After Class 12 · Pharmacy
B.Pharm, D.Pharm and Pharm.D admission 2026
Which pharmacy course to choose, whether you need NEET, and how each state admits.
Checked 28 October 2026 against official notices; rows taken from news reports are labelled.
Pharmacy has three entry courses after Class 12. In the states we checked, admission is on a state entrance test or Class 12 marks, not NEET. Maharashtra also accepts a non-zero NEET score, with preference, but only for All India candidature seats.
| Course | Duration | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| B.Pharm | 4 years (8 semesters) | 10+2 with PCM, PCB or PCMB and English |
| D.Pharm | 2 years + 500 hours practical training | 10+2 science with PCB or PCM |
| Pharm.D | 6 years (5 + 1 year internship) | 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Maths or Biology, or D.Pharm; age 17 |
- Under PCI's B.Pharm regulations the course runs eight semesters (four academic years), or six semesters (three years) for lateral-entry D.Pharm holders.
- PCI requires a pass in 10+2 with English plus Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and/or Biology (PCM, PCB or PCMB), so both PCM and PCB students are eligible.
- A D.Pharm pass from a PCI-approved institution allows lateral entry into the third semester of B.Pharm.
- Under PCI's Education Regulations 2020 the D.Pharm course lasts two academic years of at least 180 working days each, plus 500 hours of practical training spread over at least three months.
- Under PCI's Pharm.D Regulations 2008 the Pharm.D course lasts six academic years: five years of study plus one year of internship or residency.
- B.Pharm graduates can join Pharm.D (Post Baccalaureate), a three-year course of two years study plus one year internship.
- PCI regulations cap intake at 30 students for Pharm.D and 10 for Pharm.D (Post Baccalaureate) per programme.
Does pharmacy need NEET?
Maharashtra's 2026-27 rules let All India candidature candidates qualify for B.Pharm and Pharm.D with a non-zero NEET score or MHT-CET score, with preference given to NEET scorers. Maharashtra-candidature students still need MHT-CET. We did not find another state that uses NEET for pharmacy in 2026-27.
Admission route by state (2026-27)
Fees (per year)
Tuition fee per year in all government colleges; benchmark-disability candidates are exempt from tuition and special fee.
Official: tnmedicalselection.net
All-inclusive per-year fee for government-quota seats in self-financing colleges, excluding hostel, transport and mess; may be revised by the Fee Fixation Committee.
Official: tnmedicalselection.net
Tuition fee of Rs 2,00,000 plus other fees; Tamil Nadu offers Pharm.D only in self-financing colleges.
Official: tnmedicalselection.net
Tuition fee per year in UP government training centres under CAHSP 2026-27; other fees set by the institute are extra. 300 government D.Pharm seats are listed.
Official: upsmfac.org
Official 2026-27 pharmacy fee orders for Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are not yet on this page; ask us.
After pharmacy
- PCI's Education Regulations 2020 make a pass in D.Pharm Part-I and Part-II plus completed Part-III practical training the minimum qualification for registration as a pharmacist.
- Rule 49 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules requires a Drugs Inspector to hold a degree in Pharmacy or Pharmaceutical Sciences, or Medicine with specialisation in clinical pharmacology or microbiology.
- To inspect manufacture of Schedule C drugs, an inspector also needs 18 months of manufacturing or testing experience, or three years of experience as a Drugs Inspector.
- NBEMS held GPAT 2026, the test for M.Pharm admission, on 7 March 2026. (news report)
- Madhya Pradesh's 2026 counselling rule book uses qualified GPAT scores as the merit basis for M.Pharm admission.
More courses after NEET
BDS admission
Counselling, fees, cut-offs
Read →BAMS admission
Ayurveda: AACCC and state rounds
Read →BHMS admission
Homoeopathy: AACCC and state rounds
Read →BVSc (veterinary)
VCI 15% quota and state routes
Read →B.Pharm, D.Pharm, Pharm.D
Pharmacy admission by state
Read →GNM and ANM
Nursing diplomas
Read →BPT (physiotherapy)
2026 rules, NEET from 2027-28
Read →Sources
- B.Pharm duration: kvv.edu.in
- D.Pharm duration: jkpc.in
- Pharm.D duration: kvv.edu.in
- NEET for pharmacy: cappublicdocs2026.blob.core.windows.net
- NIOS students: news.careers360.com
- GPAT 2026: news.careers360.com
- GPAT in state counselling: dte.mponline.gov.in
- Drug inspector: cdsco.gov.in
- Tamil Nadu: tnmedicalselection.net
- Tamil Nadu: tnmedicalselection.net
- Karnataka: medicaldialogues.in
- Telangana: deccanchronicle.com
- West Bengal: medicaldialogues.in
- Kerala: onmanorama.com
- Uttar Pradesh: upsmfac.org
Common questions
Is NEET required for B.Pharm?
Not in the states we checked: admission is through a state entrance test (MHT-CET, KCET, EAPCET, WBJEE, KEAM) or Class 12 marks. Maharashtra's 2026-27 rules also accept a non-zero NEET score for B.Pharm and Pharm.D, with preference, but only for All India candidature seats.
Can PCB students do B.Pharm?
Yes. PCI accepts Physics and Chemistry with Maths and/or Biology, so PCB, PCM and PCMB students are all eligible.
What is the difference between D.Pharm, B.Pharm and Pharm.D?
D.Pharm is a 2-year diploma (the minimum to register as a pharmacist), B.Pharm a 4-year degree, and Pharm.D a 6-year clinical pharmacy course.
What is the B.Pharm fee in a government college?
In Tamil Nadu's 2026-27 prospectus it is ₹3,000 a year in tuition; government-quota seats in self-financing colleges cost ₹50,000 a year.
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