Why “PharmD” Is the Pick You Should Use - Biomedglobal Advises Universities Across the Globe
Posted 5 days ago
In today’s professional and academic settings, clarity and uniformity matter. That’s especially true for degree designations like Doctor of Pharmacy. Whether you’re a student, a practicing pharmacist, or someone hiring or working with pharmacy professionals, it helps everyone when titles are consistent. So, what is the correct way to write “Doctor of Pharmacy,” and why does it matter?
What is the “Doctor of Pharmacy” degree?
“Doctor of Pharmacy” (often abbreviated PharmD) is a professional doctorate-level degree. It represents the highest level of entry training for pharmacists in many countries. It isn’t the same as a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy), which is more research-intensive; a PharmD has more of a clinical-and-practice focus, preparing pharmacists to work closely with patients and healthcare teams, dispensing medicines safely, counseling, pharmacotherapy management, etc.
Variants in how people write it
Over time, people have written the degree in different ways:
“PharmD”
“Pharm.D.”
“Pharm. D”
“pharm d”
“Doctor of Pharmacy” (spelled out)
Some versions are more formal, some informal; some are better suited to specific publications or contexts; some are ambiguous or awkward. Part of the confusion comes from how abbreviations generally work, and how many style guides treat periods (dots), capitalization, spacing, etc.
So what’s the “correct” way?
Based on what many professional/academic style guides and pharmacy-education sources recommend:
Use “PharmD” (without a period between “Pharm” and “D,” no space, capital “P” and “D”). It’s clean, concise, and becoming standard globally.
When written out in full, use “Doctor of Pharmacy”. (Capitalize both Doctor and Pharmacy when it's a proper name of the degree)
If using the abbreviation directly after a name, many style guides say to omit punctuation (i.e., no periods) for readability. For example, Jane Doe, PharmD rather than Jane Doe, Pharm.D.
Credibility and professionalism: Uniform and correct usage shows seriousness, especially in formal documents (résumés, academic publications, licensing papers, regulatory bodies).
Avoiding confusion: Different spellings or punctuation might look unprofessional or suggest a different qualification. Worse, someone unfamiliar might misinterpret or mis-spell.
Global recognition: As pharmacy practice becomes more international, so does the need for standardization. If someone from another country sees “Pharm.D.” or “pharm d,” they may wonder whether it’s the same as “PharmD.”
Searchability & indexing: In digital contexts (online profiles, databases, publication searches), standard abbreviations make results consistent and easier to find. If everyone uses “PharmD,” searches for “PharmD” will capture more accurate matches.
When using the Doctor of Pharmacy title, context makes all the difference. On résumés and CVs, the professional standard is to place the degree right after the name, for example, Jane Doe, PharmD. In formal publications or official documents, the first mention should ideally be spelled as Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), with the abbreviation “PharmD” used consistently thereafter. In more casual writing or day-to-day professional exchanges, simply using “PharmD” is both clear and widely accepted, while spelling it out in full is best reserved for moments when maximum clarity is needed.
TAKE HOME MESSSAGE
If you have the “Doctor of Pharmacy” degree or are referring to someone who does, PharmD is the safest, cleanest, most accepted way. Use “Doctor of Pharmacy” to spell it out for clarity or formal recognition. Avoid variant punctuations (like Pharm.D.) unless you know your specific institution or publication requires them.
