After ten years, PCI, the apex body for pharmacy education and the profession in the country, is revising the undergraduate B Pharmacy course curriculum. The new curriculum additions, specializations, implementation, the doubling of pharmacy colleges after COVID, and other topics were discussed by Deependra Singh, PCI member and chairwoman of the education regulation committee. Through a democratic and inclusive approach, the Education Regulation Committee (ERC) engages professionals from a variety of fields to frame the curriculum, including:
Pharmaceutical industry professionals
Hospital practitioners
Community pharmacists
Academics
Researchers
Students
Pharmacy Subjects: Typical Core Subjects for Pharmacy
Below given is typical core subjects for pharmacy:
Subject Name
Details
Human Anatomy and Physiology
It involves studies related to the human body and its structure.
Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry
Studies related to chemical aspects associated with drugs and medicines are included in this subject.
Pharmaceutical Inorganic Chemistry
Uses of inorganic substances in pharmaceuticals including preparatory methods, properties, etc. are covered in this subject.
Pharmaceutical Microbiology
Microorganisms that contribute towards the development and scaling up of pharmaceuticals are studied in this subject.
Pharmacology
The influence of drugs on living beings is studied in this subject.
Computer Applications in Pharmacy
The use of computers in retail pharmacy along with CADD (Computer -Aided Design of Drugs), data storage, computer-based learning, etc. are included in this subject.
Pharmaceutical Analysis
How to identify, separate, purify, and determine pharmaceutical products are explained in this subject.
Industrial Pharmacy
Marketing, development, manufacturing, and quality assurance activities are covered in this subject.
Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
Concepts related to modern Pharmacognosy and the development of Phytochemistry are to be studied in this subject.
Pharmaceutical Engineering
It covers topics related to quality control, discovering, manufacturing, and analysing drugs and their formulas.
Remedial Biology/ Remedial
How to use biological agents to eliminate contaminants from the water or any other medium is explained in this subject.
Mathematics
Measurements and methods of calculations used to determine, prescribe, and develop medication are covered in this subject.
Physical Pharmaceutics
Concepts of Chemistry and Physics that are associated with Pharmacy are covered in this subject.
Biochemistry
It involves studying concepts related to living organisms and chemical processes happening within their bodies.
Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics
Drugs and their physicochemical characteristics are covered in this subject.
One of the many new element of the updated undergraduate (UG) pharmacy curriculum is the ability to specialize through majors. B Pharma majors are available to students in:
Industrial Pharmacy
Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy
Core subjects will be covered in the first four semesters, and specialized courses based on the major will be offered in the following four semesters. B Pharma degree without specialization will still be awarded to students who choose not to choose a major.
