Pharmacy is a branch of health sciences where graduates are involved in 3 major practice areas. Industrial Pharmacy sees pharmacists practice the research, development and formulation of pharmaceutical dosage forms. This is followed by production and quality assurance – which ensures a medicine’s quality when it reaches the patient. Industrial pharmacy also involves regulatory and product management.

Under Hospital/ Clinical Pharmacy, pharmacists are trained to provide pharmaceutical care – which is the responsible provision of drug therapy to achieve definite outcomes that improve a patient’s quality of life.

In Community Pharmacy, pharmacists serve the public by dispensing and managing medicine, responding to symptoms, carrying out screening tests, oral contraception, weight management and smoking cessation, as well as health and natural products supplementation. Other areas of practice include academia and the military.

Pharmacists are experts in medicines and medicine management. The profession continues to be in high demand, attracting some of the highest salaries after graduation and registration. The current pharmacist: population ratio is about 1: 2800 – well below the ratio required by developed nations.

The 4-year Bachelor of Pharmacy Programme trains undergraduates in basic medical sciences, pharmaceutical dosage forms and technology, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice.

After successfully completing the degree programme, graduates undergo a 1-year housemanship at government hospitals, followed by a year of compulsory service. After the year-long housemanship, the pharmacist can be registered to practice

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