Industrial Pharmacists In India, the pharmaceutical sector is a vast sector with several companies engaged in it. These companies range from small-scale industries employing a handful of people to giant multinational companies employing more than thousand people. The manufactured products include bulk drugs, formulations and other healthcare products. Several companies are also developing new drugs and formulations. Pharmacy graduates could work in one of the several departments in the company. A production job involves the setting up and managing of the batch process of manufacturing, proper packaging, storage and logistics. With many companies developing new drugs and formulations, pharmacists are involved in conducting clinical trials and quality assurance programs to ensure safety and effective use of the drug in treating the disease. They also note the side effects of the medicine on different people.

Research Pharmacists With the onset of the " Intellectual Property Rights" which prevent companies from manufacturing drugs that have been developed by other companies, Indian companies have realized the importance of developing newer drug molecules on their own. Accordingly a number of companies have increased their Research and Development budget in order to pay more attention to in house research. Some of the prominent Indian companies that have made significant progress in R&D include Ranbaxy, Dr.Reddy's Labs and Orchid Chemicals. Some of the prominent government organizations engaged in drug research include Central Drug Research Institute- Lucknow, National Chemical Lab- Pune and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. Research pharmacists play a pivotal role in the discovery and development of new drug molecules and processes used in manufacturing them.

Retail Pharmacists Retail pharmacists own or manage chemist shops and drug stores and dispense drugs and medicines prescribed by physicians and health practitioners. A pharmacist must possess the medical knowledge necessary to inform her customers about the use, hazards, interactions, and side effects of any drug he dispenses. Earlier retail pharmacists had an important role to play since they had to dispense medicine according to dosage mentioned in the doctors prescription, however with the advent of modern packaging techniques most medicines are available in ready to use form. Pharmacists monitor the sale of drugs based on prescriptions and dosage. They often offer advice on over the counter medicines (which do not need a prescription) and other health care products.

Hospital Pharmacists Hospital Pharmacists as the name suggests are employed by hospitals and clinics. They are responsible for the procurement, storage and dispensation of various medicines and other healthcare products in a hospital. Besides they have to keep an account of the daily requirements and stock and ensure a constant supply of life saving drugs and medicinal products. They also make sterile solutions for use in the hospital and in surgical procedures and perform administrative duties as well.

Medical Representatives Companies engaged in manufacture of pharmaceutical goods employ medical representatives. Pharma companies see the advantages of having informed salespeople selling their products to retail pharmacies and hospitals, and pharmacists provide credible information on new drug products to prospective buyers. The primary job of a medical representative is to inform the health care experts particularly medical practitioners about the new products from their companies, their advantages, side effects and other details. Medical representatives have to combine technical knowledge with selling skills. Each medical representative is in charge of a particular area and has to visit the various doctors, clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and health care centers in his/her area to spread product awareness.

Government Jobs The government also employs pharmacists mostly in government owned hospitals and health centers. Job openings also exist in the Food and Drug Administration department of the various state governments.

Pharmacy - Aptitude, Interests and Personal Qualities In order to be a successful pharmacist, one must have a liking for science particularly life sciences and medicine. An ability to put in hard work is a must, together with strong logical thinking, patience and a sense of responsibility. If one wishes to be engaged in the field of research then one needs to have strong analytical abilities and strong academic foundations. To be a successful medical representative, one needs to have good communication skills and a flair for convincing people, together with the ability to learn quickly. Retail pharmacists need to have business skills together with good product knowledge.

Diploma in Pharmacy (D. Pharm) 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry & Biology/Mathematics 1-2 years Bachelor's Degree (B.Pharm) 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry & Biology/Mathematics + Entrance Exam 4 years Masters' Degree (M. Pharm) B. Pharm 2 years Doctorate M. Pharm 3 years Diploma holders are usually offered the position of a technician. Degree holders gets jobs either in production or as medical representatives. They can also opt for retail. Master's and Doctorate degrees lead to employment as research scientists or lecturers/professors in pharmacy colleges.

Research Scientists Rs.10,000 - 40,000 per month Medical Representative Rs. 5,000 - 10,000 per month + incentives Manufacturing Pharmacists Rs. 5,000 upwards Hospital Pharmacists Rs.3,000 - 5,000 per month Government Jobs Rs. 1,500 - 2,500 per month (basic) Along with Contributory Provident Fund, D.A., Insurance, Medical reimbursement, and other allowances and benefits as per government rules.

Pharmacy - Future Prospects India has a vast and growing pharmaceutical industry. With the implementation of the WTO proposals on intellectual property rights, Indian companies will have to increase their focus on research and development of new medicines. Indian companies have also started exporting bulk drugs and formulations. On the other hand Indian population is ever increasing and the country is still a laggard in the field of healthcare with even basic healthcare not readily available to all. All these factors indicate that Indian healthcare industry has a long way to go and pharmacists have to play a vital role in it. Apart from being a pharmacist, with more academic work they can move into pharmacology or become pharmaceutical chemists. Those who are academically-minded combine pharmaceutical and legal education to pursue jobs as patent lawyers or consultants on pharmaceutical and drug laws. In the coming years there will be an increasing demand for qualified pharmacists in all sectors namely research, manufacturing, marketing and retail.