A new course on the block

Updated on: Monday, May 18, 2009

From this academic year colleges in Chennai will introduce a new course in pharmacology — Pharm.D. With all the requisite approvals from the Pharmacy Council of India in place, the course content would be modelled on the same lines as the programmes being run in the United States with subjects such as Medicinal Biochemistry, Remedial Mathematics and Biology, Pathophysiology and Clinical Toxicology being included. “The aim of the course is to prepare students to become pharmacists and so the emphasis would be on practicals and fieldwork,” said PP Sharma, Vice President, Pharmacy Council of India. A pharmacist is someone who works closely with a physician participating in drug recommendations and also providing additional information on drug-food interaction.

In all 23 institutes in five states have been affiliated to conduct the course. These include four in Tamil Nadu, 12 in Andhra Pradesh, five in Karnataka and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The four Tamil Nadu colleges that are affiliated and will conduct the first year of the course are Vel’s College of Pharmacy, Pallavaram; SRM College of Pharmacy, Kattankalathur; PSC College of Pharmacy, Coimbatore and Vinayaka Missions College of Pharmacy, Salem. Each institute can admit up to 30 students this academic year.

In keeping with the aim of the programme, the final year of the six-year course will be an internship where students will be attached to a doctor. Said Sharma, “Students will accompany the doctor on his rounds in the ward and work closely with him using their knowledge to provide crucial drug information relevant to the patient.” Evaluating drug interaction is a key factor when more than one drug is prescribed to the patient. “Food and drug interaction is equally important and Pharm.D students will be trained to provide this kind of guidance,” Sharma explained.

Apart from the industry Pharm.D graduates have the option to become teaching staff at medical and pharmacological colleges and could be hired by public and private hospitals as a number of them are in the process of setting up their drug information/advisory departments.

The course will be open to those who have cleared 10+2 in the Science (PCB) stream

Deccan chronicle

A new course on the block

More Education news