INTRODUCTION:

Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs. The scope of pharmacy practice includes more traditional roles such as compounding and dispensing medications, and it also includes more modern services related to health care, including clinical services, reviewing medications for safety and efficacy, and providing drug information. Pharmacists, therefore, are the experts on drug therapy and are the primary health professionals who optimize medication use to provide patients with positive health outcomes. Pharmacists are highly-trained and skilled healthcare professionals who perform various roles to ensure optimal health outcomes for their patients. Many pharmacists are also small-business owners, owning the pharmacy in which they practice.

Pharmacy Profession in India:

Currently there are over a million pharmacists in India with around 55% of them in community, 20% in hospital, 10% in industry and regulatory and 2% in academia In India, formal pharmacy education leading to a degree began in 1937, with the introduction of a 3--‐year industry – oriented Bachelor of Pharmacy course. To meet the varying needs of the profession at different levels the following pharmacy programs are offered in India today : Diploma in Pharmacy (D. Pharm.), Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm.), Master of Pharmacy (M. Pharm.), practice – based Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.), and Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacy (Ph. D). To practice as a pharmacist in India, one needs at least a diploma in pharmacy, which is awarded after2 years and 3 months of pharmacy studies and practical training.

These diploma--‐trained pharmacists are currently the mainstay of pharmacy practice in India. Every year nearly 20000 D. Pharm., 30,000 B. Pharm., 6000 M. Pharm., and 700 Pharm. D. students graduate in the country.

Current status of pharmacy profession in India:

The Pharmacy education in our country has witnessed tremendous expansion in last one decade. However, the standard in education have been eroded by rising tides of mediocrity. There is an urgent need to initiate an academic exercise aimed at attaining revamping of curriculum, keeping in pace with current and emerging trends in the field of pharmacy¹.

We have today 6 lacs pharmacists in the country, of which 5 lacs are in community pharmacy. Diploma holders largely handle the pharmacy profession and the providing of quality pharmaceutical care is still a dream². However, significant developments underway may change the situation-

-Increase in consumer awareness

-Awareness among the pharmacists on the need to provide direct patient care

-Entry of international players in community pharmacy and health insurance

-Increasing foreign direct investment in health industry

-Increase in awareness that quality pharmaceutical care can be delivered only by pharmacists trained in direct patient care.

Careers in Pharmacy:

The Career options after completing B Pharm or M Pharm are as follows

Pharmacist – Being in the health-related field, the B Pharm graduate can be Hospital Pharmacist or Community Pharmacist.

Teaching - B Pharm - First Class students are eligible to teach as lecturers in the D Pharm programme, where as M Pharm, First Class students can get a lecturer’s job in pharmacy degree colleges. It takes about 5 years to reach the grade of Sr. lecturer and about 10 years to become Assistant Professor and about 12 years to become Professor or a Principal of a college. While in teaching profession they can do research in pharmaceutical field and strive to become a well-known Research Scientist.

Clinical Research - B Pharm/ M Pharm degree holders can take up career in clinical research. The human testing phase is called the clinical trial. A pharmacist can work as clinical research associate or clinical pharmacist and can rise to the position of project manager. The clinical research associate plays an important role of monitoring and overseeing the conducts of clinical trials, which are conducted on healthy human volunteers. They have to see that the trials meet the international guidelines and the national regulatory requirements.

Pharmaceutical industry- The pharmaceutical industry is a complex, multi-factorial environment, but with the overall aim of discovering, developing and marketing safe and efficacious medicines, and it demands high standards and quality from its employees. With the rich skill mix developed and applicable from the Pharmacy undergraduate degree, the industry provides an ideal environment for a career rich in variety, diversity and challenges.

Quality Assurance Health Manager – The Pharmacy graduate can play an important role in the development of clinical care plans, can investigate adverse medication events and in some cases can suggest preventive measures. He can play a key role in spreading awareness amongst the people about AIDS and the preventive measures to be taken.

Medical Transcription - The B Pharm graduate can work with medical practitioners to maintain the patient treatment history, the drug to which he/she is allergic etc.

Analytical Chemist of Quality Control Manager – The pharmacy graduate can play a crucial role in controlling product quality. The drug and the Cosmetics Act (1945), Rules 71(1) and 76(1) says that the manufacturing activity should be taken up under the supervision of a technical man whose qualification should be B Pharm, B Sc, B Tech or medicine with Bio-Chemistry.

Sales and Marketing – Ambitious achievers with pleasant personality and good communication skills can opt for the job of Medical Sales Representative. The companies prefer pharmacy graduates for this job, as they have a good knowledge about the drug molecules, their therapeutic effects and the drug – drug interactions.

Data Manager - A pharmacist can seek employment as “Data Manager” to store the data in the computer and process it using software developed for the purpose.

Regulatory Manager - A pharmacy graduate can work as “Regulatory Manager”(RM) in companies and contract research organization. As an RM he has to oversee regulatory documentation such as Clinical trial approval permission, marketing approval permission etc.

Career in Regulatory bodies - A Pharmacist can be absorbed in the Regulatory bodies like Food and Drug Administration. Pharmacist having experience in clinical trial centres can also work as an inspector to inspect the clinical trial process. For these government jobs the student needs to appear and pass the MPSC examination.

Biotechnology is a fast growing branch and the B Pharm graduates can opt for post graduate diploma programme in Bioinformatics.

They can handle the job of monitoring the conduct of clinical trials that are conducted on human volunteers. It is their responsibility to see that the clinical trials are carried out as per the international guidelines³.

The B Pharm Science programme is considered as a paramedical programme. The B Pharm Science graduates can therefore work in hospitals as hospital pharmacist or community pharmacist.

Since they have a good knowledge of therapeutic effects of drugs and that of drug-drug interaction, they are more suitable for a job in clinical research. They can opt for the post of clinical pharmacist or clinical research associate in a clinical research laboratory.

Suggestions for B-Pharm graduates to excel in their profession:

For getting good job opportunities pharmacy graduates should not be satisfied with B.Pharm course alone since there is a need for higher knowledge. Today pharmacy sector is looking for professionals who can develop strategies for their organizations, and to guide them for submitting documents to the regulatory authorities. So it is necessary to add post-graduate qualification and research qualifications also. A person with good knowledge and will power will have excellent job oppurtunities in India and abroad.

Suggestions for young pharmacy students to become successful leaders:

1. Self confidence and believe in own capabilities.

2. Think high and have only positive thoughts and can automatically go high.

3. Have interaction with staffs that excel in their carriers.

4. Make a network of innovators and a network of users.

5. Attend international conferences.

6. Utilise libraries and laboratories.

7. Attend seminars, refresher programs, work shop and training programs continuously in collaboration with industries.

8. Development of writing skills as well as communication skills.

9. Work hard and have a dream for the future. From the dream have a good vision and the vision comes to a reality.

By this way, one can improve and update the knowledge to face global challenges.

CONCLUSION:

The current era of globalization has witnessed evolution in the professions of the health sector, especially in pharmacy. Whereas previously the pharmacist worldwide was seen as responsible primarily for manufacturing and supplying medicines, today the pharmacist's role has evolved towards a clinical orientation. The profession is still under continuous transition. With change in the health demands, pharmacists have a further role to play in patient care.

The precise role of a pharmacist in the health setting is altering and varies significantly from country to country. In contrast to the developed world, pharmacists in developing countries are not fully executing their potential role. They are still struggling for the recognition of their role that can help improve the health care system⁴.

Changes in quality pharmaceutical education meet the challenges and needs of the nation in the 21^st century.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

The author thank Shri.T.G. Hari Kumar, General Secretary, Ezhuthachan College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Marayamuttom for providing the necessary facilities.

REFERENCES:

1. Shantanu Kale, Pharmacy Education, Current problems and suggested solutions, Ind.J.Pharm.Edu. 2004,38,154.

2. P.Gundu Rao, Radical Restructuring of Pharmacy Education, Ind.J.Pharm.Edu. 1995, 29,11.

3. Rao G.P., Continuing Pharmaceutical education (CPE-4) ISO-9000 Series A primer, Ind.J.Pharm.Edu.1996, 30 14.

4. M.D.Burande, Restructuring of Pharmacy Education, Ind.J.Pharm.Edu. 1997, 31,103.

Received on 06.03.2011 Accepted on 20.03.2011

Asian J. Res. Pharm. Sci. 1(1): Jan.-Mar. 2011; Page 01-03