Best Private Universities to Study a Recognised Pharmacy Programme in Malaysia

• The duration of the programme is 4 years as required by the Board of Pharmacy Malaysia.

What will You Study in the Pharmacy Programme?

The Pharmacy Degree programme is geared towards the patient as the major focus for the application of knowledge of pharmaceutical sciences. The programme will equip students with the scientific, clinical and professional knowledge as well as strong communication skills to positively impact the healthcare system.

The Pharmacy degree will cover four main areas:

1. Physiology and Pharmacology
2. Pharmaceutical Chemistry
3. Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology
4. Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice

Sample of Subjects that you will Study in a Pharmacy Degree

• Alternative Medicine
• Biostatistics
• Community Pharmacy
• Compounding and Formulation
• Drug and Substance Abuse
• Drug Counselling
• Drug Interaction and Contraindications
• Drug Supply and Distribution System
• Drugs Delivery System
• Entrepreneurship
• Health Economics
• Health Education/ Promotion
• Health Policy
• Hospital Pharmacy
• Law and Ethics
• Medication Safety
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Nutrition and Health Supplements
• Pharmaceutical Analysis
• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Pharmacogenetics
• Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
• Pharmacoinformatics
• Pharmacokinetics and
• Biopharmaceutics
• Pharmacotherapy
• Pharmacy Management
• Physical Pharmacy
• Quality Assurance and Quality Control
• Research
• Toxicology

Knowledge Domain

A basic degree course in pharmacy must ensure that students acquire adequate knowledge on pharmaceutical sciences that are relevant in understanding health and illness and the provision of health care for individuals, families and the community. Essential content areas to be acquired in the appropriate segments of the programme include:

• The practice of pharmacy
  • The pharmacist’s role in patient-care, pharmaceutical trade, industrial, and other settings relevant to health or social care.
  • Main aspects of managing medicines, clinical pharmacy, adverse drug reaction reporting and provision of drug information.
  • Promotion of good health and disease prevention.
  • Pharmacy legislation, ethics and regulations.
  • The registration of medicines.
  • Community pharmacy.
  • Written and verbal communication skills and counselling.
  • Principles of pharmacoeconomics.
  • Pharmacoinformatics
  • Research methodology and biostatistics
• The sources, isolation, characterisation, analysis and properties of substances used in medicine.
  • Sources and purification of substances used in medicines e.g. of biotechnological, chemical, synthetic, immunological, mineral and plant origin.
  • Drug development and design.
  • Specifications of substances used as drugs – physical and chemical tests, stability, analytical methods, structure activity relationships, thermodynamics and chemical kinetics.
• How is the Course Assessment?
  • Students are assessed based on the main objective of training competent pharmacists. The ethics, communication, knowledge, analytical and critical thinking skills are incorporated into its assessments.
  • The assessment methods include various assignments, practical & visitation reports, oral presentations, research project viva, patient counseling, tutorials, problem based sessions and finally the examinations.
• Design and manufacture of pharmaceuticals
  • Properties of materials (active and inactive) used in formulations and devices for the delivery of drugs.
  • Development of formulations.
  • Stages of drug development and manufacture until marketing.
  • Good Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practice and its implications.
  • Processes in the preparation of pharmaceutical products.
  • Sources of contamination.
  • Dressings and medical appliances.
• The action and uses of pharmaceuticals and other products
  • Normal and abnormal body functions: biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, pathology, physiology.
  • Action of drugs within living systems: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
  • Therapeutic uses of drugs and aetiology of major diseases.
  • Drug and substance abuse.
  • Alterations in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion upon aging, disease and other changes.
  • Alternative medicine.
  • Pharmacogenetics

Professional Competencies

On completing the pharmacy programme, the graduate should have acquired the ability to:

• Supply medicines in accordance with pharmaceutical knowledge, legislation and codes of professional conduct and practice.
• Interpret and evaluate prescriptions and other orders for medicines and to be able to advice patients and other health care professionals about medicines and their usage.
• Prepare extemporaneously any medicines for which this would be regarded as the normal means of provision.
• Perform pharmaceutical calculations correctly.
• Recognise common disease states and make appropriate responses to the presented symptoms and information.
• Formulate and manufacture pharmaceutical products.
• Apply the principles of quality and quality assurance mechanisms in all aspects of scientific and professional activities.
• Communicate clearly, considerately and sensitively with patients, relatives, colleagues, other health professionals and the general public. This should include the ability to counsel sensitively and effectively and to provide information in a manner which ensures patients and families can be truly informed about their medications.
• Use current technologies to search for new information and to adopt and integrate it in improving practice.
• Use common application software in pharmacy.
• Manage and administer a pharmacy.
• Communicate with health care professionals and patients regarding rational drug therapy, wellness and health promotion.
• Efficient use of resources to achieve maximum benefit.
• Undertake critical appraisal of information or conjecture in all forms of presentations.

Compulsory Training for Pharmacy in Malaysia

• Furthermore, Pharmacy graduates can now go through their training outside of government hospitals and facilities. This was announced recently by the Health Ministry to help increase the pharmacist-people ratio for the next three years.
• Pharmacy graduates can undergo their Provisionally Registered Pharmacists (PRP) training at private pharmacy facilities, such as private hospitals, R&D industries and community pharmacies that are accredited by the Malaysian Pharmacy Board.In September 2011, PRP was shortened from a three-year period to only one year.

Professional Recognition for Pharmacy Graduates

Graduates are eligible for registration with the Pharmacy Board of Malaysia. The requirements are:

• Completion of pre-registration training and 1-year compulsory service.
  The 1-year pre-registration training and another year of service must be at premises approved by the Ministry of Health. These include institutions, hospitals and clinics under the Ministry of Health, other government institutions such as Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, University Malaya Medical Centre and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre as well as selected private sector establishments that include community pharmacies, pharmaceutical industries and private hospitals.
• Pass the Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination which assesses knowledge and application of Malaysian law regulating the sale and supply of poisons and also the ethics of the pharmacy profession. This examination must be passed by all candidates wishing to apply for registration either before graduation, prior to starting the pre-registration training or before completion of the pre-registration training.