Pharmacists with a heart
THE Bachelor of Pharmacy at AIMST University aims to produce compassionate pharmacists with knowledge, skills and values to deliver quality healthcare with an aptitude for continuing professional development.
As experts in drugs and medicine, pharmacists are an integral part of the healthcare system and their roles are constantly evolving to cater to the needs of the community.
There is a wide array of careers that a registered pharmacists can choose to embark on, including dispensing in clinics, hospitals and the community, besides various positions in the industry, such as quality control, regulatory affairs and research & development.
In the government sector, registered pharmacists can work as officers at the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) and National Poison Control Bureau (NPCB). There are also opportunities to become researchers and academicians in higher-learning institutions.
The four-year programme is well balanced with didactic and experiential learning to equip students to play versatile roles. The outcome-based curriculum produces graduates with critical thinking and problem-solving skills, leadership qualities and entrepreneurship spirit, with emphasis on compassion. Students are exposed to problembased learning, debates and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE) to instill these desired qualities.
Educational visits to research centres, such as the Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals (iPharm), are incorporated into the course so students can get an insight on how it is like in the real world of practising pharmacy.
For industrial exposure, students will have undergo an internship in companies, either locally or overseas, for a minimum of six weeks at the end of their third-year studies.
India is well-known for using state-of-art technology to manufacture medicine. AIMST’s collaboration with JSS University gives students the opportunity to obtain industrial placements in Ooty and Mysore.
In the final year, students will undergo five weeks of clinical placement in various departments of a hospital. In addition, they will also spend two weeks in community pharmacies to gain exposure on the administrative aspects of the practice.
The passing rate of AIMST students in the recent Malaysian Qualifying Examination for Practicing Pharmacist was more than 85 per cent, which reflects the adequacy of its syllabus. The serene green campus of AIMST University at the foothills of Gunung Jerai, Kedah, also provides a conducive environment to study and participate in student activities.
The Pharmaceutical Society of AIMST (PharmSA) is one of the active student societies in the university.
The students are actively involved in organising national-level activities, such as the recent National Gathering of Pharmacy Students, which has been hosted three times by AIMST.
This year, PharmSA had also hosted the National Pharmacy Research Competition (NPRC) to enhance student knowledge in current pharmaceutical needs.
For community service, PharmSA has been organising its annual public health campaign for the past six years, and blood donation drive for the last 12.
The Faculty of Pharmacy is located together with the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, which provides the opportunity for inter-faculty collaborations.
This builds a good rapport among students and lecturers, which is very important for future pharmacists when they work alongside other healthcare providers.
On completion of the Bachelor of Pharmacy at AIMST, students may enroll in the Provisionally Registered Pharmacist (PRP) training, for which AIMST is a training site recognised by the Malaysian Pharmacy Board.
Students who undergo the PRP training at AIMST University will also enroll into a postgraduate programme simultaneously. At the end of the training, they will acquire their masters and a practicing licence.
AIMST University also offers various postgraduate programmes, including Master of Pharmacy (Clinical Pharmacy), Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Chemistry (mixed mode), Master of Science in Pharmacy (research