Hello Sahi Mishra,

Pharm D vs B Pharm: Differences Between The Two Courses

1 TYPE OF COURSE

Pharm D– Pharm D stands for Doctor of Pharmacy. It is a Post Graduate Doctorate Degree program.

B Pharmacy– It stands for Bachelor of Pharmacy. It is an undergraduate level Bachelor’s Degree course.

2 COURSE DURATION

Pharm D– Course duration is 6 years. Academic period lasts for 5 years. 1 year is dedicated towards internship.

B Pharmacy– Course duration is 4 years. All four years consists of academic program only. Internship is not present in this program.

3 DEGREE AND TITLE OBTAINED AFTER COURSE COMPLETION

Pharm D– After completing this course, successful graduates will get title of Doctor (Dr).

B Pharmacy– After completing this course, successful candidates will get Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy.

4 COURSE CONTENT AND STRUCTURE

Pharm D– It focuses on fundamental concepts of pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, healthcare studies, pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical care.

B Pharmacy– It is a research and industry oriented course. It focuses on drug manufacturing, research, quality control and general pharmacy studies.

5 COURSE FORMATS

Pharm D– In India, two formats of Pharm D courses are available- Pharm D (6 years long course) and Pharm D (Post Baccalaureate) course (3 years long). B Pharmacy graduates may pursue 3 years long Post Baccalaureate Pharm D program after graduation.

B Pharmacy– Only one format of this course is available (Degree program). 3 years long Diploma version of this course is available too (Diploma in Pharmacy).

6 JOB PROFILES AND PROSPECTS

Pharm D– After completing the course, one may find work in Hospitals, Clinical research organizations and pharmacy colleges. Job profiles available are- pharmacist, healthcare professional, consultant, research professional and clinical scientist.

B Pharmacy– After completing the course, one may find work in medical shops, Colleges, pharmaceutical companies and research firms. Job profiles available are- pharmacist, teacher/instructor, shop owner, marketer and research professional.

7 SCOPE ABROAD

Pharm D– Has got good ‘work abroad’ scope associated with it. Pharm D is the minimum degree required to practice as a pharmacist in many developed countries.

B Pharmacy– Though it has decent work scope in India, it is not so widely accepted in developed countries (Pharm D is the minimum qualification there). In case you want to work abroad, you may pursue Post Baccalaureate Pharm D program and improve your chances of landing a job!

8 PG COURSES

Pharm D– Since this is a doctorate degree, the best available PG course would be PhD.

B Pharmacy– Graduates may go for M Pharmacy or Pharm D (Post Baccalaureate) after completing Bachelor’s course.

Both are equally good .Pharm -D is oriented towards clinical side and there are no further options available. B-pharm after completion you can either opt for masters, management or even pharm-d (lateral entry).In India there is much scope for bpharm as compared to pharm-d.

Thanku.