QU Board of Regents approves restructuring of Pharmacy curriculum
QATAR niversity Board of Regents has approved restructuring of the pharmacy curriculum to align with the latest developments in pharmacy education globally and in orth America, Europe and ew ealand.
Qatar niversity College of Pharmacy (Q -CPH) set out to introduce curricular reform and upgrade the level of curricular integration into the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BSc Pharm) programme.
The BSc Pharm programme currently consists of 173 credit hours and five years of study. With the new approved modular curriculum, students will complete 165 credit hours in five years of study, with a programme that provides graduating students a better approach to patient-centred care, enriches the student experience, optimises integration between courses and updates the overall assessment plan.
The number of experiential hours completed by the students remains the same. A series of eight (four credits) modular systems-based courses will be part of the new curriculum. These modules cover different diseases and medications management including cardiology, oncology, respiratory, infectious diseases, endocrinology and others.
These courses will integrate at high level the different disciplines, including pathophysiology, pharmacology and pharmacotherapy rather than having them separate courses to avoid repetition and redundancies within the programme.
International experts were invited to share their experience in integrated and modular design and then proposed changes in the curriculum were shared with three international consultants for review and feedback. The current curriculum will be phased out gradually and the new curriculum will be started gradually starting September 2021.
Q -CPH Dean Dr Mohamed Diab said, “o doubt that the restructuring of CPH BSc. Modular Curriculum as well as the relaunch and restructuring of the part time PharmD Programme will open new gates, chances and doors of learning to our respected students. This is a huge achievement and milestone for the College of Pharmacy.
“This re ects our commitment to our mission to always prepare our students to provide optimal pharmaceutical care and advance healthcare outcomes. Moreover, we are always proud to align with Q Strategy of excellence, valuable initiatives and interest in academic development. Many thanks to everyone who has gone above and beyond for the success of this restructuring and congratulations to CPH on this huge milestone.”
Q -CPH Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Dr Maguy El Hajj said, “I am very happy to see the new CPH BSc modular curriculum seeing the light. It is a huge accomplishment in pharmacy education and practice in Qatar and the region. The new curriculum aligns very well with Q vision, mission and strategic goals. It will promote a greater approach for patient centred care in Qatar and will enrich the students experience and achievement of the pharmacy programme outcomes. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this great achievement.”
In addition, the Board of Regents approved the relaunch and restructuring of the qualifying courses within the part time Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programme at Qatar niversity College of Pharmacy.
The part-time PharmD programme targets practising pharmacists with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree who are interested in pursuing an advanced degree in clinical pharmacy. The newly restructured qualifying courses were reduced from 11 courses (23 credits) to eight courses (20 credits) and will integrate a blended learning approach with online and faceto-face sessions that will provide
exibility to complete the courses over a one to two years period prior to entering the PharmD programme.
The programme is looking forward to welcoming the first batch of pharmacists into the newly restructured programme. The part-time PharmD programme will commence in August 2022 and begin accepting applications in Fall 2021.
Doctor of Pharmacy Director Dr Bridget Javed said, “The restructuring is aligned with Qatar niversity’s strategic goals and the mission of the College of Pharmacy to advance the pharmacy profession while improving the quality of health provided to the Qatari society. With the restructuring of the qualifying courses, pharmacists will benefit as the learning will be tailored to their individual needs and foster independent, self-study to allow exibility to pursue an advanced degree while continuing to practise as a pharmacist.