Bachelor of Pharmacy 4+0 USM

 What is Pharmacy?
Pharmacy is a key healthcare profession. Pharmacists have important professional roles in the healthcare system; for instance, in hospital and community pharmacies, they promote healthcare through effective and safe use of medicines. The practices of pharmacists include the preparation and dispensing of medicines, the counselling of patients on proper and optimum use of medicines, and the provision of professional advice for good healthcare.
 
The Process towards Registration of a Pharmacist
To become a pharmacist, you must undergo a formal undergraduate education in a university or college, and this normally takes 4 years in a public university in Malaysia. Upon completion of the 4-year programme, with an additional year of pupilage training in government hospitals and agencies, the graduate would then be registrable with the Malaysian Pharmacy Board. After pupillage, the pharmacist has to undergo 3 years of compulsory government service before he can practise professionally in the public or private sector.
 
Our Excellent Track Record
During the 10 years of collaboration with the University of South Australia, we have successfully produced more than 300 pharmacy graduates, 14 of whom excelled by obtaining BPharm with first class honours. Many graduates continued with postgraduate studies in Australia, specialising in various fields of pharmaceutical sciences including clinical pharmacy, pharmacology and pharmaceutical technology.
 
Excellent Graduate Employment Careers
Currently, 80% of our pharmacy graduates are employed in Australia and the rest are practising in Malaysia, pursuing their professional careers in community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, the pharmaceutical industry and other healthcare sectors.
 
About HICT School of Pharmacy
At HICT, pharmacy was offered by the School of Health Sciences in 1999 through a 2+2 twinning programme with the University of South Australia; this programme, being the first of its kind in Malaysia, was very successful. In 2008, a separate School of Pharmacy was established at HICT. The School is committed to providing an education that supports the important role of pharmacy in the dispensing and management of medicines as an essential component of our healthcare system. Presently, through a 4+0 arrangement with Universiti Sains Malaysia, the School offers the BPharm (Hons) programme that equips graduates with cutting-edge skills and knowledge and a high level of professionalism to play their part in one of the finest healthcare systems in the region.
 
USM 4+0 BPharm (Hons) programme
Universiti Sains Malaysia is the first public University to offer a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy in Malaysia. Its School of Pharmaceutical Sciences was established in 1972. To date, it has produced more than 2,000 graduate pharmacists who have played important roles as healthcare professionals, not only in Malaysia but globally as well. The BPharm (Hons) programme offered by HICT retains the same high standard as that offered at USM, and HICT graduates will convocate together with USM graduates at the USM campus.
 
The Curriculum Design
The multi-disciplinary Pharmacy curriculum has been designed to provide holistic training to  prepare students for life-long learning, and to equip them with broad scientific knowledge and essential skills. The integrated Pharmacy programme consists of basic science and pharmaceutical science subjects in the first two years of study, and progresses towards patient care and clinical pharmacy.

In the third and fourth years, the students’ professional skills will be enhanced and linked to advanced clinical and
pharmacy practice. Hence the curriculum inculcates a high standard of pharmacy training in scientific knowledge and professional skills.
 
Career Opportunities
Pharmacy offers a broad range of career opportunities:
• In hospital pharmacy as a pharmacist/clinical pharmacist
• In community/retail pharmacy
• In industry, with opportunities in marketing and sales and the management of local or multinational pharmaceutical companies
• In the manufacturing line of the pharmaceutical industry concerned with the production and quality assurance of pharmaceuticals
• In governmental agencies concerned with the registration of new drugs, and the enforcement of drug control
• In academia, as a lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences, and as a researcher in higher educational institutions and research institutes
 
The Programme Disciplines
The 4-year programme covers 6 disciplines of study, namely Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Physiology, Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacy and Social and Administrative Pharmacy, these being integrated in more than 40 core and elective courses. Students will gain hands-on experience through various specialised topics in elective courses which include research projects.

Pharmaceutical Chemistry courses include basic physical and organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, phytochemistry, pharmaceutical analysis, pharmacognosy and biochemistry. Students will study the structure, properties, isolation and analysis of drug compounds, and the discovery and design of new drugs.

Pharmaceutical Technology or Pharmaceutics deals with physical pharmacy and the formulation and dispensing of chemical compounds in various dosage forms (eg injectables, tablets, syrups, aerosols, etc), such types of preparations as are used for medicines in the prophylaxis and therapy of diseases.

Physiology is about the functions of the human body, and how it can be affected by chemical compounds or drugs.

Pharmacology is the study of how drugs interact with living organisms, eg how they affect the normal physiology of the human body to produce biological effects. It also includes drug interactions and toxicology.

Clinical Pharmacy is a discipline that introduces students to disease states and the rational use of drugs in prophylaxis and therapy. In this course, students are required to participate in ward rounds in hospitals. This course hence prepares students for a future role as  healthcare professionals in clinical situations.

Social and Administrative Pharmacy is designed to prepare students for responsible leadership positions in academia, industry or public service. Hence this course equips the students for careers in governmental agencies, pharmaceutical firms, community pharmacies, universities, professional bodies and health insurance companies, all of which impact the social structure of our country. Students will learn the optimum services to patients, as well as the prevention and cure of diseases.
 
Entry Requirements
General
• A good pass in SPM with a credit in Bahasa Malaysia
• A pass in MUET with Band 3
• A Credit in SPM Biology (for candidates without a pass in Pre-University qualifications)

STPM
• CGPA 3.00 and above
• Grade C in Pengajian Am (General Studies)
• Minimum Grade B (GPA 3.00) in Chemistry
• Minimum Grade B (GPA 3.00) in one of the following subjects: Biology / Physics / Mathematics T / Further Mathematics T

Diploma in Pharmacy 
• CGPA 3.8 and above
 
KPM Matriculation / Asasi Sains UM
• CGPA 3.00 and above
• Minimum Grade B (GPA 3.00) in Chemistry
• Minimum Grade B (GPA 3.00) in one of the following subjects: Biology / Physics / Mathematics
 
A levels
• At least 3 Bs
• Minimum Grade B in Chemistry
• Minimum Grade B in two of the following subjects: Biology / Physics / Mathematics
 
Duration
• 4 years (all in HICT)

Intake
• July

Seats per intake
• 40

Programme Structure

Year One

 • Principles of Chemistry for Pharmacy      

• Microbiology for Pharmacy          

• Basic Physiology