Dr Mohammad Issam Diab, Dean of College of Pharmacy, at Qatar University. Baher Amin / The Peninsula
Doha: In a new initiative to meet the growing demands of the health sector, College of Pharmacy at Qatar University will soon introduce a study programme which will qualify pharmacists to prescribe medicine.
Pharmacists with a specific level of competence and experience will be eligible to enroll in the programme, said Dr Mohammad Issam Diab, Dean of College of Pharmacy.
The new programme is being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Heath, Hamad Medical Corporation, and Robert Gordon University in the UK, which will provide appropriate training and license the pharmacists to qualify for prescribing medicine.
“At present pharmacists in Qatar are not authorised to prescribe medicine. This programme will qualify pharmacists to prescribe medicine in certain specialties. Experienced pharmacists will be enrolled to the programme and upon completing the programme, they will be licensed to prescribe certain medicines like in countries such as the UK and the US,” Dr Diab told The Peninsula.
The College of Pharmacy is also preparing to introduce new courses such as on law which regulates pharmaceutical products in Qatar, on cosmetic products sold at pharmacies and others to develop skills of pharmacists working at community and primary healthcare centres. These courses will be included in the Masters in Pharmacy programme. “We will introduce the new courses to enable pharmacists to be competent in dealing with the needs and demands of patients,” said Dr Diab.
At present, the College of Pharmacy has three approved academic degree programmes -- Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BSc Pharm), Master of Sciences (MSc Pharm ) and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) - that have been designed to provide the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes for a successful career in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. All programmes are accredited by Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP), the sole pharmacy programme accreditation agency in Canada. At present, there are 233 students at the College of Pharmacy.
“Our students are trained in all aspects to fit the labour market well. We have one of the best curriculum for pharmaceutical sciences in the Middle East, fully accredited. Students do their internships at hospitals, health centers and at community pharmacies. We also have activities to improve their leadership skills and send to foreign countries on exchange programmes,” said Dr Diab. The College of Pharmacy, at present having only female students in its undergraduate programme, is also planning to admit male students, after moving into a new building within the Qatar University premises.
