FIP, as the global leader for pharmacy, has taken the initiative to build the “FIP World List of Pharmacy Schools”, which will be the most comprehensive and up-to-date list of pharmacy institutions from around the world. This global list is intended to guide all pharmacy stakeholders, from students to policymakers, in assessing the appropriateness and effectiveness of pharmacy education strategies. The availability, completeness and quality of FIP’s World List of Pharmacy Schools means it will provide a unique source of information for pharmaceutical workforce policies, procedures and plans.
Further background on the FIP World List of Pharmacy Schools:
The FIP World List of Pharmacy Schools is an initiative to monitor pharmaceutical capacity and capability, similar to those of many other global organisations, such as the World Medical Schools List held by the World Medical Association. Given 2021 is the World Health Organization’s Year of Health and Care Workers, the need for our global organisations to demonstrate increased capacity in all health workers is key to ensure our professions are not further diminished but amplified.
FIP is a founder member of the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) with doctors, nurses, dentists, and physiotherapists. All WHPA members have been requested to feedback their schools’ status to the WHO as part of pandemic preparedness, and FIP having a list of accredited pharmacy schools will help to identify where schools may be needed and created to ensure long-term pharmaceutical workforce capacity.
The Rhodes University Faculty of Pharmacy is dedicated to achieving excellence in an environment of interdisciplinary co-operation, and mutual respect, consistent with the mission of the University and with the mission of the profession of Pharmacy
Community engagement is one of the key focus areas in the Faculty of Pharmacy. Academic members of staff in the Faculty contribute to policy decision-making in provincial and national arenas involving the use, management and distribution of medicine and the training of health professionals.
Mission
The mission of the Faculty is to promote pharmaceutical care through education, research, scholarship, creative endeavour and service. Thus its priorities are to:
• Prepare its students for entry into the practice of pharmacy as informed, caring and ethical citizens and professionals;
• Prepare pharmaceutical scholars and researchers through professional, undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral programmes of distinction;
• Conduct postgraduate education to advance the knowledge, expertise and competence of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists;
• Analyse and apply knowledge about pharmaceutical products and services, and their use in society through basic and applied research and to advance, communicate and preserve that knowledge;
• Promote, facilitate and conduct educational programmes to extend the knowledge of drugs and the rational and cost-effective use of medicines.
The course for the BPharm degree is four years’ duration. The degree meets the academic requirements laid down by the South African Pharmacy Council and entitles holders who are either South African Citizens or permanent residents to apply for registration as a pharmacist after serving an internship and subsequently completing one year of community service in the public sector.
The University is prepared to consider recognizing prior learning by granting credits to students who have obtained credits in such courses or equivalent courses at another university or institution recognised by the Senate for the purpose, subject to the provisions of Rule G.46 of the General Rules. The number of places in second-year Pharmacy is limited. Preference will be given to students who have completed their first year at Rhodes University. Performance in a course is assessed in terms of:
• the results of prescribed examinations; and/or
• assessment of such essays, exercises, tests, reports, assignments and practical work as may be prescribed for a course.
The registration in the Faculty of Pharmacy of any student who is convicted for the illegal use or possession of any drug or medicinal substance in a court of law (in any country) may be terminated by the Vice-Chancellor after consultation with the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy.