“Nearly 4 years back when I entered pharmacy for my bachelor’s degree, it was not a popular career choice that every student dreamt about. Like some of my friends, I felt like I’ve stepped in the wrong field at first. It was very easy to have felt that way because the decision to pursue a pharmacy degree was majorly due to lack of opportunity in the core medical field. But after I started exploring this area more and more, today it’s a hyped up passionate career which is known and respected. I’m proud to be a part of this here in LPU. I surely can say that my decision was luck for me.” – says Sakshi Malhotra who is currently in her last year of B.Pharm at LPU and hopes to continue her studies in Pharmacy.
When people hear ‘Pharmacy’, they think about a branch associated with the medical division and healthcare services. The word itself is derived from a Greek word “pharmakon” meaning “remedy”. This discipline has made continuous progress in India and is now a distinct and independent branch of science for people to acquire the wealth of knowledge about the vast array of therapeutic remedies. The status of professionals is upgrading and qualified people are now not just those who wear a laboratory coat and stand behind counter giving medicine according to prescriptions.
Students are also now drawn towards the tremendous possibilities and consider pharmacy as a glamorous career choice. Also, the trend chart shows the demand for these professionals will be ever-increasing in the coming years in both developed and underdeveloped countries.
The career opportunities go behind the very task of dispensing drugs. They can work in the medical department in hospitals, clinics, industrial areas, community pharmacy, teaching, research, medical writing and armed services. Apart from this, one can explore ample opportunities in further education such as Ph.D. programmes, postdoctoral and research fellowship programmes. With so much to learn and gain from this experience, it’s no longer said that Pharmacy is an alternative for medical studies.
