Pharm D: Course Fees, Admission 2025, Syllabus, Top Colleges, Career Scope

As a whole, the Pharm D curriculum is academically rigorous, which will ask a lot out of students.
The rigor of a Pharm D curriculum will in part depend on the knowledge base a student brings into the program based on the student's innate skills, study habits, expectations regarding the nature of the program, and the specific approach taken by courses at the institution level.
With all that said, there is a minimum knowledge base that is expected for these students to bring into the program, and this includes a strong knowledge base of basic sciences including: laboratory biology, laboratory chemistry, and human anatomy, and very good analytical and problem-solving skills.

No, graduates of a Pharm D program (Doctor of Pharmacy) are not trained to do surgery. The Pharm D program is focused on pharmaceutical scientific, pharmacology, patient care, and medication management. The Pharm D program does not cover the required training and education to be a surgeon. 

Surgeons are medical doctors who complete a lengthy medical training program generally with an MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) or an equivalent, and they then completed additional residency training in surgery. Graduates of a Pharm D program are trained to be pharmacists, where they focus on the risks benefits of using medications, patient counselling, medication therapy management, and other areas of pharmaceutical training.

It is true that a doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D course) student or qualifying graduate, is allowed to use a stethoscope; however, the stethoscope is primarily used by medical doctors, in particular physicians with Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Pulmonology and other medical disciplines that utilize a stethoscope and auscultation as part of the diagnostic process. 
It is important to understand that even if the Pharm D course graduate has knowledge of how to correctly use a stethoscope, the main clinical care focus of pharmacists is medications in the context of patient care, rather than medical diagnostics.

To be a Pharm D student, indeed, Mathematical acumen can be advantageous.
Further, while a significant number of aspects of practice in Pharmacy do not rely on sophisticated Mathematics, it is regarded as a very important asset to have a solid understanding of the basics of mathematics and an aptitude for more advanced Mathematics, for both the Pharm D curriculum and Pharmacy practice overall.

You can surely secure a seat in Pharma.D after finishing B.Pharm through the PG CET. The PG CET is the most common way to get into this programme and is a common admissions pathway for this course in different states. Pharma.D (Post Baccalaureate) is a three year or (6 semester) program for B.Pharm graduates who wish to advance their education and train in clinical pharmacy.

Admission criteria is based on your PG CET rank, the college's cut off mark, and availability of seats. To improve your chances of getting into a College, you should complete the eligibility requirements and perform well in the PG CET.

Yes, Class 12 marks are very important in India for getting B Pharmacy and some other diploma courses.

Also, it good to check the rules of the college you want to join. Some colleges look at both Class 12 marks and entrance exam, but some may focus more on one thing than other.

Yes. Some institutions accept NEET scores for admission into the Doctor of Pharmacy course and some do not.

In essence, the NEET is associated with undergraduate courses in Medical and Dental streams such as MBBS and BDS. However, its applicability to other health care related programs like Pharm D course may have a variety of different outcomes at different times based on the regulations created by the regulatory bodies and institutions.

Other entrance exam scores are: TS EAMCET, Andhra Pradesh EAMCET, GPAT, Andhra Pradesh PGECET, KCET, NEET, etc.

NBEMS (National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences) does not conduct the counselling for colleges that accept GPAT scores, but considering GPAT is a national level pharmacy entrance exam, it is expected that there will be 800 pharmaceutical participating institutes for GPAT 2025, as there will not be any GPAT counselling done by institutes individually by their admission committee. 

Candidates should investigate the admission process criteria for the admission institutes they choose individually.

Yes, students can take admission to Pharmacy colleges without appearing for GPAT. Given below are the best Pharmacy colleges that accept students without GPAT scores:

In your first year in a Pharm D course, you will be effectively half way between foundational coursework, early clinical experiences, and basic, but critical skills, for your emergent career practice of Pharmacy. 
Areas of shared interest you may experience in the first year include the following:

• Foundational Science Courses: In courses you would consider foundational/primary in basic sciences like Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physiology.
• Foundations of Pharmacy Practice: You will start learning the foundations of pharmacy practice which will include pharmaceutical calculations, drug dispensing, medication therapy management, and patient communication.
• Team-Based Learning: As part of the Pharm D course, you will experience team-based learning, and you will work with your peers on case studies, problem based activities and group projects.
• Time Management and Study Skills: Many students find pharmacy school to be demanding and it will be important to develop time management and study skills.

Pharmacy school is often believed to be difficult and one of the main reasons for that is the amount of material students must learn and articulate. Additionally, the field of Pharmacy is continuously changing and Pharmacists must remain current on new drugs, therapies, and healthcare laws and policies.

Moreover, Pharmacy school during the Doctor of Pharmacy course also places an emphasis on developing students’ critical thinking and care-based skills. Because Doctor of Pharmacy practitioners provide care in managing prescriptions and medicines, and they must think critically and because they care about the patient, evaluate using critical thinking techniques a patient case, and develop a solutions that is appropriate to relate to the provider or patient.

Lastly, the Doctor of Pharmacy course also requires the students to complete practical experiences called rotations. In either cases that each student is required to perform under the supervision of licensed Pharmacist in various healthcare environments. The practical learning experience aids the students to put to practice in real time and to learn and experience the practical side of learning the rotation can be strenuous for the students, that they become exposed to differing patients and cases, with associates varying professional requirements.

The answer to this question is not simple. Similar to any profession, the difficulty of Pharmacy courses will depend on each individual's abilities, constructively working hard and developing their own study habits. Pharmacy programs are a mix of theory knowledge, practical skills and experiential learning.

As students move through their Pharmacy course their studies become more specific and focused. It is at this stage of their studies that the courses focused on medicinal chemistry, pharmacotherapy, pharmaceutics start to expand further into the Science of drugs and their therapeutic use.

Yes, the Pharm D degree is a professional doctorate in Pharmacy, and holders have the right to be called "Doctor." In other words, they are Doctors of Pharmacy. Not medical doctors, but they hold a Doctorate in Pharmacy; and therefore, can practice as a pharmacist in patient care and other medication management services.

The most beneficial subject to focus on for a PharmD program is Pharmaceutical Sciences, this subject is the core of PharmD programs and has a variety of important elements that fall under the umbrella of Pharmaceutical Sciences, including pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacokinetics. A solid understanding of Pharmaceutical Sciences will give students the foundation they need to learn about the mechanisms of drug action, interactions, and therapeutic effects of medicines.

Then there's Clinical Pharmacy, which is also another critical subject area that is important for practicing that knowledge in the workforce. Clinical Pharmacy is intended to address patient care, drug therapy management, and treatment decisions. 

Choosing between B.Pharma, Pharm.D, engineering, and B.Sc Agriculture depends on your interests, career aspirations, and capabilities.

• B.Pharma (Bachelor of Pharmacy): A good option if you have a particular interest in pharmaceuticals, drug development/research, and the healthcare professions. It will provide you opportunities in pharmacy, pharmacy regulation, and pharmacy sales. 
• Pharm.D (Doctor of Pharmacy): A more advanced pharmacy clinical study than B. Pharma. Pharm.D emphasizes patient care, clinical pharmacy, providing direct care services to health professionals. Pharm.D will require a longer time commitment to complete the course of study, but provides wider opportunities for a variety of healthcare services.
• Engineering:  Offers a great variety of branches like computer science, mechanical, electrical. The engineering program is suitable if you have an interest in technology, problem-solving, and innovative services. Engineering may also offer a wider range of job opportunities in the marketplace, but will also have some competitive field.
• B.Sc Agriculture: Focuses on agriculture science, rural development, and food production. The BSc Agriculture program will provide a good opportunity if you are interested in agriculture as a job (research or government services).

With your mark of 75.3% in 12th grade, you are comparably eligible for any of these programs, but again, the most important decision is to make sure you choose a field that you are passionate about and will provide you the best future for you.

Joining the best Pharmacy colleges in India can be worthwhile for you. For that, you need to check its ROI. Listed below are some colleges along with their tuition fees and average placement package:

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from official website/ media reports/ NIRF website and may vary.

The colleges for Pharm D in Hyderabad are as follows:

Certainly, Pharm D course graduates in India can treat patients but the extent of their practice and engagement with patients can vary because of different issues such as their state regulations, the practice setting where they work, their training and specialization.

The ability of Pharm D course graduates to directly engage in patient care, prescribe medicines, or do other clinical activities may be regulated by state Pharmacy councils or by another regulatory body.

If you like interacting with patients, and direct patient care is important to you, and also want to be an integral part of a healthcare team in optimizing medication therapy and improving patient outcomes hospital pharmacy would be a great option.

If you are more interested in the pharmaceutical sector, and like or find the areas of drug development, quality control and manufacturing processes interesting, then pharmaceutical manufacturing will be a better fit.

In any case, I think it is worth your while to consider both of these options through an internship, rotation, or part time position so you can assess the different opportunities in pharmacy practice to evaluate which value and practice setting suits your interests, skills and career aspirations.

Yes, we need Pharm D graduates in India.

Pharm D course is a “professional degree” in Pharmacy and Pharm D graduates are trained to work in various sectors of pharmaceutical industry like research and development, manufacturing, quality control, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, clinical research and medical writing.

Pharm D graduates are eligible to work in hospitals, community pharmacies, higher education institutions, government organizations related to healthcare and pharmaceuticals; so there may be variation in demand of Pharm D graduates according to location, industry and individual skills/qualifications.

So there are opportunities for Pharm D graduates in job market in India.

Pharm D is a professional doctorate in Pharmacy, which helps the student become a pharmacist. The Pharmacist target is to ensure medications is used safely and effectively and for the patients best interests, so pharmacist is important to the system. 
It routinely provides good backgrounds in pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, clinical pharmacy, and, healthcare systems. Therefore, a Pharm D course leads to the pharmaceutical practice profession with accountability for the rational use of medicines and the well-being of patients in differing health care environments. The specifics of the Pharm D course role depend on the practice setting and speciality selected by the pharmacist.

The salary of a Doctor of Pharmacy course is highly variable in India, based on factors including but not limited to the type of employer, location of employment, years of experience, and job responsibilities.

Here is a rough sense of the salary range of those working in the profession who have completed Pharm D course in India:

Entry-Level Positions (0-2 years of experience):

Mid-Level Positions (2-5 years of experience)

Experienced Positions (5+ years of experience):

The GPAT exam dates were announced by the exam conducting body, NBEMS. The GPAT 2025 exam will be conducted on May 25, 2025. 

The authorities released the official notification on March 27, 2025. While the registration started on April 1, 2025, for 20 days along with the release of the application form. Candidates can check and download the GPAT-NBEMS the latest notification from the official website.

Given below are the top Pharmacy colleges in India according to NIRF ranking 2025:

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from official website of the ranking body listed and may vary.

No, pursuing Pharmacy in India is not expensive as most of the colleges have an average tuition fee of less than INR 1 lakh:

Hope this helps!

Pharm.D stands for Doctor of Pharmacy, it is a six-year professional degree course that is pursued by aspirants who wish to make their careers as a pharmacist.

The curriculum of Pharm D does not include the usage of a Stethoscope, however, students can use the stethoscope during their clinical training under the guidance of doctors/ hospital management. The use of stethoscopes is primarily associated with the medical doctors.