Students interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy often get confused between the commonly used degree titles of D.Pharm and Pharm. D. Lahore-UBAS brings this article to clear the air. Give this write-up a detailed read, and see what both these degrees offer to the students. You will get help in deciding what you should pursue. Since the Fall 2025 admissions are underway, you can apply for PharmD at Lahore UBAS online.
Diploma in Pharmacy (D-Pharm)
The students after matric (SSC) can apply for a diploma in pharmacy. This is also known as D Pharm. In Pakistan, this two-year technical diploma. The governing body for this D-Pharm undergraduate degree is the Pharmacy Practice Council of Pakistan.
A Diploma in Pharmacy (D Pharm) can be done after matric completion. This technical degree can help you land junior-level positions across the clinical pharmacy.
Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D)
On the other hand, the other degree is Doctor of Pharmacy, also known as Pharm D. The eligibility for Pharm D is intermediate A-levels or equivalent (12 years of education HSSC). UBAS demands 60 per cent of the marks in the preceding degrees.
On the other hand, if you have a diploma in Pharmacy and are willing to pursue a degree in Doctor of Pharmacy, you can enrol in this programme in Pakistan.
The governing bodies for Pharm-D are the Pharmacy Practice Council of Pakistan and HEC. Pharm-D is a post-graduate degree also called a professional doctoral programme. The duration of this degree is six years collectively.
Career Prospects After D-Pharm
After the completion of a Diploma in Pharmacy (D. Pharm), you can start your career. Your role would be that of an Assistant Pharmacist. You can work under the supervision of the pharmacist. The jobs you can do are those of inventory management, batch dispensing.
The locations where you may find opportunities are small medical stores, medical store chains, and small pharmaceutical companies. As a diploma holder, the pay scale and salary range are significantly lower in comparison to the potential you can explore after Pharm-D.
Scope of Pharm D
Pharm D is a proper doctoral degree that takes up to six years for completion. Learning takes 5 years, and +1 year is for internship purposes. This entire duration helps students to gain knowledge, develop skills, and gain field experience.
With the completion of the Pharm-D degree, you will become a professional pharmacist. Hence, you are allowed to use the professional title of Dr. with your name. Moreover, you can work on a diverse set of opportunities and positions across the healthcare settings. Some of them are mentioned below.
- Hospitals
- Pharmaceutical Industry
- Clinical Research
- Academia
- Regulatory Affairs
- Run Your Own Pharmacy (after registration & license)
In all these settings, you can work in different capacities. You can do a pharmacist job, work for research, development, and quality assurance in pharmaceutical companies, you may work as an independent consultant, or work across managerial positions. In Pakistan, you need to get yourself registered as a pharmacist in your province.
The range of earnings, potential to grow is huge in comparison to the D-Pharm holder. In addition, you can also work abroad.
- USA
- Canada
- Ireland
- Austraila
- Gulf Countries
The only important factor is to become a licensed pharmacy professional in the country of your preference. You can earn higher, get a broader scope to grow, and also a reputation for being a pharmacist.
According to the data resources of the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, the growth rate for pharmacists is around 5% over a decade.
Apply for Pharm D at Lahore-UBAS
Lahore-UBAS is one of the leading universities in Lahore for Biological and Health Sciences. Fall intake for 2025 is still ongoing. You can apply for admission to Pharm-D in Lahore 2025. For the complete application guide, you can visit the website.
Final Words
Apply for Pharm D at Lahore-UBAS if you want to become a professional pharmacist. You can even work as a registered pharmacist and even can open your own pharmacy. On the other hand, for an early career in pharmacy or vocational training, you can opt for D-Pharm. This is a diploma in pharmacy, D Pharm, and can be done in a couple of years after matric.
