Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm)

Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) at Kantipur Academy of Health Science

The Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) at Kantipur Academy of Health Science is a four-year, eight-semester bachelor's program affiliated with Purbanchal University. The program covers pharmaceutical sciences, basic sciences, basic medical sciences, pharmacy practice, research, project work, and professional internship.

At Kantipur Academy of Health Science (KAHS), students study pharmacy within a health sciences environment at Tinkune, Kathmandu. The academy has laboratories, computer and internet facilities, an e-library, continuous assessment, career counseling, and an institutional connection with Kantipur Hospital Pvt. Ltd.

College: Kantipur Academy of Health Science (KAHS)
Program: Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm)
Affiliation: Purbanchal University
Duration: 4 years
Academic Structure: 8 semesters
Total Credits: 168
Location: Tinkune, Kathmandu, Nepal

Program focus

The B. Pharm curriculum is organized around basic sciences, basic medical sciences, and pharmaceutical sciences. Basic science study includes areas such as inorganic pharmaceutical chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and mathematics, while the medical science component includes Anatomy and Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Pathophysiology.
Pharmaceutical study extends into pharmaceutical chemistry and instrumental analysis, pharmacognosy and natural products, pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics, hospital and clinical pharmacy, community pharmacy, physical pharmacy, pharmaceutics, and dosage-form design.

The curriculum also develops learning related to pharmaceutical care, medication distribution and control, drug information, pharmacy management, pharmaceutical manufacturing, public health, and teamwork within clinical settings.

Eligibility and admission

Eligibility: Academic entry routes covered by the program include 10+2, I.Sc. or equivalent, Certificate in Pharmacy, Diploma in Pharmacy, and specified health diploma backgrounds.

For higher-secondary applicants, Physics and Chemistry together with Mathematics or Biology are required, with an average score of 50%. For grading-system qualifications, the applicable requirement follows the relevant admission criteria.

Diploma in Pharmacy applicants require an average score of 60%, while Certificate in Pharmacy applicants require an average score of 50% and registration with the Nepal Pharmacy Council. The curriculum also includes HA and CMLT routes with an average score of 60%, respective council registration, and 10+2 equivalence under the applicable NEB framework.

Admission to medical education programs follows MECEE-BL and the prevailing rules, scholarship provisions, seat-allocation system, fee structure, and admission procedures determined by the Medical Education Commission (MEC). Seats, fees, scholarships, and admission arrangements may change between academic years according to MEC decisions and its admission calendar.

Course duration and credit structure

The B. Pharm program carries 168 credits across eight semesters. Each semester consists of at least 16 weeks of instruction.

The credit distribution is:

• 122 theory credits

• 32 practical credits

• 2 seminar credits

• 6 project-work credits

• 6 professional-internship credits

Across all eight semesters, the curriculum contains 4,224 academic hours and 6,100 full marks.

What students study

The curriculum moves from foundational chemistry and biological sciences toward increasingly specialized pharmaceutical study.

Early semesters cover subjects such as Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, Physical Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Anatomy and Physiology, Pharmaceutical Engineering, and related laboratory work.
The fourth semester includes:

• Biochemistry

• Chemistry of Natural Products

• Pharmaceutical Engineering-II

• Pharmaceutical Microbiology

• Pharmacology-I

• Practical work attached to each major subject

By the fifth semester, students study Medicinal Chemistry-I, Pharmaceutical Technology-I, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Pharmacology-II, Public Health Pharmacy, Pathophysiology, practical subjects, and Seminar-I.

Later study moves further into pharmaceutical practice, management, therapeutics, research, dispensing, hospital pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, and drug-delivery systems.

Seventh semester

The seventh semester includes:

• Dosage Form Design

• Pharmaceutical Management

• Pharmacotherapeutics

• Research Methodology

• Forensic Pharmacy

• Dispensing and Community Pharmacy

• Dosage Form Design Practical

• Research Methodology and Proposal Design Practical

• Dispensing and Community Pharmacy Practical

Research methodology at this stage prepares students for the project component completed during the final semester.

Eighth semester, project and internship

The eighth semester includes Hospital Pharmacy, Drug Delivery System, Instrumental Analysis, Clinical Pharmacy, related practical courses, Project Work, and Professional Internship.

Project Work carries six credits. Students undertake the project in a group of up to three members, review relevant literature, conduct research, prepare a report under academic supervision, and defend the completed work.

Professional Internship also carries six credits and forms part of the final-semester requirements. Together, the project and internship add a substantial applied component to the later stage of the degree.

Teaching and practical learning

Teaching methods include classroom lectures, laboratory practical work, demonstrations, problem-oriented learning, and self-directed learning. Students carry out prescribed laboratory activities under supervision, while demonstrations may also be used where appropriate.

KAHS supports practical study through laboratory facilities and its wider health sciences environment. Its association with Kantipur Hospital Pvt. Ltd., a 100-bed hospital at Subidhanagar, Tinkune, also places pharmacy students within an institutional setting connected with pathology, emergency services, surgery, dialysis, ICU, and other healthcare services.

Assessment system

Students must maintain at least 80% attendance in theory and practical classes. A minimum of 50% in theory and 60% in practical subjects is required separately to pass each subject.

Theory subjects use internal assessment alongside the end-semester examination. The final theory examination is conducted for three hours and carries 80 marks.

Practical end-semester evaluation includes the synopsis, experiment, and viva voce. Separate assessment formats apply to seminars, research proposals, project work, and professional internship. Project evaluation considers the report, presentation and communication, and viva, while internship evaluation includes report submission and presentation or viva.

The final grade is calculated through the cumulative grade point average system. Students are given a maximum period of seven years from admission to complete the B. Pharm degree.

Skills and professional preparation

Through laboratory courses, pharmacy practice subjects, research, project work, and internship, students develop academic and practical preparation in areas such as:

• Pharmaceutical formulation and dosage-form design

• Pharmaceutical analysis

• Drug and natural-product study

• Pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics

• Dispensing and community pharmacy

• Hospital and clinical pharmacy

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing and management

• Drug information

• Research methodology and project work

Career scope

The academic areas covered by B. Pharm relate to pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality control, formulation and development, research, hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy, pharmaceutical marketing, academics, and regulatory work.

Career options depend on professional registration and licensing requirements, recruitment conditions, skills, experience, and available positions. Graduates entering professional pharmacy practice must meet the applicable requirements of the relevant professional council.