Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D) is a professional doctorate degree to practice the profession of
pharmacy, a multidisciplinary program with the aim of producing a pharmacist equipped with
better clinical skills to provide pharmaceutical care and ensure rational use of drug.
Pharm-D students are equipped with detailed information on physiologic and anatomical
characteristics of human body related to discovery and formulation of drugs for better patient
outcome. Pharm-D includes different horizons in future as pharmacologist, pathologist, researcher,
and medical writer, in forensic, teaching and marketing as well. Pharm-D degree can lead to
different career paths if collaborated with different other fields such as Doctor of Nutrition and
Dietetics (DND), Management sciences, Doctor of Physiotherapy (DPT), Software Engineering
and Law degree. It can not only give more opportunities of one’s own interest but also improve
overall lifestyle. Quality of life and quality of treatment can be increased.
Pharm-D degree focuses on appropriate drug production and use and works on advising the
patients regarding drug while DND are focused on role of food in body and prevention of diet
related diseases. When combined, student will not only be able to understand use of drug but also
adjust nutrition to improve the patient outcome. It will be easier to point out the food-drug
interactions and decrease the adverse effects of drug, overall improving quality of life.
It can help
a person to become a drug and nutrition advisor at the same time with counselling of patient.
Pharm-D collaborated with Management sciences can become a versatile study experience with
acquiring management and leadership skills for improving overall sales of pharmaceutical
industry. Better understating of marketing of drug product and technical problems related to
machinery can be of great financial help. Management skills can also help in managing vast data
in hospitals and research institutes. Integrated care an innovative approach also requires skills for
managing different health-care professional and organizational services.
DPT focuses on rehabilitation of people who are handicapped due to any disease or accident and
restore normal strength and joint mobilization. A person with knowledge of drugs and
rehabilitation can help the local community in a better way. They can help patients to recover from
injury with help of medicine and exercise and live life to fullest potential. They can also work with
athletes by giving proper and detailed care.
Software Engineering works on designing, building, and testing software application for different
purposes. Pharm-D requires a lot of research for better drug development, by using different
software, so its necessary to have some knowledge about these programs. Both fields combined
can help students in better understating of all software and developing new software for necessary
research. Artificial intelligence can help a lot in hospitals by dispensing medicines according to
prescription without any error. Different apps can be developed for better patient care and survey
related to drugs.
LLB (Bachelor of law) are expertise in field of law like law of crime, employment, business etc.
For better drug use and preventing abuse, certain laws are maintained. There are many laws related
to drug manufacturing, purchasing, quality control, and dispensing. A person with better
understanding of laws can help regulate dispensaries in a better way, preventing any kind of
lawsuit. There are many Drug Acts for regulating the import and export of drugs. A person with
combined knowledge of Pharm-D and Law can help play a vital role in regulations of therapeutic
goods and enforcement of drug laws in the country, ensuring the basic rights of humans.
Pharm-D combined with different field can help by improving the economic status of country by
providing employments and ensuring better world with less diseases and more health.
Writen By: Hafsa Bibi (Blue Lunar)
Pharmacist
University: Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University
