<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2004-05-27</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001072546</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PHARMANETICS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PHAR</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001157600</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CAMDEN PARTNERS STRATEGIC FUND II A LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ONE SOUTH STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 2150</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BALTIMORE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MD</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>21202</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See General Remarks and FN 1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001211897</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CAMDEN PARTNERS STRATEGIC FUND II B LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ONE SOUTH STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 2150</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BALTIMORE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MD</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>21202</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See General Remarks and FN 1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001160267</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>CAMDEN PARTNERS STRATEGIC II LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ONE SOUTH STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 2150</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BALTIMORE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MD</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>21202</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See General Remarks and FN 1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001025664</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>WARNOCK DAVID L</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ONE SOUTH STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 2150</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BALTIMORE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MD</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>21202</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See General Remarks and FN 1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001211899</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HUGHES DONALD W</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ONE SOUTH STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 2150</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BALTIMORE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MD</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>21202</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See General Remarks and FN 1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001211913</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>JOHNSTON RICHARD M</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ONE SOUTH STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 2150</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BALTIMORE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MD</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>21202</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001211905</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BERKELEY RICHARD M</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ONE SOUTH STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 2150</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BALTIMORE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MD</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>21202</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See General Remarks and FN 1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>0.68</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2004-05-27</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>5000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.68</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2004-05-27</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2014-05-27</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>5000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>5000</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See footnote 1</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Mr. Johnston, as a director of the issuer, is the grantee of the stock options and the direct beneficial owner thereof.  Each of the other Reporting Persons disclaims beneficial ownership of the stock options.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>This Form 4 is being filed jointly by Camden Partners Strategic II, LLC (&quot;CPS II&quot;), Camden Partners Strategic Fund II-A, L.P. (&quot;CPS Fund II-A&quot;) and Camden Partners Strategic Fund II-B, L.P. (&quot;CPS Fund II-B&quot;), and Messrs. David L. Warnock, Donald W. Hughes, Richard M. Johnston, and Richard M. Berkeley (collectively, the &quot;Managing Members&quot; and together with CPS Fund II-A, CPS Fund II-B and CPS II, the &quot;Reporting Persons&quot;).  Mr. Johnston is a director of the issuer as designee of CPS Fund II-A and CPS Fund II-B. The Managing Members are the managing members of the CPS II, which is the general partner of CPS Fund II-A and CPS Fund II-B.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>BY Camden Partners Strategic II, LLC its general partner, By Donald W. Hughes, Managing Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-07-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By Donald W. Hughes, Managing Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-07-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By Donald W. Hughes, Attorney-In-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-07-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By Donald W. Hughes</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-07-09</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

