Pharmacy Curriculum Overview
The curriculum for the Pharmacy program at Indrashil University Mehsana is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of pharmaceutical sciences, integrating fundamental sciences with clinical applications and industry practices. The program spans four years, comprising eight semesters, with each semester carefully structured to ensure progressive learning and skill development.
Year One - Foundational Sciences
The first year focuses on building a strong foundation in basic sciences essential for advanced pharmacy education:
- Organic Chemistry I & II
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Biology I & II
- Physics I & II
- Mathematics I & II
- Introduction to Pharmacy Practice
Year Two - Core Pharmaceutical Sciences
The second year introduces students to core pharmaceutical disciplines:
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology I & II
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry I & II
- Pharmacy Practice I & II
- Pharmacognosy
- Medicinal Chemistry
Year Three - Advanced Applications and Clinical Exposure
The third year builds upon prior knowledge by introducing advanced topics and clinical exposure:
- Pharmacokinetics
- Clinical Pharmacy
- Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
- Pharmacovigilance
- Pharmaceutical Microbiology
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
Year Four - Specialization and Capstone Project
The final year is dedicated to specialization and capstone project work:
- Drug Development
- Regulatory Affairs
- Pharmaceutical Marketing
- Public Health Pharmacy
- Capstone Project
- Industry Internship
Semester-wise Course Structure
| Semester | Course Code | Course Title | Credit (L-T-P-C) | Pre-requisites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PHM101 | Organic Chemistry I | 3-0-2-4 | N/A |
| 1 | PHM102 | Inorganic Chemistry | 3-0-2-4 | N/A |
| 1 | PHM103 | Biology I | 3-0-2-4 | N/A |
| 1 | PHM104 | Physics I | 3-0-2-4 | N/A |
| 1 | PHM105 | Mathematics I | 3-0-2-4 | N/A |
| 1 | PHM106 | Introduction to Pharmacy Practice | 2-0-2-3 | N/A |
| 2 | PHM201 | Biochemistry | 4-0-2-5 | PHM103, PHM104 |
| 2 | PHM202 | Pharmacology I | 4-0-2-5 | PHM103, PHM106 |
| 2 | PHM203 | Pharmaceutical Chemistry I | 4-0-2-5 | PHM101, PHM102 |
| 2 | PHM204 | Pharmacy Practice I | 3-0-2-4 | PHM106 |
| 2 | PHM205 | Pharmacognosy | 3-0-2-4 | PHM103, PHM101 |
| 2 | PHM206 | Medicinal Chemistry | 4-0-2-5 | PHM101, PHM103 |
| 3 | PHM301 | Pharmacokinetics | 4-0-2-5 | PHM202, PHM203 |
| 3 | PHM302 | Clinical Pharmacy | 4-0-2-5 | PHM202, PHM204 |
| 3 | PHM303 | Therapeutic Drug Monitoring | 3-0-2-4 | PHM301 |
| 3 | PHM304 | Pharmacovigilance | 3-0-2-4 | PHM202 |
| 3 | PHM305 | Pharmaceutical Microbiology | 4-0-2-5 | PHM103, PHM201 |
| 3 | PHM306 | Pharmaceutical Biotechnology | 4-0-2-5 | PHM201, PHM205 |
| 4 | PHM401 | Drug Development | 4-0-2-5 | PHM301, PHM306 |
| 4 | PHM402 | Regulatory Affairs | 3-0-2-4 | PHM301, PHM302 |
| 4 | PHM403 | Pharmaceutical Marketing | 3-0-2-4 | PHM204 |
| 4 | PHM404 | Public Health Pharmacy | 3-0-2-4 | PHM301, PHM302 |
| 4 | PHM405 | Capstone Project | 6-0-0-6 | All previous semesters |
| 4 | PHM406 | Industry Internship | 3-0-0-3 | All previous semesters |
Advanced Departmental Electives
The following departmental electives are offered in the final two years of the program:
- Computational Pharmacology: This course explores computational methods for drug design, molecular modeling, and virtual screening. Students learn to use software like AutoDock, Chimera, and Schrodinger Suite for predicting protein-ligand interactions.
- Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance: Focuses on regulatory compliance, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), and quality control procedures in pharmaceutical manufacturing environments.
- Natural Product-Based Drug Discovery: Covers extraction techniques, isolation of bioactive compounds from plants and microorganisms, structure elucidation, and medicinal chemistry optimization.
- Digital Health Technologies: Examines the role of digital tools in drug development, patient monitoring, telemedicine, wearable devices, and AI-driven diagnostics.
- Pharmaceutical Formulation Science: Provides an in-depth study of dosage form design, excipient selection, manufacturing processes, stability testing, and quality assurance protocols.
- Global Health Policy and Ethics: Analyzes ethical considerations in global health, policy frameworks, public health strategies, and the impact of pharmaceutical policies on society.
- Drug Information Services: Teaches students how to provide evidence-based drug information to healthcare professionals, patients, and regulatory bodies through databases and literature reviews.
- Biomarker Discovery and Validation: Introduces students to biomarkers in drug development, genomics, proteomics, and personalized medicine approaches using omics technologies.
- Pharmaceutical Economics: Explores cost-effectiveness analysis, budget impact modeling, health economics, and value-based healthcare strategies in pharmaceutical decision-making.
- Clinical Research Methodology: Provides a comprehensive understanding of clinical trial design, data collection, statistical analysis, and regulatory submissions for new drug approvals.
Project-Based Learning Approach
The department places significant emphasis on project-based learning to enhance practical skills and foster innovation. The curriculum includes mandatory mini-projects and a final-year capstone project that allow students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Mini-Projects (First Year):
- Students work in groups on topics such as drug discovery, formulation development, or clinical research methodology.
- Each project is supervised by a faculty member and involves research, documentation, and presentation.
- Evaluation criteria include scientific rigor, creativity, teamwork, and communication skills.
Final-Year Capstone Project:
- Students choose projects based on their interests and career goals, often aligned with industry needs or research topics.
- Projects are mentored by faculty members from the department or external collaborators from pharmaceutical companies.
- The final deliverables include a detailed report, oral presentation, and poster session at the annual symposium.
- Successful projects may lead to publications in journals or patent applications.
This approach ensures that students develop critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and hands-on experience necessary for success in their chosen career paths.