Public health and patient care aspects in Indian pharmacy curriculum: A comparison between DPharm, BPharm, and PharmD programs

Abstract

BackgroundThere are about one million registered pharmacists practicing in both community and hospital pharmacies in India. Since the public health services do not cater to the entire population, pharmacies can play a major role in the health care system in India. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare the Indian pharmacy curriculum of DPharm, BPharm, and PharmD programs to see overall differences with a focus on the amount of time devoted for public health, patient care, and pharmacy practice aspects. Study designThe DPharm and PharmD curricula were included as prescribed by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), and the BPharm curriculum was derived from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Duration of the selected curriculum programs is given in number of hours in four core areas according to the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) criteria, which is used for comparison. Results and conclusionThe results indicate that DPharm and BPharm are industry focused, and only the PharmD is focused on clinical pharmacy and patient-oriented services. DPharm holders are the mainstays of pharmacy practice in India, but their degree least contains patient care and public health aspects. There is a gap in curriculum, particularly at DPharm level. This needs to be addressed in future studies and curriculum development actions, as well as in pharmacists’ continuing education and professional development programs.