National College of Pharmacy was the first college in Kerala to start the internationally recognied Pharm.D course. It was introduced by the Government of India and the Pharmacy Council of India in 2008.The Pharm.D program is a pre-PhD, post-graduate professional doctoral program. It was introduced to improve clinical pharmacy services in India and it is the only pharmacy service which is in direct contact with patient health care system. The first batch of Pharm.D post baccalaureate students graduated in August 2011. The Pharm.D degree requires five years of classroom and hospital based didactic study (two years didactic post-baccalaureate course), followed by one year of internship training in addition to ongoing practicals and research project. The entry requirements for this 6 year pharmD program is after 12 years of school education with maths & science sub: or diploma in pharmacy and for post baccalaureate entry is after 4 year B.Pharm undergraduate qualification[citation needed]. In India pharm D students and graduates are actively participating in direct patient care in hospitals.
The introduction of the Pharm D. course is set to change the country’s pharmacy education landscape and is expected to take the country’s pharmacy education to international levels.
The programme of Pharm.D is to produce pharmacists who have the abilities and skills which are necessary to achieve outcomes related to:
- Providing Pharmaceutical care to patients.
- Developing and managing medication distribution and control systems.
- Monitoring drug response in patients and adjusting dosage regimens to produce the safest, most beneficial results in therapy.
- Managing the pharmacy.
- Promoting public health.
- Providing drug information and education.
- Providing technical aid to Pharmaceutical industry and solving problems pertinent to the manufacturing of medicines.
- Reviewing products evaluated for formulary consideration.
- Evaluating policies, procedure, protocols and clinical pathways to ensure safe use of medications.
- Analyzing quality assurance activities to ensure that improvements are implemented to produce positive patient outcome.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pharm.D. (Post Baccalaureate): The duration of the 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.The period of three years duration is divided into two phases –Phase I – consisting of First and Second academic year.Phase II – consisting of Internship or residency training during third year involving posting in speciality units. It is a phase of training wherein a student is exposed to actual pharmacy practice or clinical pharmacy services, and acquires skill under supervision so that he or she may become capable of functioning independently.Minimum qualification for admission to. –Pharm.D. (Post Baccalaureate) Course - A pass in B. Pharm examination with a minimum of 50% marks from the institution approved by the Pharmacy Council of India, under section 12 of the Pharmacy Act.Provided that there shall be reservation of seats for the students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes in accordance with the instructions issued by the Central Government/State Government/Union Territory Administration as the case may be from time to time.Pharm.D. (Post Baccalaureate) Programme – 10 students
