Diploma in Pharmacy or D. Pharm, is a 2-yr 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 course is designed to familiarize candidates with the basic concepts of pharmaceutical science. D.Pharm to prepare students with the necessary skills and academic knowledge required for entry-level positions in retail pharmacies as well as pharmaceutical companies.
A Bachelor of Pharmacy (B Pharm) is a 4 year undergraduate degree in the field of pharmacy. This degree is a prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist. The course trains students to understand the properties and impacts of medicines and developing the skills required to counsel patients about their use. B Pharm holders can work in several fields such as being a pharmacist, patient counselling, doing further studies such as master's degree, working in a university as a lecturer, or working as a drug information specialist. After the completion of this degree, the students can practice as a Pharmacist. Pharmacists can work in a range of industries related to the prescription, manufacture & provision of medicines.
Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) is a 6 year course. Pharm. D. is the art and science of preparing and dispensing medicines. The course has been designed to train eligible candidates in clinical pharmacy, pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical care. Upon successful completion of the course, students gain skills in diagnosis and treatment of diseases, selection and therapeutic usage of drugs, monitoring of patients, etc. Pharm. D. is a latin term which means pharmaciae doctor. It is a registered qualification under pharmacy act, 1948. The course was introduced by Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), regulatory body for pharmacy education in India. The course is generally meant for students who have interest in learning of concepts related to clinical research and acquire an in-depth understanding of pharmacy practice concepts.
M. Pharm. Pharmaceutical Chemistry is a 2 year course gives necessary orientation and practical training in handling the various internal control and quality assurance techniques associated with Medicines and Cosmetics and their Ingredients, Various Synthetic pathways for Medicinal Agents, Structural Modifications, and Therapeutics Alteration etc.
M.Pharm. Drug Regulatory Affairs is a 2 year postgraduate Pharmacy programme. The course helps to provide a comprehensive education in the important aspects of Regulatory and Quality Compliance in the pharmaceutical industry. Students are encouraged to enhance their knowledge of regulatory and compliance issues and to explore careers in these exciting times. The ever-changing laws and regulations are driving demand for pharmaceutical regulatory affairs professionals, who can help companies effectively bring medical products to market. The course is beneficial as it offers many careers them after passing it successfully.
M.Pharm. Pharmacology is a two years Postgraduate Pharmacy Degree Course. The Pharmacology study emphasis on the medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action and interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical functions. If a substance has medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals.
M.Pharm Pharmaceutics is a 2 year course which deals with analysis, testing and researching of drugs for the disease which is caused to the human body. There is huge job scope for this course as there is a huge demand for M.Pharm Graduates. The modernization of the Pharmaceutical industry has made a huge impact on the development of the medical field.
M.Pharm. Industrial Pharmacy is a 2 year postgraduate Pharmacy course. Industrial Pharmacy is a discipline which includes manufacturing, development, marketing and distribution of drug products including quality assurance of these activities. This broad research area relates to different functions in the pharmaceutical industry and having contact areas with engineering and economics.
M.Pharm. in Pharmacognosy is a 2-year postgraduate course in Pharmacy which deals with the study of medicines derived from natural sources, and therefore the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function. Substances having medicinal properties are considered pharmaceuticals.
M.Pharm. in Pharmacy Practice is a 2 year course. It’s the study of health and chemical sciences, manufacturing, and quality control of medicine/drugs. Students enrolled to the course are taught to create effective and safe use of pharmaceutical products, and to effectively dispense and prepare medicines and drugs.
M.Pharm. Quality Assurance is a 2 year postgraduate Pharmacy course. Quality assurance is a planned and systematic activity implemented in a quality system so that quality requirements for a product or service will be fulfilled. Students learn the components of a quality assurance program like goals, benchmarks, leadership and motivation. This course also covers the work and philosophies of leaders in the field, as well as industry trends, standards like ISO and Six Sigma and how quality assurance relates to specialties in manufacturing, food, service or pharmaceuticals.
M.Pharm. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology is a 2 year postgraduate Pharmacy course. Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. The course involves the in-depth study of micro- and macro-organisms and hybridomas along with Biotech Pharmaceutical Drugs, Pharmacogenomics, and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Products (Antibodies, Proteins, and Recombinant DNA Products) etc.
M.Pharm Pharmaceutical Analysis is a 2 year post graduate course. It’s the study of a process to identify or quantify a substance or drug, the components of a pharmaceutical solution or mixture or the determination of the structures of chemical compounds used in the formulation of a pharmaceutical product.
M.Pharm. Pharmaceutical Administration is a 2 year postgraduate Pharmacy course. Pharmacy Administration is a dynamic field that applies approaches from management science, economics, and the social sciences, to issues in healthcare that relate to pharmacy, pharmacists, and pharmaceuticals. The course introduced the students about pharmaceutical products and services, pharmaceutical policy, medication compliance, rational drug use, drug distribution, socioeconomic and cultural issues related to drug use; evaluate healthcare intervention in terms of economic, humanistic and clinical outcomes; pharmacist-patient communications; and the role of a pharmacist in managed care.
Pharm. D. (Post Baccalaureate) is a 3-year professional post-graduate course in the discipline of Pharmacy, open for pursuance by eligible graduates of Pharmacy, completed from an institute recognized by the PCI. The course includes 1 compulsory year of residency or internship as well. The program covers subjects of study such as Pharmaceutical Formulations, Medicinal Chemistry, Jurisprudence, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutics etc.
Among the colleges in India that offer professional pharmacy education, the Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences- MCOPS as it is widely known- has a unique standing. MCOPS is ranked 1st among private pharmacy institutions in the country according to Career 360 [May 2015]. It is presently one of the premier institutions of Manipal Academy of Higher Education.
MCOPS of today owes its origin to the vision and enterprise of Late Dr TMA Pai, who ushered in an era of self-financed education, an event that changed the Indian landscape of tertiary education. A college that started offering diploma in pharmacy (DPharm) education in 1963, became a degree college for bachelor of pharmacy (BPharm) program in 1965. Eventually, MCOPS became the first college to offer post-graduate course (MPharm) in Karnataka in 1970 and the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program in 2008 in India.
MCOPS attracts students from far and wide. The institution adheres to all quality measures in terms of imparting education to its students. No wonder then, that many of the students of MCOPS easily get GPAT scholarships for pursuing higher education. Those who embark on higher education abroad after their graduation from MCOPS get selected in prestigious international universities of UK, USA and Australia, to name a few.
Industries like Ranbaxy, Dr Reddy’s, Astra Zeneca, and Sun Pharma and so on have a number of students from MCOPS working in various capacities.
Mr Kiran Shankar (Vice President, BPRL, Bengaluru), Dr B R Shetty (MD, New Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi), Dr Satheesh Mallya (FDA, Canada), Mr Murali Divi (MD, Divi Labs, Hyderabad) are some of the alumni who have made it big in their profession or business. Scientists who have carved names for themselves and their alma mater are Dr Sreejayan (Associate Professor at Wyoming University, USA), an influential scientist in new drug discovery program and Dr Jyoti Paliwal, a major contributor towards the development of Central Drug Research Laboratory’s successful weekly contraceptive pill.
A chronicle on MCOPS will not be complete without mentioning the following names - Mr Ramalinga Raju, Mr V Brahmaji, Mr Desu Gangadhar, Mr Maddali Srinivas etc. – the leading businessmen in the profession of pharmacy in New Jersey in the US.
MCOPS, over the past two decades has received substantial research grants from CSIR, DST, ICMR, UGC, AICTE, DBT and DAE in addition to many leading Pharmaceutical Industries.
Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MCOPS), Manipal Academy of Higher Education Manipal – 576 104