Updated on Jul 22, 2022 04:25 IST
Parul Thapa

Parul ThapaAssistant Manager

Doctor of Pharmacy, PharmD is a promising career that beyond a professional degree offers an edge to excel in the domain of health sciences. A PharmD professional contributes to society at large and is recognised for researching and developing effective drugs for people ailing with known and unknown pathogens. They are an indispensable part of the healthcare system that works 24x7 to ensure that patients do not run out of medical assistance and necessities. With meaningful research and breakthroughs, a PharmD specialist fuels economic growth by enabling the nation to expand its reach in international geographies too.

What is PharmD?

Doctor of Pharmacy, PharmD is a professional degree offered at the doctorate level in the domain of pharmacy. The course duration of PharmD ranges from five to six years for different universities. Students who complete their Master’s in the domain of pharmacy are eligible to apply for the PharmD course. The PharmD degree is recognised by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) and the colleges are approved by AICTE.

B Pharma graduates can seek admission in the fourth year of the Pharm D programme as a lateral entry. It will be a three-year course (Pharm D Post Baccalaureate), which includes two years of studies and one year of internship or residency.

In this article, candidates will get complete details about the PharmD specialisation. Read on to find out all about the type of PharmD courses, specialisations, top entrance exams and much more.

PharmD Type of Courses

Here are the types of PharmD courses offered by various institutes and universities in India:

PharmD Regular (Full-Time) Programmes

There are approx. 364 institutes/universities in India offer PharmD courses in full-time mode. Candidates are required to appear for the entrance exam and other selection rounds to seek admission to AICTE-approved colleges. This mode of education is widely accepted by pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, and private players for specialised jobs in the domain of pharmacy.

The key highlights of type of course are:

Particulars

Details

Duration

Five to Six years

Eligibility

Master’s with minimum 50% marks with science stream

Admission process

Merit-based and Entrance Based

Fees

3 Lakh to 20 Lakh

Pedagogy

Semester-wise

Online Mode

The online mode of education enables the candidates to pursue classes within the vicinity of their homes. A candidate need high-speed internet, laptop/desktop/mobile to attend the online classes conducted by the instructor.

Particulars

Details

Duration

1 hour to 3 months

Eligibility

Master’s with minimum 50% marks with science stream

Admission process

Merit-based and Entrance Based

Fees

10,000 to 2 Lakh

Pedagogy

On-demand Videos

Distance Learning

PharmD cannot be done through distance learning mode. It is a regular degree for which a candidate has to enroll with a full-time institute. 

PharmD Specialisations

Popular specialisations offered by colleges to the PharmD candidates are:

  1. Industrial Pharmacy

  2. Pharmaceutical R&D

  3. Pharmaceutical Technology

  4. Health informatics

  5. Biostatistics

  6. Bioinformatics

  7. Pharmacology

  8. Pharmacognosy

  9. Therapeutics

  10. Pharmacoeconomics

  11. Pharma healthcare management

Top Entrance Exams for PharmD

Some of the top entrance exams whose scores are accepted by top medical colleges in India are:

Entrance Exam

Conducting Body

GPAT

NTA

NIPER JEE

NIPER

West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE-Pharmacy)

West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination Board

Maharashtra Common Entrance Test – Pharmacy (MHT CET)

Directorate of Technical Education, Maharashtra

GUJCET (Gujarat Common Entrance Test)

Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB)

Jamia Hamdard Pharmacy

Jamia Hamdard University (A Deemed to be University), New Delhi

BVP CET

Bharati Vidyapeeth University

Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Examination (UPSEE-Pharmacy)

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, Uttar Pradesh

Top Colleges offering PharmD courses

As per the Shiksha ratings and NIRF 2022 rankings released by MOE, GOI, here is the list of top 10 Pharmacy colleges offering PharmD course in India:

1. Dr. D.Y. Patil College of Pharmacy, Pune

2. Integral University, Lucknow, UP

3. Jamia Salafiya Pharmacy College, Mallapuram

4. Sri Aurobindo Institute of Pharmacy, Indore

5. Sarojini Naidu Vanita Pharmacy Maha Vidyalaya, Secunderabad

Job Prospects after pursuing PharmD

After completing PhD in Pharmacy, there are several job prospects to pursue. Some of them are enlisted as under:

  1. Registered Pharmacist

  2. Pharmacovigilance officer

  3. Medical Writer

  4. Product Managers at hospitals

  5. Community Pharmacist

  6. Clinical Pharmacist

  7. Hospital Pharmacy Director

  8. Researcher with R&D Department

  9. Drug Regulatory Officer

Upcoming Trends in PharmD Course

The future of the field of pharmacy is quite bright in terms of the technological advancement and research going on to boost the sector at a global level. Here are some next-gen developments focusing on identifying and mitigating adverse drug effects:

  • Telemedicine - Telemedicine allows health care professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients at a distance using telecommunications technology. The approach has been through a striking evolution in the last decade and it is becoming an increasingly important

  • Pharmacokinetics – this branch of pharmacy enables the practitioners to understand how drugs behave in the body and how the body reacts to drugs

  • Pharmacogenomics – It is a more accurate method of determining appropriate drug dosages. It is a step towards Advanced screening for disease by providing powerful medicines

  • Beyond the Pill Healthcare – This industry focuses on inventing wearables, trackers, and health apps approaches to monitor and improve the overall health of patients on a daily basis.

Q: What is PharmD all about?

A: PharmD is a doctoral-level degree program in the domain of Pharmacy offered by several institutes in India and abroad. 

Q: What is the duration of PharmD courses?

A: PharmD regular degree course is generally offered for the duration of five to six years.

Q: What is the fee structure of PharmD courses?

A: The course fee of PharmD degree can range from INR 3,00,000 to INR 20,00,000.

Q: What are some of the top colleges offering PharmD courses?

A: Some of the top colleges offering PharmD courses in India are Jamia Hamdard, Integral University (Lucknow), MNR College of Pharmacy (Telengana) among others.

Q: Can I pursue PharmD from distance learning? 

A: No, PharmD cannot be pursued through distance learning mode. 

Q: What are the top entrance exams to seek admission to PharmD courses?

A: Some of the popular entrance exams to enrol for PharmD degree are GPAT, NIPER, WBJEE among other entrances.

Q: What are some of the popular PharmD course specializations?

A: PharmD course specializations are pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutics, phamacology etc.

Q: What is the basic eligibility criteria to pursue PharmD courses?

A: A candidate must have pursued Class 12 and graduation to pursue PharmD degree.

Q: Is it possible to get a job after completing PharmD?

A: Yes, there are various job prospects after completing PharmD in the domain of Medicine such as drug regulator officer, Pharmacovigilance officer, drug researcher.

 

FAQs Regarding PharmD Course

Table of content
  • Popular Pharm d doctor of pharmacy Colleges in India
  • Popular Private Pharm d doctor of pharmacy Colleges in India
  • Popular Pharm d doctor of pharmacy Specializations
  • Most Popular Courses

Popular Pharm d doctor of pharmacy Colleges in India

Following are the most popular Pharm d doctor of pharmacy Colleges in India. Learn more about these Pharm d doctor of pharmacy colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.
116 Courses
1 K - 6.08 K
12 - 24 LPA

#1 NIRF

300 - 2.67 L
4.34 - 12.09 LPA

#3 NIRF

48 K - 2.14 L
8.5 - 16 LPA

#8 NIRF

650 - 2 L
12.2 - 24.1 LPA

#13 NIRF

10 K - 6 L
8 - 21 LPA

#6 India Today

1.5 L - 1.35 Cr
3.06 - 19.5 LPA

#20 NIRF

Popular Private Pharm d doctor of pharmacy Colleges in India

20 Courses
2.2 L - 15 L
4.0

Medicine & Health Sciences Applications open till May 28, 2026. Apply Now

6.9 L - 7.6 L
57 Courses
60 K - 21.42 L
3.7
10 Courses
1.4 L - 3.6 L
3.6
2.5 L - 9 L
8 Courses
1 L - 2.82 L
4.3

Popular Pharm d doctor of pharmacy Specializations

Following are the most popular Pharm d doctor of pharmacy Specializations . You can explore the top Colleges offering these Specializations by clicking the links below.

Popular Specializations

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Student Forum

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Write here...

Answered 3 weeks ago

Yes, with a B. Pharmacy degree, you can enroll in a three-year Pharm.D (Post Baccalaureate) programme and effectively start at the fourth year of a six-year integrated Pharm.D courseThis is often called Pharm.D (PB) or Post Baccalaureate Pharm.D. 

K

Kummari Nandini

Beginner-Level 1

Answered 2 months ago

Annamalai University offers a PharmD course for the duration of 6 years with an annual intake of 30 students. Admission to the respective course is offered on the basis of merit and require candidates to meet the eligibility criteria for final admission. The fee structure comprises of total tuition

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J

Jiya Bisht

Contributor-Level 8

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