Careers in Ayurvedic Pharmacy

By:Dr Aayam Gupta,BAMS

Today lots of Ayurvedic Pharmacies are coming up & there's an increase in craze for herbal products worldwide. Infact it's one of the latest fields with a huge market potential & that's why Indian Government is looking forward to its growth as a breeding ground for earning foreign exchange. Skilled persons are lacking in this field both in Public & Private sectors. Hence a need was felt to develop a task force specialized in Ayurvedic Manufacturing &/dispensing. Hence a need for such a course was felt. More-over self-employment is the need of the hour & that's why professional courses are in demand. Starting Diploma in Ayd Pharmacy is like moving one more step forward in this direction.

As most of the students must be having insecurity/dilemma regarding their future in this field, I thought of sharing my views with you. I hope this piece of information will help you in shaping your career instead of just completing a degree & you could learn Ayurveda in true spirit & after stepping out of the college could make a new vision & reach new horizons & give new direction to others that follow.

Remember-" Without changing the old ways, new dimensions of life & living cannot be achieved." So initially be prepared for Sweat & perspiration but the positive results are guaranteed. Remember Ayurveda is a Spiritual Science & is a complex subject. Persons who have indepth knowledge & have understood basic fundamentals of Ayurveda feel that basic fundamentals of ayurveda are infact the most scientifically laid out. That's why it's still relevant in this jet age. Its role in the field of "Social & Preventive Medicine" is of utmost importance.

Opportunities for professional growth-

Courses of study in Ayurvedic Pharmacy

as offered in different universities are -
  • 1. Diploma in Ayurvedic Pharmacy (D.Pharma)-2 yrs
  • 2. Bachelor in Ayurvedic Pharmacy (B.Pharma)-4 yrs
  • 3. Master in Ayurvedic Pharmacy (M.Pharma)-2 yrs
  • 4. Master of Science in Medicinal Plants (M.Sc Medicinal Plants)-2 yrs
  • 5. PG Diploma in Ayurvedic Drug Standardisation- 1 yr
  • 6. MBA ( Pharma) specially designed for Pharmacy graduates-2 yrs
  • 7. Certificate course in Ayurveda Cosmetics-1 yr
Notes-
  • Course 1. is offered by many colleges in India
  • Course 2,3,4 is available at Gujrat Ayurvedic University, Jamnagar (Details of Admission Procedure etc at www.ayurveduniversity.com)
  • Course 5 is offered at Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU (Details at www.bhu.ac.in)
  • Course 6 is offered in many universities. Not sure whether Ayurvedic Pharmacy graduates are eligible because this course has been recently developed. For Enquiries you can contact National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER), Mohali, Chandigarh (www.niper.org.in)
  • Course 7 offered at Pune University (www.unipune.ernet.in)

Job Opportunities-
In India-

  • Pharmacist at Govt. Ayd Dispensaries (GAD) &/ Hospitals/ institutes
  • Can open ones own retail shop of Ayd medicines.
  • Open up ones own pharmacy after experience of 1-2 yrs of production in a reputed firm. Because only after that you can apply for a drug manufacturing license.
  • Jobs as Sales Executive in Ayd. Pharmaceutical companies.
  • Teaching in Ayurvedic Institutes after doing B.Pharma/M.Pharma

Abroad-

  • Can join colleges of Herbal Medicine & work abroad as a specialist in herbal medicine.
Apart from these streams you can also apply for other PG Exams if you have done a degree because it's a recognized qualifications.

Some Suggestions On How to Shape Your Career -

1. Join a foreign Language course besides doing your diploma/degree because it's an advantage & you can immigrate to other countries easily. You also get better & lucrative jobs if you have knowledge of some Modern European Language. Presently K.U.K is offering evening classes of Certificate & Diploma courses (Both 1 yr) in German & French. Only after doing certificate course you can go for Diploma. Admissions begin in Aug-Sept. & Final Exams usually are in April.
2. Read regular news features like HT Careers, Employment news & others alike to brush up your knowledge regarding job opportunities in various fields to develop a broad outlook.
3 Develop Your CV/Resume & send it to various pharmaceutical companies. Explore yourself. Develop a vision. Don't follow others, let others follow you.
Note- Marks are also v.imp besides having a practical outlook atleast for initial placements. (It creates an impact on the employer if you are academically sound. No gains without pains). So don't ignore this fact & develop your scholastic documents. If you manage to get a scholarship that will also be an advantage.
4. I would strongly recommend you to join some local Ayd pharmacy as a trainee for practical experience (at least for 1 yr). It will clear your fundamentals in theory as also you'll have an experience working in that set-up. This will be a strong point for purpose of employment. Don't forget to get a letter of recommendation from the prospective trainer after you leave that pharmacy.
5 Explore possible job opportunities on net.
6 Share each other's experiences

I sincerely hope that this piece of information would be of genuine help to you. If even a single person could benefit from this I shall feel fortunate. For any problems / queries you are most welcome.
Wish you the very best in life. Keep the faith in yourself & Ayurveda.

Dr Aayam Gupta, Yoga Teacher-ICC,P.O.Box-4300, Lautoka,c/o Indian Cultural Sub-Centre, (Girmit Premises), Lautoka, Fiji
Mobile-(00679) 9074319, 9662880;E-Mail -draayamgupta @ gmail.com

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