists acquire thenecessary professional skills for succeeding in research, such as grant-writing andmanuscript preparation. Mentoring Pharm.D students from current level shouldalso include a focus on raising awareness about clinical research opportunities andplay their role in interpreting the research.

Pharm.D aspirants have a wide range of research exposure and career interests inacademia and industry

Some students plan to pursue Ph.D. after earning their Pharm.D degree, whereasothers obtain research experience through some type of post graduate diploma inresearch after receiving a Pharm.D degree. There is some debate about the valueof each type of training approach in our country, but general consensus exists thatwhen it comes to training, one size does not fit all. Speakers agreed that a solidbasic science education and meaningful clinical experience were both importantingredients of a successful pharmacy researcher.

For those students who focus on research, individual preference as well as researchinterest and skills will influence whether that graduate suits his employment inacademia, industry, or other venues such as the government. One reality ismoney: Every graduate who had the thought to accumulate into the industry

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after his Pharm.D degree will find a high-paying position in industry in future. Itis also important to recognize that emerging Pharm.D graduates will surely drawtheir importance and contribution to industry irrespective of other concerns.Pharm.D's had the opportunity to play key leadership roles in contract researchorganizations (CROs), pharmacovigilance, health policy makers, pharmaceuticalfirms, and biotechnology companies in their careers.

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THE STRUGGLE

Whims of my mind:

Why is it so that in India, the Pharm D course has been initially started in SouthIndian states only?

So many regulatory bodies and governing bodies in pharmacy education

PCI(Pharmacy Council Of India) and AICTE(All India Council for technicaleducation) are the governing bodies in the pharmacy education , keeping in mindthe compounding and dispensing as well as the technical aspects involved inPharmaceutical Engineering .

Now with the advent of Pharm D course in pharmacy, which is clinically oriented6 years course in pharmacy and the syllabus is designed such as first 3 years aresame as B.Pharm ( compounding and dispensing oriented) and next 2 years aresame as MD Pharmacology (medically and clinically oriented) and 1 year ofinternship in an attached (minimum- 300 beded) hospital , one may expect MCI(medical council of India) to get into the thick of the matters.

As it requires an affiliation with a hospital( minimum 300 beded), to getapproval for an pharmaceutical institute from PCI to conduct the course , onemust expect MCI(medical council of India) also to get involved as a regulatoryand governing body.

PCI governs courses like : D.Pharm

B.Pharm

Pharm D and Pharm D(PB)

AICTE governs courses like : B.Pharm( jointly with PCI)

M.Pharm

Now one must expect PCI and MCI may jointly govern Pharm D and PharmD(PB)

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But no, its not a rational thinking on my part. MCI will get involve only whenthe course is a medical one or may be when the professional doctor is dealing witha body part.

So, its fair enough that MCI is not involved into these matters.

Is Pharm D or PharmD(PB) is a professional doctorate degree or an academicdoctorate degree?

This source of notification seems to be quite authentic:Check it out!!!

To All Universities.

Sub: Clarification on Pharm.D qualification.

Sir/Madam

With reference to the subject cited above, I directed to inform that subject citedissue was considered by the 88th /CC in its meeting held in August, 2011 &decided to forward a clarification to all universities that Pharm.D is a PGqualification and passed out students can directly register for Ph.D.

This is for information.

Yours faithfully

Sd/-

(ARCHNA MUDGAL)

Registrar-cum-Secretary

Nav/14-

However tangentile feeling is as if its a UG course and a professional doctorate.

I think this should be done" A bridge course for connecting Pharm D and MBBS"

I think this should be done : " A bridge course for connecting Pharm D andMBBS". This shall allow to produce talents and experts who have amalgamated,comprehensive knowledge of all the 3 most important aspects of healthcare whichare medicine( for diagnosis of disease), pharmacy( for authentic knowledge ofmedications for prescription writing) and surgery (of course for operations). Thishas to definitely improve and enhance quality of patient-care manyfolds . Why weshall always follow USA or western setups of education and service systems?They are good no doubt, as they are rich countries with large budgets forhealthcare; but sometimes we must take initiatives and become leaders and

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provide path-breaking or a new-path setting grounds for others to follow.

Therefore I wrote a mail to secretory of MCI (secretary@mciindia.org), requestingfor the same. It goes as follows:

Respected Sir/Madam,

I am currently pursuing 2nd year of PharmD (Post baccalaureate), which is arelatively a new curriculum started by PCI since 2008 and which is clinicallyoriented pharmacy. Up till now pharmacy in India was industry oriented i.e.pharmacist was more into manufacturing,sales,research of discovery of novelmolecules and invention of formulations etc.But now with the advent of PharmD,it has become clinically oriented i.e. now a pharmacist is given an opportunity,allowed and equipped to play a role in direct patient care, giving pharmaceuticalcare.

Madam, PharmD syllabus framed by PCI contains many pharmacy relatedsubjects along with the subjects which are present in common in both MBBS andPharmD curriculum, i.e. subjects like anatomy and physiology (a lot lesser of it isthere in PharmD), Pathophysiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology,Biopharmaceutics (a lot more of it is there in PharmD).

Madam, I have a great respect for MBBS course and for physicians and surgeons.And I am currently 29 year old man. This is to ask you whether its feasible/possible that a new course/curriculum may be framed and started by MCI withintwo to three years, which can bridge this gap between PharmD and MBBS.Thatis, a bridge-course(of 3years duration) which shall allow a PharmD graduate tobe certified as MBBS,upon successfully completion of such a course. This maybring a new input, perspective and vision in patient care, to MBBS/physician aswell as provide an opportunity, encourage, help fulfil dreams and strongaspirations of human beings like me, who wish to study such a curriculum, get amedical license, be a physician and earnestly want to play that very role in thehealthcare system, at this stage and age of our lives.

May all this come into effect for the 2014-2015 session.

Hoping for an encouraging, enlightening and positive reply on this request fromyou.

Yours truly,

Samrat Paul

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another letter in the scheme of things- further

To DATE: 27/03/2012

PLACE:RAICHUR

The Registrar,

Rajiv Gandhi University Of Health Sciences,Karnataka

Bangalore,

Subject:Immediate attention for correction & inclusion of subjects for pharm D(PB) course-reg

Through: The Principal, N.E.T Pharmacy College Raichur.

Respected Sir,

We are the Pharm-D(Post Baccalautreate) students(2010-2013) pursuing thecourse from NET Pharmacy College Raichur under RGUHS.

According to Pharm-D (Post Baccalaureate) regulations 2008 mentioned inRAJIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, Karnataka, thescheme of Examination for Pharm-D(Post Baccalaureate) Course, given in pageno. 4,the subject Hospital and Community pharmacy(serial no.1.5) is alreadymentioned to be included in the First Year(Fourth year of Pharm-D course). Butinstead the above subject, Biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics(serial no. 4.5)has been included, as given in table (First year Post baccalaureate-Fourth year ofPharm-D course) on page no.2.

This is to inform you that, at our B.Pharm syllabus under various Universitieswe didnt had subjects of Hospital & Community Pharmacy, andPathophysiology. These subjects are the basic and fundamental subjects for aPharm-D(PB) course, upon which other subjects are based e.g.:Pharmacotherapeutics I,II,and III are related with Pathophysiology. Thoughthese subjects are included in the Pharm D(6yr-regular) university syllabus in2nd year, where as these are not included in Pharm D(PB) RGUHS syllabus.Sir, this is to bring to your notice that these above subjects are very important foran aspirant clinical pharmacist to understand the basics and are the essence of thePharm D(PB) course.

All of us students of Pharm D(PB) also had not studied either of these twosubjects or one or none in our B.Pharm syllabus under our respective universities.

Sir, without having these 2 basic clinically oriented subjects

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(1.Hospital&Community Pharmacy) and 2. Pathophysiology our course wont bevalid and valued.

We request you to kindly consider our appeal and make suitable amendments inthe existing Pharm.D(PB) Syllabus by adding these 2 basic subjects, effectivefrom this academic year, so that we all Pharm D(PB) students may cover all therequired core subjects under our syllabus which will enable us to be at par withPharm D(6yr-regular) students who already have these subjects in theirsyllabus. This may also enable us to be eligible for appearing in competitive examsat international level. Hence we shall get better jobs and opportunities globally.

We hope our request will be considered favorably and implemented at the earliest.

Thanking You,

Yours Sincerely,

Pharm D(Post Baccalaureate) students,

2010-13 batch

N.E.T PC Raichur.

ENCLOSURES: 1. List of Pharm D(PB) students of N.E.T Pharmacy College,who completed B.Pharm . from various universities (including RGUHS) withsubjects not studied in their B.Pharm.

2. The remarks of our faculty on addition of subjects in Pharm D(PB) syllabus. .3. FPGEC bulletin 2011. Copy to: 1. Dean, Faculty Of Pharmacy, RGUHS,Bangalore. . 2. Chairman; BOS, Faculty Of , RGUHS, Bangalore.

RGUHS must add these basic,fundamental,core,clinically oriented subjects

5 out of 7 PharmD(PB) students in my class in NET Pharmacy college, Raichurunder RGUHS didnt had pathophysiology in their B.Pharm and which is stillmissing in our Pharm D(PB) syllabus. all us students come from background ofB.pharm from different PCI recognised colleges from different universities likeRTM Nagpur University, Nagarjuna (ANU),Osmania, and Jaipur.

And all of us 7 students didnt had Community Pharmacy and same goes missingfrom our Pharm D(PB) syllabus.

Also same is the case with Hospital pharmacy. this subject has also not been inthe syllabus of many of the students.

If these fundamental,core, and clinically oriented subjects are not included in our52

syllabus atleast by 2nd year of our Pharm D(PB) syllabus, then we will be thesufferers.

PCI and RGUHS are equally responsible for PharmD and PharmD(PB) aswell

request additions in Pharm D(PB) syllabus

Samrat Paul

final draft which we are posting to PCI

To DATE: 03/06/2011

The Registrar,

Rajiv Gandhi University Of Health Sciences,

Bangalore,

...

Subject: Request for additions in Pharm. D(Post Baccalaureate) syllabus.

Through: The Principal, N.E.T Pharmacy College Raichur.

Respected Sir,

We are the Pharm D(PB) students pursuing the course from NET PharmacyCollege Raichur under RGUHS. We did our B.Pharm course from variousuniversities (including RGUHS).

This is to inform you that in our B.Pharm syllabus under various Universities wedidnt had subjects of Pathophysiology, Hospital Pharmacy & CommunityPharmacy. These subjects are the basic and fundamental subjects for a Pharm Dcourse, upon which other subjects are based e.g.: Pharmacotherapeutics I,II,andIII are related with Pathophysiology. Though these subjects are included in thePharm D(6yr) university syllabus in 2nd year, where as these are not included inPharm D(PB) RGUHS syllabus. Sir, this is to bring to your notice that thesesubjects are very important for an aspirant clinical pharmacist to understand thebasics and are the essence of the Pharm D and Pharm D(PB) course.

Moreover, considering the above facts, few deemed universities have placed thesesubjects in their current syllabus of Pharm D (PB) with Hospital andCommunity Pharmacy clubbed as a single subject. So that students who takeadmission in these universities for pursuing Pharm D(PB) after completion oftheir B.Pharm course from other universities, get a chance to study these subjects,

53

give exams and hence get certified by them.See More

All of us students of Pharm D(PB) also had not studied either of these threesubjects or two or none in our B.Pharm syllabus under our respective universities.

Even B.Pharm syllabus of RGUHS has kept these subjects optional (HospitalPharmacy, Community Pharmacy). So those B.Pharm students of RGUHS whoopted oth...er subjects rather than above two mentioned subjects in their course ,wont get an opportunity to study these subjects if they choose to pursue Pharm D(PB) course after the completion of their B.Pharm from our University .Sir, werequest you to please add these three subjects atleast in Pharm D(PB)2nd yrsyllabus before we PASS OUT by 2013.

Also FPGEC Application bulletin 2011 made it clear that they will certify PharmD(PB) students only under limited circumstances where the degree obtained andcoursework completed to obtain the degree satisfactorily show that the candidateobtained experience in patient care in a clinical pharmacy practice setting, on acase by case basis, after they are assured that the student has got good exposure ina good clinical set up, by looking into the transcripts. Consideration of postbaccalaureate degrees and whether they may be applicable to determine theminimum required curriculum length will be made on a case-by-case basis at thesole discretion of the FPGEC(copy enclosed).

Sir, without having these 3 basic clinically oriented subjects (1. Pathophysiologyand 2. Hospital & Community Pharmacy clubbed as single subject) and therespective practicals in hospital and community pharmacy, in the RGUHSsyllabus of Pharm D (PB), there are rare chances for Pharm D(PB) students ofRGUHS being certified by FPGEC. T...herefore we may not be approved toappear for competitive exams like FPGEE, Naplex etc.

We request you to kindly consider our appeal and make suitable amendments inthe existing Pharm.D(PB) Syllabus by adding these 3 basic subjects, effectivefrom the academic year 2011 12, so that we all Pharm D(PB) students maycover all the required core subjects under our syllabus which will enable us to be atpar with Pharm D(6yr) students who already have these subjects in theirsyllabus. This may also enable us to be eligible for appearing in competitive examsat international level. Hence we shall get better jobs and opportunities globally.

We hope our request will be considered favorably and implemented at the earliest.

Thanking You,

Yours Sincerely,

54

Pharm D(PB) students,

2010-11 batch

N.E.T PC Raichur.See More

ENCLOSURES: 1. List of Pharm D(PB) students of N.E.T Pharmacy College,who completed B.Pharm . from various universities (including RGUHS) withsubjects not studied in their B.Pharm.

2. The remarks of our faculty on addition of sub...jects in Pharm D(PB) syllabus.. 3. FPGEC bulletin 2011. Copy to: 1. Dean, Faculty Of Pharmacy, RGUHS,Banglore. . 2. Chairman; BOS, Faculty Of , RGUHS, Banglore.See More

rubbish from PCI: why one must correlate internship fees issue with stipend tointerns issue?

Ref. No. 14-218/2013-PCI/80899-81004 Dated:28 feb, 2013

ALL INSTITUTIONS APPROVED BY PCI FOR THE CONDUCT OFPHARM. D / PHARM. D (P.B) COURSE.

Sub.: Stipend for Pharm. D Students during internship.

Sir/Madam

With reference to the subject cited above, it is stated that there have been a strongdemand from the students undergoing Pharm D course that they should be paidStipend during the 6th year (internship) and in case Stipend is not paid they maybe exempted from payment of fee during the internship period.

It is requested that your comments on the above demand may be sent to thiscouncil within 15 days to examine the matter further.

Yours faithfully

Sd/-

(ARCHNA MUDGAL)

Registrar-cum-

This letter/ common circular from PCI is rubbish.This is so confusing- first of allthe institutions should not expect fees for the internship year, which is acustomary thing for other healthcare courses: may it be medical, dental,physiotherapy or nursing students- no body pays for the internship year. So whyshould one must co- relate the internship year fee with the stipend? Both are

55

totally different things and un related. A Pharm D student must get stipend andmust not be forced to give the fee for the Intenship year. This is so wrong!!!

I just wonder Whats the poor status of an organization like PCI- it simply has noauthority or upperhand over its approved institutions. It actually doesnt has anycontrol over these institutions.

Everything regarding PCI's Pharm D course is confusing and wrong- nofollowing of customary things and common morality

According to a recent common circular to all pharmaceutical institutions by PCIregistrar, which says and demands a report from all institutions about a strongdemand from Pharm D students regarding providing stipend. This circular fromPCI demands a report from its affiliated institutes within 15 days on :"either theinstitutions provide stipend to the Pharm D interns or should return theInternship year's fee to the student"

. This is so confusing- first of all the institutions should not expect fees for theinternship year, which is a customary thing for other healthcare courses: may itbe medical, dental, physiotherapy or nursing students- no body pays for theinternship year. So why should one must co- relate the internship year fee withthe stipend? Both are totally different things and un related. A Pharm D studentmust get stipend and must not be forced to give the fee for the Intenship year. Thisis so wrong!!!

I just wonder Whats the poor status of an organization like PCI- it simplyhas no authority or upperhand over its approved institutions. It actually doesnthas any control over these institutions.

Pharm D(PB) syllabus phewwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just few days back PCI inspection took place in our college ie in NET PharmacyCollege,Raichur. We got the opportunity to have a talk about PharmD(PB)syllabus problems with the PCI Inspector Dr.Abhay Dharamsi-Principal AtmiyaSarvoday Kelavani Samaj Sanchalit Institute Of Pharmacy,Rajkot.We evenshown him the letter we wrote to the Registrar, Dean and Chairman of RGUHSand same we sent to PCI President Dr. B.Suresh.

When we discussed that how these problems have evolved because of non-

56

uniformity of B.Pharm syllabus among all over the different universities ofindia.To this , he responded by remarking that PCI is only responsible forD.Pharm, PharmD, and PharmD(PB)courses and not for B.Pharm andM.Pharm courses, whereas B.Pharm and M.Pharm courses are responsibility ofAICTE. Further he added that Pharmacy in India have many fathers and thatswhy all these problems came into existence.

When we asked him what should be our set of line of action, in order to solve oursyllabus issues, he replied that our direct approach and all communications aboutthis issue should be with first the owner or management of the respective collegeand finally with RGUHS university, as University has the power to add therequired subjects but not delete the subjects in a course.Also he said that even ifthis requires the university to add, and the students to study additional 6 monthsor 1 year, to cover these subjects in their syllabus, Pharm D(PB) students shouldbe mentally prepared and ready for the same as those 6 months or 1 year willmake their future years of their long career and life smooth and comfortable. Samewas conyeved to us by our Principal Dr H. Doddaya long back ago.They bothsaid these additions must be done so as we students become effective andcompetitive clinical pharmacists.

My personal take on this issue is that if PCI has started Pharm D(PB) course andconsider itself morally responsible for the good future and careers of the studentswho are pursuing this course than it must see to it that PB syllabus in RGUHS isupto the mark and those who will pass this course will be certified rationally onlyafter they have studied and appeared for exams in all the basic and core subjectslike (Pathophysiology,Hospital Pharmacy and community Pharmacy),despiteAICTE related hurdles, because a genuine and legal father should always feelconcern about his children.And ofcourse we NET Pharm D(PB)students dontmind continuing our study for additional 6 months or 1 year,if the addi