Baqai Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The modern healthcare system is incomplete without the active participation of a pharmacist who is an expert on drug formulation, drug development, toxicology, therapeutics, etc. Therefore, it was of utmost importance to develop a proper training and educational institution in this critical field. There is a tremendous demand for trained and qualified Pharmacists in Pakistan as well as internationally.

Realizing the importance of Pharmacy, a comprehensive proposal for the establishment of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FPS) was prepared in 1993. The FPS was formed according to the charter of Baqai Medical University in June 1996. Under the umbrella of FPS, Baqai Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (BIPS) was established. It was the first Pharmacy institution in the private sector in Karachi, preferably the first in the country.

Initially, BIPS was started in two lecture rooms in 1996. Progressively, BIPS has developed and expanded to a stage where it has now 5 large air-conditioned lecture halls with multimedia, 10 well-equipped laboratories, air-conditioned Seminar Library, offices for the faculty members, a committee room, girls common rooms, cafeteria, etc., spread over a covered area of more than 40,000 sq. ft. Since its inception, the institute is providing high-quality education and training in various disciplines of Pharmaceutical Sciences to students from all over the country.

BIPS has gained a high reputation in the field of pharmacy and is committed to providing academic and professional support to its graduate and postgraduate students. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs and challenges of the profession. It has also set a high standard and provided comprehensive knowledge and skills to the students to acquaint them to tackle the exciting and challenging new development in the field of medicine and drugs.

The first batch of Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm.) students was admitted to BIPS in July 1996, who graduated in the year 2000. Later, the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan introduced the 5 year Pharm. D. program in the year 2004. BIPS was the first to adopt the program, and the first batch of Pharm. D. class was admitted in 2004. Since then, the number of newly admitted students has progressively increased; instead, admissions are refused because of the restricted number of seats. Moreover, one year condensed course of Pharm. D. was also initiated for those B. Pharm. graduates who wished to continue their studies for the Pharm. D. degree. So far, the institute has produced eight batches of graduates with B. Pharm. degree; the last batch of B. Pharm graduated in March 2007. To date, over 1000 degrees have been awarded to graduates. Additionally, more than 70 students have obtained the M. Phil. and Ph. D. degrees by working under the supervision of highly qualified professors of the institute. All these graduates are well trained in the field of pharmacy and are capable enough to deliver the best services in their profession in academics, hospitals, marketing, industries, clinical pharmacy, drug delivery, pharmaceutical care, patient communication, and counseling.

In addition to the theory classes, practical experiments are included in the curriculum for which adequate laboratory facilities are available. Moreover, industrial and hospital visits are part of the training program of the students. The Faculty members of BIPS are highly qualified. There are experienced teachers and veteran professionals who integrate their experiences into their courses. They have close links with industry and are engaged in competitive collaborative research across the full spectrum of modern pharmacy.

BIPS offers congenial research and teaching environment. The institute enjoys a distinct position in pharmacy education and has adequate equipment and other facilities on the campus. The research and training of the students are further enhanced by close links with the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, Information Technology, and the 500 bedded Fatima Hospitals on campus, which is necessarily required by the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan for Pharmacy teaching. This enables our students to interact directly with patients and understand modern patient care.

The BIPS research encompasses all fields of Pharmacy, such as Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, and Pharmaceutics. The research work conducted is published in scientific journals of high repute. The facilities and resources for postgraduate studies at the university are extensive. The research work carried out covers both theoretical and applied aspects, which arises primarily from the interest of the faculty and students concerned. It will also extend to specific or contract research projects selected and promoted by external bodies, such as government, industry, and research councils, as well as other sponsoring agencies. Such projects are brought to the university because of the expertise present here.