Pharmacy Education in Abroad

Pharmacy Education in Abroad

Thebasic requirement for pharmacists to be considered for registration is anundergraduate or postgraduate Pharmacy degree from a recognized university. Inmost countries this involves a four-year course to attain a Bachelor ofPharmacy (BPharm) degree. However in the United States, to become a registeredpharmacist, students graduating after 2005 must complete a Doctor of Pharmacydegree which takes six years from an accreditedcollegeof pharmacy. In the United States, a Bachelor of Science (BPharm) degree inPharmacy will not be sufficient to become a licensed or registered pharmacistin any state. Any college graduate who has graduated on or prior to 2005 isgrandfathered and can register, however new students after 2005 must completethe Doctor of Pharmacy program or PharmD.

Inorder to practice as a pharmacist, the person must be registered with therelevant statutory body, which governs the registration and practice ofpharmacy within the territory of its jurisdiction. There is often a requirementfor the pharmacy graduate to have completed a certain number of hours ofexperience in a pharmacy, under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. Thestatutory body will usually administer a written and oral examination to theprospective pharmacist prior to registration.

Australia

InAustralia, apart from the four-year BPharm course, there is the option of apostgraduate two-year Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) course for those with undergraduatescience degree background.

Pharmacistsare registered by Pharmacy Boards in individual states such as the PharmacyBoard of New South Wales. In Western Australia, pharmacists are registered bythe Pharmaceutical Council of Western Australia. Individual states havediffering requirements for pharmacy graduates for registration, but generallygraduates are required to complete approximately one year of practice under thesupervision of a registered pharmacist. In addition, graduates are required tocomplete an approved graduate training course for that state, for example thePharmacist Graduate Training Course (PGTC) offered by the PharmaceuticalSociety of Australia NSW Branch is required in New South Wales. On meetingthese requirements, graduates are eligible to sit the registration examinationwhich may involve both written and oral components.

Chile

InChile, students must study six years to become pharmacists. The best school ofpharmacy is at Universidad de Chile in Santiago de Chile. Chilean pharmacistare very high skilled professionals, prepared not only to dispense and be ableto work at clinical and communitary pharmacy, but in Pharmaceutical, Food andCosmetic industry too at every level, including drug development (a Degree isneeded here), manufacturing, management, marketing, etc., due to the verystrong scientific preparation they receive, including engineering andpharmaceutical technology topics. The official title for pharmacists in Chileis Químico Farmacéutico (Chemist and Pharmacist), and their degree isLicenciado en Ciencias Químicas y farmacéuticas (Bachelor in Chemical andPharmaceutical Sciences).

Denmark

Thepharmacist (Danish: farmaceut)education in Denmark takes place at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences atthe University of Copenhagen.

TheBachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree (Danish: bachelor i farmaci) takes 3years. The Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree (Danish: cand.pharm.) takes 2more years — a total of 5 years. To work as a pharmacist in a Danish pharmacy aMPharm degree is requested.

Aftergraduation as a pharmacist (MPharm), you can begin the 3 year Doctor ofPharmacy (DPharm) education programme (Danish: dr.pharm.).

Besidethe pharmacists, in Denmark there’s another professional group with apharmaceutical tertiary higher education — i.e. the pharmaconomists (experts inpharmaceuticals)whose education takes place at The Danish College of PharmacyPractice .

France

InFrance, a six-year PharmD (called “Doctorat d’Etat en Pharmacie”) must becompleted. Sometimes, young pharmacists can choose a four-year post-graduatespecialty like Physician. A pharmaceutical residency called “Internat enPharmacie”. Pharmacists can specialized in Laboratory Medicine called “Biologiemédicale” or in Hospital Pharmacy.

Greece

InGreece, a five-year University course must be completed. This course is offeredby the University of Athens , the University of Thessaloniki  and theUniversity of Patras . The course comprises 4 years of theory and laboratorypractice and a 5th year of compulsory, full-time in-service training in acommunity pharmacy and the pharmaceutical department of a hospital. Anadditional trimester placement in a pharmaceutical industry is also an option,however it does not count towards the acquisition of the license to practice.Upon successful completion of the course, a Degree in Pharmacy is awarded.

Thepharmacy graduate may pursue a career in the industry after graduation. Acareer in this field does not require a license to practice pharmacy. However,pharmacists wishing to open a pharmacy, work in hospitals or in the NationalOrganization of Medicines  must first successfully participate in boardexaminations organized by the Greek Ministry of Health, in order to obtain aLicense to Practice Pharmacy.

NewZealand

InNew Zealand, as with other western nations, a four year BPharm must becompleted, followed by an internship at a pharmacy. Pharmacists are registeredat thePharmaceutical Society Of New Zealand. The degree can be taken atUniversity Of Otago in Dunedin and University Of Auckland in Auckland.

Ireland

Inthe Republic of Ireland, a 4-year BPharm/BSc Pharm degree must be completedfollowed by one year of post-registration training. The one year of postregistration training must be undertaken in a pharmacy approved by thePharmaceutical Society of Ireland and under the supervision of a TutorPharmacist who has received further training for this role. Trinity College,Dublin was the only university offering the BPharm course in the Irish Republicuntil recently. In 2003 two new Schools of Pharmacy were opened. A Pharmacydepartment was created at University College, Cork on the southern coast ofIreland as well as another Pharmacy school in the Irish capital, Dublin. (RoyalCollege of Surgeons in Ireland)

Spain

InSpain, the Degree in Pharmacy (called licenciatura en farmacia) is consistingof 5 years. Last one is divided into two semesters, first one is similar asprevious years (theory and laboratory practice) but second one is a full-timein-service training in a community pharmacy or at the pharmaceutical departmentof a hospital. This estructure is changing by another according to EuropeanHigher Education Area’s System.

Afterobtaining degree certificate, there is the chance of opening a pharmacy sittingan examination in order to achieve a license. There is also the chance ofpostgraduate programs as Masters and Doctorates and of carryinghospital/industry specialty programs out (FIR or farmacéuticointerno-residente, pharmacist intern-resident) by means of an examination likemedical specialties (MIR). These specialties are: “Hospital pharmacist”,“Clinical microbiology and parasitology”, “Clinical biochemistry”, “Clinicalimmunology”, “Clinical analysis”, “Radiopharmacy”, “Galenical and industrialpharmacy” and “Drug and medicines’ control and analysis”.

Thailand

InThailand, there are currently two kinds of programs for Pharmacy studies.

1)a regular 5 years program – Bachelor of Pharmacy

2)a 6 years program – Pharm D.

Theuniversities in Thailand still base their teachings on the regular 5 yearsprogram while preparing itself to eb ready for the 6 years Pharm D. program.Anyone graduating with B. Pharm can take extra 2 years course to completePharm. D.

United Kingdom

Inthe United Kingdom, integration with the European Union has resulted in theBPharm and BSc courses being superseded by a four-year course for thequalification Master of Pharmacy (MPharm). In Great Britain the RoyalPharmaceutical Society of Great Britain is responsible for regulation ofpharmacy affairs and in Northern Ireland it is thePharmaceutical Society ofNorthern Ireland. Graduates must complete one year of practical training andpass a registration examination before they can be entered on the register ofpharmacists, known as the register of pharmaceutical chemists.

Pleasesee the List of schools of pharmacy in the United Kingdom which offer theMPharm course.

Pharmacistsregistered in other countries can alsoregister in the UK. Overseas pharmacists are required to undertake the OverseasPharmacists Assessment Programme (OSPAP), a one year intensive course focusedon pharmacy practice in Great Britain. OSPAP authorisation can be given by theRoyal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and the course is undertakeneither the University of Sunderland, Aston University or the University ofBrighton. However, pharmacists that have obtained their qualifications and areregistered in other countries of the European Economic Area can register withthe Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain without undergoing additionalor pre-registration training.

Theterm pharmacist is protected in the United Kingdom. It can only be used byindividuals that are registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of GreatBritain.

UnitedStates

Traditionallyin the United States, the Bachelor of Pharmacy was the first-professionaldegree for pharmacy practice. However, in 1990, the American Association ofColleges of Pharmacy (AACP) mandated that a doctor of pharmacy would be the newfirst-professional degree beginning with the class of 2006.