Practice relevant Pharmacy programme at QIUP

STUDENTS looking to pursue a Pharmacy programme which ensures they receive holistic all round training to prepare them to practice in the Community, Hospital, Clinical and Industry Pharmacy Sectors can now join one of the latest Pharmacy programme in the nation at Quest International University Perak.

The 4-year full time programme leading to the award of the degree of Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) was specifically put in place taking into account the current and future needs of the pharmacy profession and to ensure that its graduates will be able to adapt to the real working world.

Speaking about the programme, chief operating officer, Nicholas Goh said,

“The programme is designed specifically to equip undergraduates with the skills and knowledge pharmacists will need in the future, so at every stage of the program they will find themselves experiencing real-life or simulated industrial, community and clinical situations.

This practical element is supported by fundamental pharmaceutical and medical science studies, taught by our research-active academic and professional staff. It’s the ideal balance of hands-on learning and in-depth study.”

But to develop such a programme, the University went to great lengths to find the right person to be the backbone of the Faculty of Pharmacy who could help realize the vision of starting a profession relevant programme. That person was Prof. Datuk Dr Allan Mathews, Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy.

Prof. Allan is a well-known figure in the pharmacy profession. Having 14 years’ experience in the government sector, pioneering Clinical Pharmacy Services and 22 years in the pharmaceutical industry, he is highly sought after for his tremendous experience.

He has been involved in academia for the last 8 years. Whilst in the government sector he was appointed as a WHO Advisor on Hospital Pharmacy.

He is also a consultant to a pharmaceutical firm in Brunei.

Prof. Allan has served in a variety of positions on professional associations including as the President of Sabah Pharmaceutical Society in the past.

Prof. Allan has extensive experience in hospital, clinical, industrial, academia, research, consultancy and management and this wealth of experience will provide the necessary effective leadership to the faculty to ensure that the pharmacy undergraduates will be ready for the real world upon graduation.

“The 4-year Bachelor of Pharmacy Program provides a well-rounded basic medical sciences teaching and learning in the fields of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology and pathology provided by lecturers from the Faculty of Medicine.

This approach will provide the undergraduates the realworld situation where medical practitioners and pharmaceutical practitioners work hand-in-hand to provide quality healthcare.

“The undergraduates will also undertake courses in manufacturing and quality control of medicines such pharmaceutical technology, pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical quality assurance and this will ensure that the graduates will to be ready for the pharmaceutical industry.

The graduates will be equipped with the knowledge, attitude and skills to provide pharmaceutical care to patients through courses in pharmacotherapy and clinical pharmacy including the establishment of independent areas of practice within the health-care system.”

As the majority of pharmacy graduates will end up in the Community Pharmacy sector, the approach towards Community Pharmacy education in the curriculum includes a fully functioning Quest Pharmacy within the university where students will be exposed to all aspects of Community Pharmacy Practice including much emphasis on responding to symptoms,” added Prof. Allan.

Among the unique feature of the programme is the use of Visual, Aural, Read/Write, Kinesthetic (VARK) analysis to understand the students learning styles and tailoring learning accordingly.

QIUP’s Pharmacy programme is believed to be only programme in the nation to use this analysis towards its learning approach.

The programme also uses process-driven Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach from the beginning of the programme whereby students are given real life problems as triggers to resolve in all courses.

This produces students with probing minds and soft skills who will be ready for the real working world when they are faced with problems.

QIUP believes in exposing students to real life situations in pharmacy practice from the first year compared to other institutions who use this approach only at the later stages of the programme.

QIUP International faculty members also ensure students are exposed to the various pharmaceutical practices and the majority of its teaching staff are Registered Pharmacists with the Pharmacy Board of Malaysia who have contributed towards the development of its well balanced and industry relevant curriculum.

Throughout the course there will be attachment periods in community pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry and in hospitals where the undergraduates will be exposed to real practice situations.

Registration is now open for the October 2016 intake of the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) programme.

If you need more details about the programmes, please call toll free 1 800 88 7487, email enquiries@qiup.edu.my or log on to www.qiup.edu.my.