Demand for pharmacists
AS part of the healthcare team, a pharmacist provides care for patients. This care focuses on the patient from the perspective of drug therapy. The pharmacist is responsible for identifying, preventing and resolving patients’ drug therapy problems.
Every day, millions of people walk into drug stores and depend on pharmacists for assistance and advice for various healthcare needs. Many pharmacists, on a daily basis, dispense medications to patients in accordance with the doctor’s orders.
Part of their job responsibility includes consulting with patients on correct medication usage and the risks involved in consuming specific medications. They also provide patients with information on home healthcare supplies and other various healthcare products.
Pharmacy graduates have a wide range of career opportunities and a majority of them enter community pharmacy practice.
The pharmaceutical industry provides opportunities for pharmacists in the fields of sales and marketing, production, research and quality control.
The increased role of federal and provincial governments in public health has provided opportunities for pharmacists in analytical laboratories and in administrative positions as consultants, government inspectors and health officers. Opportunities may also be available in universities as teachers and researchers.
Regarded as one of the most trusted professions in the world, this area of work is exciting, versatile and highly rewarding. In recent years, it has also become one of the most pursued fields in the healthcare industry. At present, the job prospects for pharmacists are very bright since there is a shortage of pharmacists in both the public and private sectors in Malaysia.
There is a rising call for pharmacists to apply their knowledge and skills in the following areas: patient care (community pharmacy and hospital), pharmaceutical industry, research centre, regulatory affairs, marketing and academia, among others.
To complement the needs of pharmacists, the Management and Science University (MSU) is ranked in the top 51% and placed among the top 541 to 550 of the best universities in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, offering both a bachelor’s degree and diploma in pharmacy through the School of Pharmacy.
The university’s award-winning academic programmes meet stringent standards of local and international bodies. MSU enters the inaugural Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings at 301 overall and places in the top 200 for gender equality as well as reduced inequalities.
MSU has been in QS Asia top 300 since 2018 and rated QS 5-Stars for teaching, facilities, graduate employability, social responsibility, and inclusiveness. MSU was also rated by the Ministry of Education as a Setara Tier-5 Excellent Status University.
MSU is an applied, enterprise university focused on graduate employability. Around 99% of its graduates successfully secure employment within six months of their graduation, leading to MSU’s ranking by the Ministry of Education as Malaysia’s No.1 university for graduate employability.
With quality education a priority at MSU, creative teaching methods and international exposure are incorporated into compelling learning experiences, supported by extensive industrial training and competency enrichment to blend into programmes of study that leverage graduate employability.
Committed to the best for its students, MSU also extensively engages visiting professors to enhance faculty strength. Their invaluable teaching adds to the various skills enhancement initiatives aimed at improving competitiveness in all MSUrians.
Other programmes offered under MSU’s School of Pharmacy are Pharmaceutical Technology and Traditional Chinese Medicine.