Career Scope in Pharmacy

The pharmaceutical industry in India is growing rapidly creating numerous career opportunities for aspiring candidates. Its growth is evident by the number of new hospitals, nursing homes, and pharmaceuticals companies opening across the country. This has generated a huge number of pharmacy jobs in the recent times. There is a demand for trained and qualified pharmacists in all these fields and more such fields. A pharmacist can find a job with the pharmaceutical industry, government departments, universities, academic institutes, forensic field etc. There are pharmacy job opportunities in armed forces and drug control department too.

The work in the pharmaceutical industry entails activities such as the development, production or marketing of new drugs. These drugs are primarily for clinical use. One could also find a good job as a medical representative for sale promotion work. The duty of a medical representative is to keep the medical practitioner or doctor informed about the new drugs developed by various pharmaceutical companies. This is the indirect way to promote sales of those drugs as the doctor prescribes those drugs to the patients.

To become a qualified pharmacist, one has to undergo specialized training and courses. Those aspiring to be successful pharmacists must have a scientific bent of mind. Students in pharmacy courses are required to study the chemistry of drugs, their origin, different procedures for drug development and preparation, methods to dispense them, effects of various drugs and their proper use for prevention and treatment of disease. Drug therapy is a complex science and there are numerous dangers associated with drug use. This underlines the need for pharmacists' special skills.

To become a successful pharmacist, one should have acute mental acumen and excellent academic potential. Pharmacists should also have in-depth interest in medicine. Pharmacists should possess and ability to work methodically, accurately and carefully. These skills are required to work in hospitals, medical stores, laboratories and shop floors. One should also have a sympathetic attitude and a friendly behavior to deal with patients. Also, people with good communication skills are required for marketing and sales positions in the pharma industry. If one is in the retail field, skills in merchandising, selling and financial management are also required.

Though there are many various jobs in this industry, pharmacists primarily work in four areas. As hospital pharmacists, the tasks include procuring, stocking, preparing and dispensing medicines, drugs and other medical accessories. They are responsible for stock control, storage of drugs and medicines, placing of orders, financial budgeting and keeping accounts for the dispensary. They are also expected to meet patients, doctors and nurses to discuss the supply and administration of medicines.

Then, there are retail pharmacists whose tasks include preparing and dispensing drugs in pharmaceutical stores. This is done on the prescription of he general consumer. The retail pharmacist also gives over the counter advice to patients on the dosage of the drugs. Retail pharmacists include general chemists who run private stores or work for big stores. It is not just any retail job. One has to have knowledge about drugs, their dosage and effects to be a good retail pharmacist. Working as medical representatives, they perform sales jobs for the company. They regularly meet the medical practitioners or doctors o keep them informed about the new drugs and health products being produced by their company. They visit medical practitioners, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, health centres etc. It is a field job that may also require a lot of touring..

In pharmacy jobs, one could also work as industrial pharmacists. The job of the industrial pharmacist is to carry out clinical trials to test the drugs for their safety and effectiveness. This is done to formulate new drugs. Thus, these pharmacists are involved in autonomous research work. Their job also includes management and supervision of the production process, marketing, sales and quality control of new drugs. Research pharmacists, as the name suggests are engaged in research activities in pharmaceutical firms, research organisations and laboratories.

Students of B.Pharm, M.Pharm and Phd can look to make a good career in this field. There are ample pharmacy jobs to be taken up within the central and state government departments too. A diploma holder in this field can also get good jobs as medical representative.