Riding the care wave

The pharmacy industry is evolving at breakneck speed, thanks to the changing models in the health and patient care. There are new positions coming up with upward trend in medication regimen review (long-term care), medication reconciliation (hospitals and home infusion), prior authorisation and utilisation management (managed care and governmental healthcare organisations).

The scores of GPAT are accepted by 800 participating institutes and all the AICTE approved institutions/ universities.

Eligibility criteria

A candidate becomes eligible to apply and appear for the entrance examination in order to seek admission to various courses of MPharm only when they comply with the eligibility criteria of GPAT 2020. The eligibility criteria is as following:

Nationality:Indian

Age: No Bar

Qualifying examination n 4-year course in Pharmacy after Class XII from a recognised university

• Final year students of BPharm are also eligible to apply, provided that their result should be declared before admission to 2020-2021 session commences

Syllabus

GPAT syllabus includes topics from subjects like pharmacology, microbiology, pharmacognosy, human anatomy and physiology, pharmaceutical analysis, clinical pharmacy and therapeutics, pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmaceutical jurisprudence.

Govt pharmacy colleges in India accepting GPAT

• Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai
• Government College of Pharmacy, Karad
• Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, New Delhi
• Jadavpur University, Kolkata
• University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chandigarh
• School of Pharmacy, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore
• Punjabi University, Patiala

Career options

There are many career paths available for pharmacists:

Retail pharmacy

Retail pharmacists accurately measure and package prescription medicines for patients. They often alert doctors and patients about possible drug reactions and can suggest alternative medication choices.

Hospital pharmacy

A hospital pharmacist prepares medications that will be administered to patients in the emergency room, hospital ward, intensive care unit (ICU) and for those who are about to go through or have gone through a surgery. Sometimes, hospital pharmacists work with the patient care team to determine which dose or medication is appropriate, especially in complex situations.

Extended care facility

Pharmacists may dispense medication in an extended care facility, nursing home, or rehabilitation setting. Usually, patients in this setting have various long-term health problems and many prescribed medications, therefore attention to potential drug interaction is crucial.

Nuclear pharmacist

A nuclear pharmacist prepares radioactive materials that are used for diagnostic tests and therapeutic procedures. Often, in the hospital setting, a specialised pharmacist has this role to play.

Infusion center

A pharmacist who staffs an infusion center prepares medications such as chemotherapy and immunosuppressants.

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About GPAT

Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) is a national-level entrance examination for entry into MPharm programmes. Till 2018, it was conducted by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) every year as per the directions of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India.

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GPAT important dates

As NTA has already amended the GPAT important dates and is now going to conduct the exam on January 28, the dates have been provided below

Events Dates

Commencement of applications for GPAT 2020 Nov 1, 2019

Last date to fill the application form Dec 10, 2019 (Extended)

Availability of Admit Card Dec 24, 2019

GPAT 2020 online examination Jan 28, 2020

Declaration of GPAT result 2020 Feb 3, 2020

Mode of fee payment:

Applicants will have to make the payment of the GPAT 2020 application fee by choosing any of the following two modes-

• Online mode with payment using credit card/debit card/net banking
• Offline mode by paying cash at any of the designated SBI bank branches

Exam format

The GPAT examination is conducted through online mode. The candidates will take the test on a pre-assigned computer at the test center assigned to them. The duration is 3 hours and the question paper would comprise 125 questions carrying 500 marks. You would be allotted 4 marks for the correct answer and 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.