Pharm.D.

 

Pharm.D. (Doctor of Pharmacy) is a 6-year professional doctoral program (5 years of academics + 1 year of mandatory internship/residency). It focuses on clinical pharmacy, hospital practice, drug monitoring, therapeutic drug management, patient counseling, and research.

It is regulated by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), and graduates can work as clinical pharmacists, drug safety associates, pharmacovigilance officers, researchers, and healthcare consultants, both in India and abroad.

 

 

Pharm.D. Course Highlights

 

Feature	Details
Course Name	Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
Duration	6 years (5 years academics + 1-year internship)
Level	Professional Doctoral Program
Eligibility	10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Mathematics OR D.Pharm
Admission	Entrance Exam / Merit-based (depends on college/state)
Entrance Exams	NEET, MET (Manipal), BITSAT (for Pharm), state CETs
Average Fees	Govt: ₹40,000 – ₹1.5 LPA; Pvt: ₹2 – 6 LPA
Average Salary	4 – 10 LPA in India; much higher abroad
Higher Studies	Ph.D. in Pharmacy/Clinical Research, Fellowships, Post-Doc

 

 

Pharm.D. Admission Process

 

1. Check eligibility (10+2 with PCB/PCM or D.Pharm).
   
   

2. Apply through entrance exams (NEET, MET, state CETs) or directly via college/university portal.
   
   

3. Entrance Exam + Counseling – based on rank/merit list.
   
   

4. Final Admission → Document verification & fee payment.

   
   
   

Syllabus of Pharm.D. (Year-wise)

 

1st Year (Basics of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences)

 

• Human Anatomy & Physiology
  

• Pharmaceutical Organic & Inorganic Chemistry
  

• Medical Biochemistry
  

• Pharmaceutics (dosage forms, compounding)
  

• Remedial Biology / Remedial Mathematics

  
  

2nd Year (Basic Clinical Foundation)

 

• Pathophysiology (disease mechanisms)
  

• Pharmaceutical Microbiology
  

• Pharmacognosy (study of medicinal plants)
  

• Pharmacology – I (drug action basics)
  

• Community Pharmacy
  

• Clinical Biochemistry
  
  

3rd Year (Applied Pharmacy & Hospital Practice)

 

• Pharmacology – II (systemic drugs)
  

• Medicinal Chemistry
  

• Pharmaceutical Analysis
  

• Hospital & Clinical Pharmacy
  

• Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence (laws & ethics)

  
  

4th Year (Clinical & Therapeutic Studies)

 

• Clinical Pharmacy (drug therapy, patient counseling)
  

• Pharmacotherapeutics – I (general medicine, cardiology, respiratory, GI disorders)
  

• Biostatistics & Research Methodology
  

• Biopharmaceutics & Pharmacokinetics
  

• Clinical Toxicology

  
  

5th Year (Advanced Clinical Pharmacy)

 

• Pharmacotherapeutics – II & III (endocrine, CNS, infectious diseases, oncology, etc.)
  

• Clinical Research (trials, drug discovery process)
  

• Pharmacoepidemiology & Pharmacoeconomics
  

• Clinical Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacotherapeutic Drug Monitoring
  

• Clerkship (hospital rounds, case presentations)

  
  

6th Year (Internship / Residency Training)

 

• Compulsory 1-year clinical internship in a hospital
  

• Rotation in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, gynecology, psychiatry, ICU
  

• Case studies, bedside patient care, drug therapy management, ADR monitoring, clinical rounds

 

 

 How to Apply

 

• National level → Apply for NEET, BITSAT, MET (Manipal), NPAT, or state CETs.
  
  

• State level → Apply through state common entrance portals (ex: Karnataka CET, Tamil Nadu CET, Kerala CEE, etc.).
  
  

• Direct Admission → In some private universities (based on 10+2/D.Pharm marks).

  
  

 

 Eligibility Criteria Pharm D

 

• Qualification:
  
  

• 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Mathematics
  
  

• OR completed Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm)
  
  

• Minimum Marks: 50% aggregate (45% for reserved categories).
  
  

• Age Limit: Minimum 17 years at admission.
  
  

 

Entrance Exams for Pharm D

 

Exam	Conducted By	Coverage
NEET-UG	NTA	Some govt. & private pharmacy colleges
MET (Manipal Entrance Test)	Manipal Academy of Higher Education	Manipal University Pharm.D.
BITSAT	BITS Pilani	Integrated Pharmacy programs
State CETs (KCET, KEAM, MHT-CET, TS EAMCET, AP EAMCET, etc.)	State Govts	Govt. and private colleges
University-specific tests	Amrita, Jamia Hamdard, SRM	Private deemed universities

 

 

Top Pharm.D. Colleges in India 

 

College	Location	Admission Mode
Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences	Manipal	MET
JSS College of Pharmacy	Mysuru, Ooty	Merit/Entrance
Jamia Hamdard University	New Delhi	NEET/University Entrance
SRM College of Pharmacy	Tamil Nadu	SRM Entrance/NEET
PSG College of Pharmacy	Coimbatore	State CET
Amrita School of Pharmacy	Kochi	University Entrance
BITS Pilani (Pharmacy Division)	Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad	BITSAT
KLE College of Pharmacy	Belgaum	KCET/NEET

 

 

Job & Career Prospects

 

Work Areas:

 

• Hospitals & clinical settings
  

• Pharmaceutical companies (R&D, QA, QC)
  

• Pharmacovigilance & Drug Safety
  

• Clinical trials & research organizations (CROs)
  

• Community & retail pharmacies
  

• Academia & teaching
  

• Regulatory affairs

  
  
  

Job Profiles

 

Job Role	Description
Clinical Pharmacist	Works with doctors in hospitals, drug therapy management
Pharmacovigilance Officer	Monitors drug safety & side effects
Drug Inspector	Ensures quality & safety of medicines
Hospital/Community Pharmacist	Dispenses medicines, patient counseling
Clinical Research Associate	Works in clinical trials & research
Medical Writer	Prepares scientific documents for pharma companies
Regulatory Affairs Specialist	Handles drug approval & compliance

 

 

Future Scopes

 

• Ph.D. in Pharmacy/Clinical Research (India & abroad).
  
  

• Fellowships in Clinical Pharmacy, Toxicology, Pharmacovigilance.
  
  

• High demand in USA, Canada, Australia, Middle East (after licensing exams like NAPLEX, FPGEE).
  
  

• Govt. jobs as Drug Inspector, Pharmacist in Railways, ESIC, AIIMS, Defense, UPSC.
  
  

• Teaching & academic careers in pharmacy colleges.

  
  

 

Government College Seat Intake 

 

College	State	Seats (Approx)	Admission Mode
Government College of Pharmacy, Bangalore	Karnataka	30	KCET
Government College of Pharmacy, Amravati	Maharashtra	30	MHT-CET
Government College of Pharmacy, Aurangabad	Maharashtra	30	MHT-CET
Government College of Pharmacy, Karad	Maharashtra	30	MHT-CET
Andhra University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences	Andhra Pradesh	30	EAMCET
Govt. Pharmacy College, Thiruvananthapuram	Kerala	30	KEAM
Govt. Pharmacy College, Kozhikode	Kerala	30	KEAM
Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (DIPSAR)	Delhi	30	NEET/University Exam

Best Books for Government Exam Preparation (Pharm D)

 

Core Subjects (as per PCI Pharm.D. syllabus & Govt. exams)

 

1. Pharmacology
   
   

• Essentials of Medical Pharmacology – K.D. Tripathi
  

• Rang & Dale’s Pharmacology (for deeper understanding)
  

• MCQs in Pharmacology – Tara Shanbhag
  
  

2. Clinical Pharmacy & Therapeutics
   
   

• Clinical Pharmacy & Therapeutics – Roger & Walker ✅ (must-read for clinical questions)
  

• Applied Therapeutics: The Clinical Use of Drugs – Koda-Kimble
  

• Textbook of Clinical Pharmacy Practice – Ramesh Adepu (Indian author, exam-friendly)
  
  

3. Pharmaceutics & Biopharmaceutics
   
   

• Physical Pharmacy – Alfred Martin
  

• Pharmaceutics I & II – R.M. Mehta
  

• Biopharmaceutics & Pharmacokinetics – Brahmankar & Jaiswal
  
  

4. Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Analysis
   
   

• Organic Chemistry of Drugs – Morrison & Boyd
  

• Textbook of Pharmaceutical Analysis – Chatwal & Anand
  
  

5. Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence (Law & Ethics)
   
   

• Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence – C.K. Kokate
  

• Bare Acts: Drugs & Cosmetics Act, Pharmacy Act, NDPS Act, DPCO
  
  

6. Pathophysiology & Medicine Basics
   
   

• Davidson’s Principles & Practice of Medicine
  

• Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (reference, not exam-focused)

  
  

 

Exam-Specific MCQ & Practice Books

 

1. Competency in Pharmacy – Raman Dang (highly recommended for govt. pharmacist & drug inspector exams)
   

2. Objective Pharmacy – B. Suresh & Arun Kumar
   

3. Pharma Guide (MCQs + PYQs) – Krishna Prasad
   

4. MCQs in Clinical Pharmacy – Sherly James

   
   

 

General Govt. Exam Prep (Reasoning, GK, Aptitude)

 

• Quantitative Aptitude – R.S. Aggarwal
  
  

• Lucent’s General Knowledge
  
  

• General English – S.P. Bakshi / Wren & Martin

  
  
  

Quick Strategy to Clear Government Exams after Pharm D

 

1. Revise PCI Pharm.D. syllabus subjects – Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmaceutics, Jurisprudence are most asked.
   
   

2. Solve MCQs daily – from Raman Dang + Pharma Guide.
   
   

3. Focus on Acts & Laws – Drugs & Cosmetics Act, Pharmacy Act, NDPS Act.
   
   

4. Mock Tests – Practice PYQs from SSC, UPSC Drug Inspector, AIIMS/ESIC Pharmacist papers.
   
   

5. Clinical Knowledge – Case-based questions (drug interactions, ADRs, dosage adjustments) are common for Pharm.D. aspirant