The global recession has affected all sectors, expect for the pharmaceutical industry. This leaves a wide choice for the pharmacy students.
This was the opinion of all the heads from the four premier pharmacy associations -- IPA, IHPA, IPGA and AIDCOC -- at a symposium on pharmacy studies held recently at GITAM Institute of Pharmacy.
If this is the scenario, then the young minds who take up pharmacy as study need no longer look at the discipline as fallback option in the event of not securing a seat in medicine or engineering.
Big picture
After a modest beginning, the Indian pharmaceutical industry is today the fourth biggest industry in the world as far as volume or production is concerned and 14th in terms of value. The Indian industry is USD 8.4 billion worth at present. According to the Chairman of Indian Pharmaceutical Association T.V. Narayana the patent regime has brought business worth USD 5 billion and has also triggered the growth of the pharma industry as innovative industry. The patented drugs have recorded a growth of over 37 per cent in the last couple of years.
He says that by 2012, USD 80 billion worth of patent protected drugs in the US would go off patent. The Indian companies are in a position to tap this generic market with reverse engineering skills and low cost factor. The present share of USD 8.4 billion would rise to USD 60 billion by 2020, and this would give fresh opportunity to about five lakh pharmacy professionals.
Prof. Narayana also informed that the much-neglected research and development and DDD (drug, discovery development) sector is also being suitably addressed. “The government has sanctioned about Rs. 150 crore under the Department of Science and Technology for research. The research and DDD segment itself would need about 2 lakh professionals,” he said.
Why India?
Many factors contribute to the growth of the pharmacy sector in India. The factors that mainly contribute are: Vast technical pool and skilled manpower, low cost factor, availability of state-of-the-art facility, vast pool of English speaking manpower, reverse brain drain and vast network of export bases in South America, Africa, Europe and China. India also has the highest number of USFDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approved plants.
Pharmacy study
The pharmacy study in India can be broadly classified into two-year diploma, four-year degree in pharmacy (B. Pharm), two-year post-graduate degree in pharmacy and Pharm D.
While the diploma focuses on hospital and community pharmacy, the degree and PG courses focus on pharmaceutical industry, enforcement agencies and teaching prospects. These apart, the Ph.D programme is always open to the students with research bent of mind.
The Pharm D is the new concept that has been introduced lately. This is a six-year integrated course and students can join after plus two. The syllabus for this course has designed by Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) and is in tune with the international curriculum. Students can join MS programmes in foreign countries after completing this course.
The PCI has also decided to revamp the syllabus for the diploma, degree and PG programmes to suit the industry requirement. Prof. Narayana however, advises the students to take up three-month certificate courses offered by a few pharmaceutical companies to gain experience and gear up for the industry requirement.
He also suggests that students should join pharmacy colleges that are recognised by PCI and are rated by the National Board of Accreditation.
Options
The options for pharmacy students are wide and are well spread within the industry itself. After passing out the students can join any pharmaceutical industry, regulatory and enforcement bodies, community pharmacy, teaching, hospital and clinical pharmacy and research and development sector.
Within the pharmaceutical industry the options could vary from manufacturing to quality control and from regulatory to research and development. “The Medical Council of India has now made it mandatory that all hospitals attached to medical colleges should have a clinical pharmacy department. This regulation would also add up to the job opportunities,” said Prof. Narayana.
Source: The Hindu
