Ph.D. in Pharmacy Eligibility, Top Colleges, Syllabus, Duration, Salary

Ph.D. in Pharmacy is a 3-year full-time doctoral course divided into 6 semesters. Minimum eligibility for pursuance of the course is the successful completion of post-graduation in Pharmacy, completed from a recognized university.

The course’s curriculum includes both theoretical instruction and practical exposure, such as advanced practical experiences, completion of eight rotations.

Pharmacy is the science and technique of preparing and dispensing drugs. It is a health-based profession that links health sciences with chemical sciences and aims to ensure the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs. This course includes modern services related to health care including reviewing medications for safety and efficacy, clinical services, and providing drug-related information. 

Some of the top institutes that offer the course in India are listed here:

• B.R. Nahata college of pharmacy, Mandsaur
• University of Mumbai, Mumbai
• Yash institute of pharmacy, Aurangabad
• Vinayaka mission university, Salem
• CT Group of Institutions, Jalandhar
• Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar
• SRM University, Chennai
• Integral University, Lucknow
• M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore
• Jaipur National University, Jaipur.

The average tuition fee charged for the course in India ranges between INR 30,000 to 15,00,000 for a span of 4 years.

Successful graduates of the course can expect anything between INR 2 to 20,00,000 as annual salary in the industry, increasing with experience and skillset.

Admission to the course is based on the round of counselling conducted after the candidate’s qualification of a relevant entrance test, such as CSIR- UGC NET.

Ph.D. in Pharmacy: Course Highlights

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

Ph.D. in Pharmacy: What is it all About?

The falls within the discipline of Pharmaceutics. The program is of relevance with respect to current research activities in the area, basic, applied and clinical investigations in the areas of Bio pharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Drug Delivery, and Drug Discovery.

Specifically, Bio pharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics encompass the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs in animals and humans, and the relationship between drug concentration and effect.

Pharmaceutical Biotechnology includes molecular biology, immunology, and aspects of the delivery of peptide and protein drugs. Pharmaceutical Analysis involves the application of spectroscopy, chromatography, extraction, electrophoresis, immunoassays, and radioisotope assays to drug determination.

Drug Delivery includes physical, biological and chemical approaches to drug delivery, formulation and evaluation of dosage forms. Drug Discovery is associated with receptor-oriented/ retro metabolic drug design, computer assisted drug design, chemical/ physical approaches to controlled drug delivery, and pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamics correlational approach to improved therapeutic index.

Such professionals professionally sterile products for patients and also invent other medications given intravenously. This is a complex process that requires adequate training of personnel, quality assurance of products, and adequate facilities.

The high cost of medications and drug-related technology, combined with the potential impact of medications and pharmacy services on patient-care outcomes and patient safety, make the presence of skilled Pharmacists imperative.

Top Institutes offering Ph.D. in Pharmacy

Listed below are some of the top institutes in India that offer the course.

Eligibility for Ph.D. in Pharmacy

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.

• Post-graduation in Pharmacy from a recognized institute.

                  OR

          M.Sc. in disciplines consistent with the research areas of the department.

• M.Tech. or equivalent degree in Pharmacy or other interdisciplinary areas.
• A minimum aggregate score of 55% (50% for SC/ST/OBC candidates) at the level of post-graduation.

Ph.D. in Pharmacy: Admission Process

In India universities have rights to set their own procedure and standards for admission to Ph.D. programs. But the set of requirements for the application are similar. These include a compulsory research proposal, detailing the proposed outline of the candidate’s Ph.D. project, and explaining the methodology one plans to employ.

Most institutes offering the course admit students based on their performance in a relevant entrance test followed by a round of Personal Interview. Admission process generally varies across institutes.

However, candidates are mostly selected based on performance in the CSIR-UGC/ CSIR (JRF)/ NET, etc. examinations, and subsequent rounds of Personal Interview.

Listed here are the top institute- specific entrance tests.

• GPAT
• LPU NEST
• KCET
• JNU Entrance Exam
• NMIMS Entrance Exam.

Ph.D. in Pharmacy: Syllabus and Course Description

A year - wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is given below.

Ph.D. in Pharmacy: Career Prospects

The majority of community pharmacists work in large retail chains or independent pharmacies of various sizes. Others are employed by small or medium-sized chain stores, GP surgeries, or health centres. The majority of hospital pharmacists work for hospitals within the NHS. It's also possible for such professionals to work for private hospitals.

Qualified pharmacists can work as locum pharmacists, either on a self-employed basis or through an agency. Pharmacy graduates are also employed by private sector organisations, e.g. pharmacy companies to work in areas such as research and development, marketing, quality assurance, sales and management.

Pharmacists are directly involved in patient care and work with existing drugs; while Pharmaceutical Scientists create new drugs and therapies. The training follows a wide range of disciplines to test, discover, and manufacture new drugs and therapies and they also evaluate their effectiveness and safety.

Pharmaceutical Scientists can find employment at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, and national laboratories such as the National Institute of Health.

Some of the top professional avenues open to such professionals are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.

A pass in Master’s Degree in Pharmacy/Pharm.D./ any other degree consider as equivalent to Mater’s degree in Pharmacy with a minimum of 55% marks or equivalent Grade Point Average (GPA) or in an examination recognised as equivalent thereto.

The selection of candidates for provisional admission shall be based on the following procedure:

1. The Entrance Test for the Ph.D. programme (Full-time, Part-time and External India and Foreign) will be conducted for all. The process will be coordinated by the Controller of Examinations.
2. The selection shall be based on marks obtained in the qualifying degree, a written test and an interview.
3. The weightage for Qualifying Degree Examinations will be given for 50 marks. The written test shall comprise objective type questions and examine research aptitude, grasp of the subject, intellectual ability, and general knowledge of the prospective candidates. The question paper for the written Test shall be prepared for one hour duration. Question papers will be set and evaluated by the DRC for 25 marks. The interview will be conducted for 25 marks. The cut off marks for the selection shall be fixed as 50%.
4. Candidates with M.Phil. Degree from an approved University, UGC-JRF/ NET / SLET / GATE / CSIR / ICAR /ICSSR qualified candidates and teacher fellowship holders are exempted from the Entrance Test but they have to appear for the interview.
5. The Interview will be conducted by different departments simultaneously following the written test on the same day. At the time of interview, the candidates are expected to indicate their chosen area of research and the research supervisor.
6. The allocation of the Research Supervisor for a selected student will depend upon the vacancy, the number of students per faculty member permitted by the University, the available specializations among the faculty supervisors, and the research interest of the student as indicated during the interview by the student.
7. For candidates who wish to undertake interdisciplinary research, there will be two Supervisors – a Research Supervisor in the Department where he/she is registered, and a Co-Supervisor in the relevant discipline.
8.  The “Minutes of the DRC” shall indicate the chosen guide and the research area of the candidate. The DRC shall certify that the selected topic for research is not a repetition of earlier Ph.D. research works.
9. The Minutes of the DRC together with the recommendation will be placed before the Vice-Chancellor, who in consultation with the Head of the Department and the Dean of the Faculty will select and admit the candidate for the Ph.D. programme under a Research Supervisor.
10. A candidate provisionally selected for admission for the Ph.D. programme shall join on or before the specified date after paying the prescribed fees and verification of certificates of the qualifying examination(s).
11. A full time Scholar admitted for the Ph.D. degree may be allowed to pursue any one programme at any given time offered by DDE of Annamalai University only.
12. A full time Scholar shall not undertake any employment either part-time or full time anywhere.