Pharm D
Introduction
Pharm D degree curriculum is different than that of B .Pharm, it includes extensive didactic clinical preparation and a full year of hands-on practice experience.
In 1990, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) mandated that a doctor of pharmacy degree would be the new first-professional degree. Currently all accredited schools and colleges of pharmacy in the US offer the PharmD degree. National association of Boards of Pharmacy is now permitting students with 5 years degree like Pharm D for FPGEE eligibility.
Many other countries like Canada, Spain, France, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, Jamaica, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Nigeriaetc have started Pharm D programs. India has started Pharm D Program from 2008.
Opportunities
Pharmacists can start their career in a limitless number of professional areas that range from community pharmacies, drug development, fundamental or applied research, biotechnology to areas such as forensic sciences, toxicology, regulatory affairs, clinical analysis, law enforcement (scientific police), bromatology, drug marketing, regulatory authorities, university teachers, executive managers (pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and governmental institutions)etc.
Large numbers of Pharmaceutical companies are opting for clinical trials and the spending in four types of trials represented about $7.8 Billion in 2007 and is projected to grow to $17.2 Billion in 2013.Pharm D graduates will be the best suited for clinical research and related jobs across the globe.
Course Pattern
Duration:
Pharm D course shall be of six academic years (five years of study and one year of internship or residency) each academic year spread over a period of not less than two hundred working days. Sixth year involves posting in specialty units training students in pharmacy practice or clinical pharmacy services
Pharm.D. (Post Baccalaureate) course shall be for three academic years (two years of study and one year internship or residency) full time with each academic year spread over a period of not less than two hundred working days.
Minimum qualification:
Pharm.D: 10+2 examination with Physics and Chemistry as compulsory subjects along with one of the following subjects: Mathematics or Biology, Or A pass in D.Pharm; completed 17 years of age.
Pharm.D. (Post Baccalaureate): A pass in B.Pharm from an institution approved by the Pharmacy Council of India
Attendance:
• Candidate having regularly and satisfactorily undergone the course of study by attending not less than 80% of the classes held both in theory and in practical separately in each subject shall be eligible for appearing at examination.
• Every student has to undergo one year internship as per Appendix-C of PCI regulations. Internship is a phase of training wherein a student is expected to conduct actual practice of pharmacy and health care and acquires skills under the supervision so that he or she may become capable of functioning independently.
Examinations – Internal Assessment
• A regular record of both theory and practical class work and examinations conducted for Pharm.D. orPharm.D. (Post Baccalaureate) course, shall be maintained for each student in the institution
• 30 marks for each theory and 30 marks for each practical subject shall be allotted as sessional.
• There shall be at least two periodic sessional examinations during each academic year and the highest aggregate of any two performances shall form the basis of calculating sessional marks.
• The sessional marks in practicals shall be allotted on the following basis
o Actual performance in the sessional examination (20 marks);
o Day to day assessment in the practical class work, promptness, viva-voce record maintenance, etc. (10 marks).
Examinations – External l Assessment
• Theory examination shall be of three hours and practical examination shall be of four hours duration.
• A Student who fails in theory or practical examination of a subject shall re-appear both in theory and practical of the same subject.
• Practical examination shall also consist of a viva –voce (Oral) examination.
• Clerkship examination – Oral examination shall be conducted after the completion of clerkship of students. An external and an internal examiner will evaluate the student. Students may be asked to present the allotted medical cases followed by discussion. Students’ capabilities in delivering clinical pharmacy services, pharmaceutical care planning and knowledge of therapeutics shall be assessed.
Criteria for Pass
• A student shall not be declared to have passed examination unless he or she secures at least 50% marks in each of the subjects separately in the theory examinations, including Sessional marks and at least 50% marks in each of the practical examinations including Sessional marks.
• The students securing 60% marks or above in aggregate in all subjects in a single attempt at the Pharm.D. or Pharm. D. (Post Baccalaureate) course examination shall be declared to have passed in first class.
• Students securing 75% marks or above in any subject or subjects shall be declared to have passed with distinction in the subject or those subjects provided he or she passes in all the subjects in a single attempt.
• All students who have appeared for all the subjects and passed the first year annual examination are eligible for promotion to the second year and, so on. However, failure in more than two subjects shall debar him or her from promotion to the next year classes.
• Certificate of passing examination
Every student who has passed the examinations for the Pharm.D. (Doctor of Pharmacy) or Pharm.D. (Post Baccalaureate) (Doctor of Pharmacy) as the case may be, shall be granted a certificate by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences Bangalore.
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First Year Pharm D:
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Second Year Pharm D:
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Third Year Pharm D:
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Fourth Year Pharm D:
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Fifth Year Pharm D:
* Attending ward rounds on daily basis. |
Sixth Year Pharm D:
Internship or residency training including postings in specialty units. Student should independently provide the clinical pharmacy services to the allotted wards.
• Six months in General Medicine department,
• and Two months each in three other speciality departments
Teaching Hospital
Gautham College of Pharmacy has a memorandum of understanding with Saptagiri Medical College and Research Institute for clinical facilities.
Practical training
• Every student shall be posted in constituent hospital for a period of not less than fifty hours to be covered in not less than 200 working days in each of second, third & fourth year course.
• Each student shall submit report duly certified by the preceptor and duly attested by the Head of the Department or Institution as prescribed.
• In the fifth year, every student shall spend half a day in the morning hours attending ward rounds on daily basis as a part of clerkship and theory teaching may be scheduled in the afternoon.
Project work
• The project topic approved by the Head of the Department or Head of the Institution shall be announced to students within one month of commencement of the fifth year classes.
• Project work shall be presented in a written report and as a seminar at the end of the year. External and the internal examiners shall do the assessment of the project work.
• Project work shall comprise of objectives of the work, methodology, results, discussions and conclusions.
• The objectives of the project work is to
o Show the evidence of having made accurate description of published work of others and of having recorded the findings in an impartial manner;
o and develop the students in data collection, analysis and reporting and interpretation skill
• Methodology of the project work shall
o Students shall work in groups of not less than two and not more than four under an authorized teacher;
o Project topic shall be approved by the Head of the Department or Head of the Institution;
o Project work chosen shall be related to the pharmacy practice in community, hospital and clinical setup. It shall be patient and treatment (Medicine) oriented, like drug utilization reviews, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacovigilance or pharmacoeconomics;
o Project work shall be approved by the institutional ethics committee;
o Student shall present at least three seminars, one in the beginning, one at middle and one at the end of the project work; and
o Two-page write-up of the project indicating title, objectives, methodology anticipated benefits and references shall be submitted to the Head of the Department or Head of the Institution.
• Reporting of the project work
o Student working on the project shall submit jointly to the Head of the Department or Head of the Institution a project report of about 40-50 pages. Project report should include a certificate issued by the authorised teacher, Head of the Department as well as by the Head of the Institution
o Project report shall be computer typed in double space using Times Roman font on A4 paper. The title shall be in bold with font size 18, sub-tiles in bold with font size 14 and the text with font size 12. The cover page of the project report shall contain details about the name of the student and the name of the authorised teacher with font size 14.
o Submission of the project report shall be done at least one month prior to the commencement of annual or supplementary examination.
• Evaluation of the project work. Following methodology shall be adopted for evaluating the project work
o Project work shall be evaluated by internal and external examiners.
o Students shall be evaluated in groups for four hours (i.e., about half an hour for a group of four students).
o Three seminars presented by students shall be evaluated for twenty marks each and the average of best two shall be forwarded to the university with marks of other subjects.
o Evaluation shall be done on the following items:
• Marks
o Write up of the seminar (7.5)
o Presentation of work (7.5)
o Communication skills (7.5)
o Question and answer skills (7.5)
o Total (30 marks)
• Final evaluation of project work shall be done on the following items:
• Marks
o Write up of the seminar (17.5)
o Presentation of work (17.5)
o Communication skills (17.5)
o Question and answer skills (17.5)
o Total (70 marks)
Internship:
• Objectives
o To provide patient care in cooperation with patients, prescribers, and other members of an inter professional health care team based upon sound therapeutic principles and evidence-based data, taking into account relevant legal, ethical, social cultural, economic, and professional issues, emerging technologies, and evolving biomedical, pharmaceutical, social or behavioral or administrative, and clinical sciences that may impact therapeutic outcomes.
o To manage and use resources of the health care system, in cooperation with patients, prescribers, other health care providers, and administrative and supportive personnel, to promote health; to provide, assess, and coordinate safe, accurate, and time-sensitive medication distribution; and to improve therapeutic outcomes of medication use.
o To promote health improvement, wellness, and disease prevention in co-operation with patients, communities, at-risk population, and other members of an inter professional team of health care providers
o To demonstrate skills in monitoring of the National Health Programmes and schemes oriented to provide preventive and promotive health care services to the community.
o To develop leadership qualities to function effectively as a member of the health care team organized to deliver the health and family welfare services in existing socio-economic, political and cultural environment.
o To communicate effectively with patients and the community.
• All parts of the internship shall be done, as far as possible, in institutions in India. In case of any difficulties, the matter may be referred to the Pharmacy Council of India to be considered on merits.
• Where an intern is posted to district hospital for training, there shall be a committee consisting of representatives of the college or university, and the district hospital administration, who shall regulate the training of such trainee. For such trainee a certificate of satisfactory completion of training shall be obtained from the relevant administrative authorities which shall be countersigned by the Principal or Dean of College.