TYPICAL CURRICULAR PATHWAYS OF UNDERGRADUATE PHARMACEUTICAL EDUCATION

The pharmaceutical sector is an integral pillar of any nation’s healthcare system. In developed countries, the pharmacy profession has evolved from the simple apothecary product-oriented role in which medicines are compounded and dispensed into a more patient-centred practice in which pharmacists cater for all pharmaceutical needs of the society in a safe, effective and cost-effective manner. The pharmacy education has also evolved in line with the evolving profession in order to encompass all the extra knowledge and skills required for pharmacists to effectively participate in multidisciplinary healthcare teams. Therefore, the curricular structure of undergraduate pharmaceutical education has become more sophisticated as clinical and professional courses were added to the traditional product- oriented and laboratory-based courses.
However, in developing countries pharmaceutical services are substandard. In addition, the undergraduate pharmaceutical education systems are variable in quality, operate with obsolete curricula and are detached from essential societal needs and global innovations in the field of pharmacy.
By ensuring that pharmacists are educated and trained according to predefined high quality standards, national governments will fulfil an ethical obligation towards the general public as the societal needs of professional pharmacists are being catered for.
The aim of this paper is to underline the typical curricular pathways of undergraduate pharmaceutical education at the bachelor level provided in reference to quality international standards. This description will illustrate the difference between the “Bachelor of pharmacy” and “Bachelor of pharmaceutical science”, and demonstrate how such difference reflects on the curricular structure and graduate qualities (i.e. societal needs) of both degrees.
It is important to note that the curricular structure stated in this paper represents a general guideline; the deep details of each stream of study (pharmaceutical education program structure) can vary according to societal pharmaceutical needs, cultural attributes and national circumstances. Pharmaceutical education curricular structure needs to reflect various career directions in order to equip students with knowledge and skills required for a competent future practice.