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Career opportunities are increasing in India's pharmacy sector which is growing by leaps and bounds
- Dr. Jayantilal Bhandari
Certainly, at this time India is being recognized as the "new pharmacy of the world" due to the low cost and high quality of its medicines. India's pharmaceutical industry is the third largest in the world in terms of quantity and the 14th largest in terms of value and the pharma sector is currently contributing about 1.72% to the country's GDP . The special thing is that India's pharma sector, which is growing by leaps and bounds, has also become a rapidly growing multi-faceted career sector.
Pharma sector will grow to $ 130 billion by2030
Various national and international reports related to India's pharma sector state that the pharma sector in India will be around $ 65 billion in the year 2024 and it can grow to more than $ 130 billion by the year 2030. This target will be achieved on the basis of expanding market opportunities and increasing demand abroad. At present, India's pharmaceutical industry consists of a vast network of about 3,000 pharmaceutical companies and 10,500 manufacturing units. India has an important place in the global pharmaceuticals sector. The country has a large group of scientists and engineers who have the potential to take the pharma industry to new heights. Up to 100 per cent FDI is allowed through the automatic route for greenfield pharmaceutical projects. For brownfield pharmaceutical projects , up to 74 per cent FDI is allowed through the automatic route and more than that is through government approval. The global economy is in disarray and many companies investing in China are looking for alternatives in other countries. In such a situation, many multinational companies from many countries of the world including many companies operating in China are also knocking on the doors of India. Due to all these reasons, the size of the pharma sector in India is increasing and employment opportunities are also increasing in it.
Various reasons for the increase in employment in the pharma sector of India-
If we look at the reasons for the rapid growth of employment in India's pharma sector, we find that India is the largest provider of generic medicines globally and is known for its affordable vaccines and generic medicines. Generic medicines , over-the-counter drugs , bulk drugs , vaccines , contract research and manufacturing , biosimilars and biologics are some of the major segments of the Indian pharma industry. Since the cost of drug production in India is much lower than in the US and Western countries. That is why India is playing an effective role in the manufacture of various important , high quality and low cost medicines for domestic and global markets. About 70 percent of the world's generic medicines are manufactured in India. 50 percent of Africa's total demand for generic medicines , 40 percent of America's demand and 25 percent of Britain's total drug demand comes from India. 60 percent of the world's vaccines are also produced in India. Apart from this, 70 percent of the vaccines for the World Health Organization's mandatory vaccination schemes are supplied by Indian pharmaceutical companies.
It is worth noting that India has the highest number of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities that are compliant with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and there are 500 API producers here which make up about 8 percent of the API market worldwide . The benefits of the Production Linked Incentives (PLI) scheme launched by the Central Government about two and a half years ago to bring self-sufficiency in drug production , encourage local manufacturing of high-priced medicines and to produce the raw material of medicines - API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) from China in India itself, have started accruing. It is also important that patients from many developed countries are also turning to India for cheap but quality treatment in India. The cost of medical care in India is much lower than in Western countries and India is the cheapest in South East Asia. India is being considered a profitable place in the world for medical tourism , where apart from health benefits, beautiful places can also be visited. India's name is being highlighted among the top ten countries in the world for global medical tourism.
Career opportunities increased due to increasing exports from the pharma sector- Certainly, career opportunities are also increasing due to increasing exports from the pharma sector. Exports of medicines from the country increased by 9.67 per cent year-on-year to $ 27.9 billion in 2023-24 . During 2022-23 , this figure was $ 25.4 billion. It is no small matter that India has become a major producer and exporter of many items of the pharma and medical sector during the Corona period. India is exporting PPE kits , surgical masks , medical goggles and PPE kits on a large scale in the world. Now the demand for cheap medicines from India is increasing even in those countries. Who did not have much confidence in India's cheap medicine. Pharmaceutical exports from India reach some 200 countries around the world , including the highly regulated markets of the United States , West Europe , Japan and Australia. The situation is that due to the disruption of the global chain of the pharmaceutical industry, at this time the pharma companies of India are continuously getting orders for the supply of various medicines. Not only this, amid the shortage of supply of medicines in many countries including America , Europe and Russia, orders for medicines from many countries of the world to India are continuously increasing.
Various dimensions of career in the rapidly growing pharma sector
Certainly, pharmacy is such a field related to medicines , in which various aspects related to invention of new medicines, their quality , maintenance and quantity are studied. If we look at the various areas of bright career opportunities in pharmacy, we find that these opportunities are increasing by leaps and bounds in the areas of drug manufacturing , drug research , drug marketing , pharmacovigilance , hospital pharmacy and resource management etc. The work of medicine manufacturing has been going on since ancient times. This work can be done only by trained and skilled persons. The demand for this work has always remained.
Career Opportunities as a Pharmacist
It is noteworthy that a degree in pharmacy is necessary to obtain a license to start and run a medicine shop. At present, pharmaceutical companies need such expert professionals who are capable of facing global challenges. While preparing medicines, a skilled pharmacist has to know what should be added and in what quantity in the preparation of a particular medicine. In hospitals, the job of a pharmacist is to prepare medicines as per the doctor's instructions and give them to the patients. He also has to explain to the patients what precautions should be taken while using which medicine , when and how the medicine should be taken , etc. How the medicine and the ingredients used to make the medicine can be kept safe is also the work area of a pharmacist.
Special Career Opportunities in Pharmacy Marketing
In fact, the work of marketing medicines is completely different from the marketing of consumer goods. Marketing in the field of medicines is done through doctors and chemists. Hence, this work is quite challenging and requires special skills and training. Because on one hand they have to constantly contact highly trained doctors and on the other hand, they have to constantly contact medicine traders.
Career as a Drug Inspector
Medicines are not only required to be effective but also safe and quality assured. The entire pharmaceutical scenario right from manufacture to sale of medicines is regulated by the Central Government and State Governments through licensing and inspection process to ensure safety , quality and efficacy. Pharmaceutical graduates can make a career in government service as Drug Inspectors through an examination usually conducted by the State Public Service Commission.
Career as Quality Controller Chemist-
The work of checking product samples for quality of medicinal products is done as per the standards specified in the national or other accepted drug collection. There are bright opportunities in this field for graduates as well as those who have interest in drug analysis and operation of modern equipment.
Career as Government Pharmacy Analyst-
Drug samples collected from manufacturing units or retail drug stores are tested in government drug testing laboratories. Graduate pharmacists work as government analysts in these government laboratories. These pharmacists are required to undergo training related to testing of drugs in a government analyst or a recognized laboratory.
Career in Pharmacovigilance
It is noteworthy that the business of fake medicines and low quality medicines is growing rapidly in all the countries of the world including India. The World Health Organization has said that the danger of these fake medicines and low quality medicines is the highest in developing countries like India where the monitoring of rules and regulations on the business of medicines is very minimal or is non-existent. Pharmacovigilance, related to the regulation of medicines and preventing fake and low quality medicines from entering the market, has become an emerging bright career field at this time.
Skills required for a career in pharmacy-
Special skills are required for students who want to make a career in various fields of pharmacy. They should have a keen interest in life sciences and pharmacy. To work in the field of research related to pharmacy, they must have good academic background along with good analytical skills . To make a career in the field of pharmacy marketing, good communication skills are necessary. Especially the field of pharmacovigilance is better for those who are able to catch the impact of poor quality of medicines.
Educational Qualifications Required for a Career in Pharmacy
To make a career in pharmacy, a student should take Biology , Physics , Chemistry group or Maths , Physics , Chemistry group after 10th . After this, one can do two years Diploma in Pharmacy (D Pharma) or four years Bachelor of Pharmacy (B Pharma). After this, one can do two years Master in Pharmacy (M Pharma). Diploma, Degree and Post Graduation courses in Pharmacy are available in various pharmacy affiliated educational institutions of Madhya Pradesh and the country. Admission is given on the basis of 12th class marks in many colleges of the country including Madhya Pradesh. At the same time, admission is given in many universities on the basis of special entrance examination.
Students who wish to make a career in the field of pharmacy can move ahead on the path of a good career in the field of pharmacy by doing certificate, diploma and post graduation courses from any quality institute of Madhya Pradesh or the country as per their suitability.
