Diploma in Pharmacy or D.Pharma. is a 2-year full-time diploma course divided into 4 semesters. The course has been designed to prepare candidates to work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist in hospitals, community pharmacies, and other pharmaceutical related fields.

The average D.Pharma. Fees charged for the course in India ranges between INR 10,000 to 1,00,000. The average fees doesn’t include extra charges like the cost of Pharmacy Books.

Successful graduates of the course can expect anything around INR 2-5 Lakhs as average annual salary in the industry, increasing with experience and skill set. The prominent job roles offered are:

• Pharmacist
• Scientific Officer
• Production Executive

D.Pharma.: Course Highlights

Tabulated below are some of the major highlights of the course:

D.Pharma.: What is it About?

D.Pharma. course is a career-oriented program in the medical field of pharmaceutical sciences, designed to familiarize candidates with the basic concepts of pharmaceutical science. The purpose of D.Pharma. Subjects is to prepare students with the necessary skills and academic knowledge required for entry-level positions in retail pharmacies as well as pharmaceutical companies.

Components of study within D.Pharma. Syllabus include:

• Pharmacy software practice
• Accurate and safe processing of prescriptions
• Compounding techniques
• Third-party billing
• Inventory control
• Adherence to relevant legislation
• Accurate and confidential record-keeping
• Effective verbal and written communication.

Pharmacy books prepare candidates to work as members of an interdependent health-care team. This course examines other ethical topics such as the distribution of scarce resources, the use of stem cells, the role of genetic testing, and issues of human cloning.

D.Pharma. course aims to prepare eligible candidates to:

• Fill orders under a pharmacist's supervision.
• Enter client information.
• Identify prescriptions and process paperwork for orders.
• Understand and apply drug and medical terminology as well as basic pharmacology.
• Understand drug dosage calculations, commonly used computer systems, compounding, practices and procedures.
• Apply the ethics, legislation, and workplace safety regulations applicable to pharmacies.

D.Pharma.: Eligibility

Listed below are the minimum criteria which candidates interested in pursuing the course are required to fulfil in order to be eligible to apply for the course.

• Successful qualification of the 10+2 level of education in any stream from a recognized educational board.
• A minimum aggregate score of 50% (45% for SC/ST/OBC candidates) at the 10+2 level.

D.Pharma.: Admission Process

Most institutes offering this course admit students based on performance in a relevant entrance exam, often followed by a round of personal interview, wherein their general aptitude for the course is tested. D.Pharma. Admission Process generally varies across colleges. DIPSAR Pharmacy Admission is based on the merit-list.

A few institutes also provide direct admission based on the candidate’s performance at the 10+2 level.

Some of such entrance exam conducted in India are:

• GPAT
• UPSEE
• JEE Pharmacy
• AU AIMEE
• CPMT
• PMET.