Diploma in Pharmacy: What’s the Future Scope?

A diploma in Pharmacy or D. Pharm Course is a two-year undergraduate course in the medical field of Pharmacy, a domain involved in the preparation, dispensing and appropriate use of medication designed for therapeutic purposes. The D.Pharm course provides the minimum qualification to become a Registered Pharmacist in India. But it only provides the basic concepts of pharmaceutical science, and there is no specialisation. If you are planning to pursue a D pharmacy course in Bangalore, one question that could worry you is this course's scope. To ease your worries, we have clubbed up some of the career opportunities and scopes that would be available to you.

The eligibility criteria for getting admission in a D.Pharm course is 10+12 from any approved Board with a minimum of 45% in PCM or PCB. Suppose you wish to pursue D Pharmacy in Bangalore so in that case, you should know that the syllabus usually includes courses like biochemistry, pharmaceutics, clinical pathology, toxicology, pharmacognosy, human anatomy and physiology, health education, pharmaceutical chemistry, community pharmacy, and practicals in these subjects.

A career in healthcare will provide you with vast opportunities for growth and development. As a course, D.Pharm has its own set of advantages and opportunities that can give you an edge over other job scopes and roles. This is because pharmacists play an integral role in our society since they define the healthcare sector and contribute towards the health and welfare of the people of the community. So it comes with a huge social responsibility. Pursuing a D.Pharm course will also provide you with huge career options as you can work in organisations like hospitals, colleges, nursing homes, and the medical industry as a whole. Your career growth will also be smooth since healthcare is an ever-growing and non-static career.

A D.Pharm course is suitable for students who wish to build careers in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. It is a diverse course that offers a lot of scope and a wide spectrum of job opportunities, like production executives, pharmacists, analytical chemists, etc. The candidates can get work opportunities in pharmaceutical firms, research agencies, government hospitals, clinics, sales and marketing departments, food and drug administration, and community health centres. Also, students who plan to pursue an MBA in pharmaceutical management can opt for a D.Pharm course.

A student, after completing their D.Pharm, can get work opportunities such as:

Pharmacist: involved in preparing medications by reviewing and interpreting physicians' orders and detecting therapeutic incompatibilities. Their job is to dispense medicines by packaging, labelling pharmaceuticals, and compounding. They also control medications by monitoring drug therapies and advising interventions.
Production Executive: These professionals are responsible for determining the most efficient uses of the available resources like equipment and labour required to meet the production goals. Their job includes setting budgets, assigning duties, determining required equipment and supplies, and building production schedules.
Scientific officer: They oversee the scientific functions of a company, including the basic and applied research projects and development of new technologies, processes and products.
Medical Transcription: This involves describing machines with foot pedals and headsets for listening to recordings by physicians and other healthcare professionals. Their job is to dictate the medical reports that are in the form of chart reviews, operations, emergency room visits, final summaries, and diagnostic imaging studies.
Pathological lab scientist: This work includes using equipment from the lab to analyse various specimens and samples, usually from human subjects. This is done to determine any abnormalities and go in-depth about the causes.
Analytical chemists: They play a crucial role with their opinions on different matters relating to the consumption of foods, natural resources, pharmaceuticals, criminal investigations, the utility of materials for various applications, and the commercialization of manufacturing processes.
Research and development executive: Their main job is to plan and direct all aspects of an organisation's R&D objectives, policies, and initiatives. They maintain the organisation's competitive position and profitability by formulating R&D programs, procedures and policies.
Research officer: The job of a research officer is to look after projects and work with the team members to keep them updated and scheduled. They also have to determine the objective of the projects and the research methods.

If you want to pursue higher studies after completing D.Pharm, there are numerous options waiting for you. You can either seek a Bachelor's in Pharmacy or a second-year B.Pharm or get a secure job at a drugstore at private and government hospitals. You also have the option to become an entrepreneur at your own pharmacy store or for wholesale or retail.

Wrapping Up

The D.Pharm course provides registered pharmacy qualification under the Pharmacy Act. Hence, many students opt for this course in order to pursue their careers in a hospital pharmacy or community pharmacy. One can also explore the area of online pharmacy business as it is a demanding business in India.