The study of pharmacy is not limited only to the study of medicines and treatment processes. It comprises a wide range of topics related to wellness, from medical care and food to lifestyle products and cosmetics. With the increasing scope of pharmacy in India, the requirement for pharmacy graduates has also increased. The most popular pharmacy courses are Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) and Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm). However, students are often confused amongst the two UG pharmacy courses. Read the article below to know about the course, eligibility, admissions, colleges, fee structure, curriculum, scope and career opportunities in B.pharm and D.pharm.
B.Pharma vs D.Pharma
Pharmacy is one of the popular courses among the students. It has gained much traction over the last few years. Pharmaceutical sciences is a broad field with its scope and applications in medical, drug, research, and education fields. The scope of pharmacy has never gone downhill ever since the course has come into existence. With the increasing demand for pharmacy in India, the requirement for pharmacy graduates has increased exponentially. We can take the recent example of the pandemic, almost all the industries suffered loss but the industry of pharmacy started looking for more graduates. The professionals who specialise in the use of medicines, composition, effects and other modalities are pharmacists or druggists.
To be a pharmacist or drug inspector, candidates must undergo an undergraduate degree to build a career in Pharmacy. Every year, thousands of candidates enrol themselves for various pharmacy courses all across the country. After class 12th, most of the candidates opt for the two most sought after options to pursue Pharmacy – B.Pharm (Bachelor in Pharmacy) and D.Pharm (Diploma in Pharmacy). However, students are often found confused amongst the two UG pharmacy courses. Therefore, to solve the dilemma of B.Pharm vs D.Pharm, here we have provided an in-depth explanation about B. Pharma vs D.Pharma, eligibility, scope and career options.
B.Pharm Vs D.Pharm Eligibility Requirements
B.Pharm (Bachelor in Pharmacy): Those who have completed their class 12th or any equivalent degree in Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Maths) can apply for the course. Also, those who have completed their D.Pharma can apply for the Bachelor in Pharmacy course. Also, some colleges or universities may set the minimum marks that the candidates must have secured in class 12th whereas some universities or colleges may conduct their entrance exams before admitting candidates to their course.
D.Pharm (Diploma in Pharmacy): To admission in D.Pharm, a candidate must have completed their class 12th (higher secondary) education from a school that belongs to a recognised board. They can be of any stream or discipline. There is no compulsion regarding the stream is made. They must have cleared the exams of all the subjects in their qualifying examinations. Candidates are usually selected D.Pharm based on the marks obtained by them in the qualifying examination.
B.Pharm Vs D.Pharm Admission Entrance Exam and Course Duration
For B.Pharma, candidates can give several exams such as TS EAMCET, BITSAT, WBJEE, AP EAMCET whereas for D.Prama, candidates can give exams such as AP EAMCET, and several other state-level counsellings. B.Pharm is taught for a duration of four years. One has complete and pass in all the subjects every year who aspires to practice as a pharmacist. Whereas D.Pharm is for a duration of two years and it is divided into four semesters.
Colleges Offering B. Pharma and D.Pharma Courses
Some of the top colleges that provide degrees in B.Prama and D.Pharma are as follows:
- Birla Institute of Technology
- Jamia Hamdard University
- Institute of Chemical Technology
- Jadavpur University
- Annamalai University
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research
- Hyderabad
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research
- Punjab
- Institute of Chemical Technology
- Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research and others.
B.Pharm Vs D.Pharm Course
B.Pharm: In the course, the students are taught about medicines and drugs, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Engineering, etc. B.Pharm consists of the study of preparing and conferring medicines and drugs for a vast number of illnesses and deficiencies. Some of the subjects taught in this course are
- Pharmaceutical Analysis
- Remedial Mathematical Biology
- Pharmacognosy
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Basic Electronics & Computer Applications
- Pharmaceutics
- Mathematics
- Anatomy
D.Pharm: This course has been designed to prepare students to work under the supervision of an expert and a licensed pharmacist. The syllabus of D.Pharm is created in such a way that it is inclusive of both practical and theoretical aspects and subjects pertaining to the field. The subjects included in this course are –
- Pharmaceutics
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Pharmacognosy
- Biochemistry & Clinical Pathology
- Human Anatomy & Physiology
- Health Education & community pharmacy.
B.Pharm Vs D.Pharm Career and Scope
B.Pharm: The course provides a large number of job opportunities and unlocks the door of both the public and private sectors for students. They can practice as a pharmacist after the completion of their B.Pharm course. They can then work in a wide range of industries related to the manufacture, prescription, and provision of medicines.
D.Pharm: The equipped students to provide assistance in drug distribution, narcotics control, computer processing, third-party billing, pre-packing pharmaceuticals, and clerical and other such duties that are necessary. The programme of D.Pharm is a career-oriented course in the medical field of pharmaceutical sciences which is designed to familiarise candidates with all the basic concepts of pharmaceutical science.
B.Pharm Vs D.Pharm Job Roles
B.Pharm: After completing the bachelor’s degree, one can work as a Drug inspector, Food inspector, Analyst, they can get a job in the Government/ Defence sector, Researcher, Public testing lab, Pharmacist, Pharma consultant or they work as a faculty in a pharmacy college.
D.Pharm: After completion of the course, the students will be offered the following job roles in the industry – Pharmacist, they can work as a drug inspector or pharmacist in the government sector, work as an entrepreneur by opening a medicine retail shop, they can work in a drug manufacturing company or in the education sector as a lecturer.
Other Differences between B. Pharma and D.Pharma
One of the key differences between B. Pharma and D.Pharma is the fact that B.Pharma offers a degree while D.Phamra offers a diploma. Therefore, candidates who are willing to go for higher studies and apply for a Lecturer position, will not be accepted with a Diploma. Those willing to do a Master’s or PhD thus will prefer going for a degree in the long run. Thus, B.Phamra widens the scope for candidates in case they want to enter into academics