Career in Pharmacology
If you are interested in drugs, drug therapies, and various other facets of pharmaceuticals but don’t want to work as a pharmacist in health centers or drugstores, then you can opt for pharmacology as your career.
Pharmacology, one of the main study domains under Biomedical Science and the
pharmaceutical industry, is studying how medicines affect a living organism and how the body responds to the medicine. The domain comprises the sources, chemical features, biological impacts, and therapeutic uses of medicines. These impacts can be therapeutic or lethal, based on various determinants.
Pharmacology is not actually similar to a pharmacy, and a pharmacologist is not precisely the same as a pharmacist. A pharmacologist usually works in a laboratory rather than a drugstore like a pharmacist. Though, there is a small overlap between both of these study domains. A pharmacist could be regarded as a type of pharmacologist.
There are 2 major fields of pharmacology – pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics. Pharmacodynamics is the study of the impacts of medicines on biological systems, and Pharmacokinetics is the study of the impacts of biological systems on medicines.
The domain of pharmacology explores drugs and medicines, which are later dispersed by pharmacists. Additionally
, pharmacologists determine the medicine doses and how they can be safely administered.As a pharmacologist, your job is most likely to be laboratory-based; however, your work may depend on the type of your job role. They are normally concerned with the manufacturing of pharma products, the development of the methods or procedures of production, clinical testing of the impacts of such medicine on humans and animals, quality control, and gaining the required approvals from the drug control officials.
Eligibility criteria for pharmacologists
- Pursue 10+2, with Biology and Chemistry as majors.
- Pursue a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology.
- Then you can pursue a Master’s degree in pharmacology, where you can choose a specialization of your choice.
- Most pharmacologists pursue Pharm.D., from a pharmacy school (4 years of undergraduate, pre-professional college coursework, including 4 years of professional study.)
- Another educational track for pharmacologists is a Ph.D. in pharmacology. Several professionals in the domain hold both a Pharm.D. and a Ph.D.
- Pharmacologists must have an advanced degree, like a Ph.D., Pharm.D. or M.D., to find a job. Students interested in practicing clinical pharmacology should have an M.D. or Ph.D., while those seeking a career in applied pharmacology should hold a Ph.D. or Pharm.D.
The career prospects are considerably defined by the specialization you choose in your Masters.
Key skills required to be a Pharmacologist
- Expertise to design, retrieve, manage and decipher complex data
- Knowledge of health and safety procedures
- A keen interest in life sciences and medicine
- Attention to detail
- Analytic skills
- Communication skills
- Good organizational skills
- Interest in laboratory work
- IT skills
- Knowledge of safety
- Leadership
- Oral and written communication skills
- Problem-solving
- Proficient in biology and chemistry
- Research mentality
- Strong logical thinking
- Strong academic foundations
- Teamwork
- Time management skills
Job sectors in Pharmacology
- Academia
- Pharma Industry
- Biotechnology Industry
- Healthcare
- Government
Career Prospects in Pharmacology
- Academic researcher
- Analytical chemist
- Biomedical scientist
- Community pharmacist
- Clinical research associates
- Clinical trial monitors
- Clinical study coordinators
- Consultants
- Drug safety monitors
- Drug therapist
- Drug Regulatory Officer
- Environmental monitors
- Food and Drug Inspector
- Hospital Drug Coordinator
- Healthcare Scientist
- Lecturers
- Laboratory technicians
- Medicinal chemist
- Medical sales representatives
- Medical science liaisons
- Medical affairs associates
- Medical Advisor
- Medical/scientific writers and editors
- Pharmacologist
- Patent attorney
- Pharma Researcher
- Pharmacovigilance/drug safety associates
- Pharmaceutical marketing & information professionals
- Researchers/scientists
- Research associates
- Regulatory affairs associates/officer
- Regulatory compliance officers
- Risk assessment, drug/toxicant information specialist
- Scientist
- Toxicologist
Typical employers of Pharmacologists
- Department of Health and Social Care
- Intellectual Property Office (IPO)
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Colleges and universities
- Abbott India Limited
- Aurobindo Pharma Limited
- Biocon Limited
- Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
- Divis Laboratories Limited
- Glenmark Pharma Limited
- Lupin Limited
- Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited
- Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited
Top colleges for pharmacology
- A.J. Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, Mangalore
- Acharya & BM Reddy College of Pharmacy, Bangalore
- Agnihotri College of Pharmacy, Wardha
- Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
- Amity University, Lucknow
- Amity University, Noida
- Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot
- Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore
- Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana
- Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune
- Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, New Delhi
- Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh
- Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER), Kolkata
- Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai
- Jamia Hamdard University, Delhi
- Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore
- Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar
- Madras Medical College, Chennai
- M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore
- Rama University, Kanpur
- Shri Vishnu College of Pharmacy, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh
- Siddhartha College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
- Sri Padmavati School of Pharmacy, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
- Sri Venkateswara College of Pharmacy, Rangareddy, Andhra Pradesh
- Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute, Chennai
Salary for Pharmacologist
- Average Entry-Level Pharmacologist Salary in India – ₹8,29,763/ year
- Average Middle-Level Pharmacologist Salary in India – ₹11,77,777/ year
- Average Senior-Level Pharmacologist Salary in India – ₹14,87,977/ year
The average salary for a Pharmacologist in the United States $ 135,249/ year.
Freshers are hired as trainees with an average of around ₹10,000; however, it may vary depending on the organization.
Future Scope
Pharmacology is among the quickly growing sectors in the health care sector and crucial elements for maintaining the health care sector. A postgraduation degree or Ph.D. increases employment chances, career scope, and prospects are extensive and fruitful. The development and advancement of science and technology have enhanced the knowledge of diseases, their causes, and possible remedies that have made pharmacology a discipline full of potential and many challenges. This sector will certainly be ever-growing.
For further reading:
I want to do job