E-drug: Course "Managing drug supply" (cont'd)
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Dear e-druggers,
Ms Carol Ntegeka returned to the Dept of Pharmacy, Makerere
University, Kampala, Uganda, as a lecturer after graduating from a
MSc. Clinical Pharmacy programme. The programme was based at a
reputable institution. This was before implementing the Ph.D.
requirement, and we benefited as students from her obvious
competence. Competence as a member of a clinical care team with
associated clinical outcomes following acceptable drug therapies. So
profound were the interactions that our negative attitude toward
Clinical Pharmacy changed. For we began to like it, read it, and use
it.
On the other hand you are indeed aware that the desire of
WHO/MSH is partly to have as many competent health professionals
as possible at health facility level.
At the same time I entirely agree with Ms. Geeta's ideas about
expanding access to the content of the "Managing drug supply"
course. I also acknowledge that there is another programme dubbed
"Msc. Pharmaceutical Services and Medicines Control" whose
objectives appear similar to those of the said course.
May you at this point allow me build on this background?
A glaring gap between what is taught, the need for integration, and
what the graduates actually end up doing are the real issues to
tackle in countries where schools of pharmacy exist.
On a close examination therefore, I appreciated the need to have a
module for our undergraduates based on the course content of
"Managing drug supply." This means building human resource
capacity at the University. Perhaps via training three or four members
of the academic staff to the level of "Ph.D. or Msc Pharmaceutical
Services and Medicines Control" from the University of Bradford, U.K
or from any other reputable institution.
In essence if only countries or donor agencies trained lecturers
(conflict of interest absent)! You could figure out this will imply a
consistent churning out of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians armed
with knowledge, skill to perform pharmacy roles. Whether knowledge
doesn't affect practice is another issue which human capacity may fail
to solve. But we can and I think must do what is possible.
Besides, consider the fact that Pharmaceutical Societies or
Associations could work closely with local Universities in order to
draw up Continuing Pharmacy Education modules based on the
course content of "Managing drug supply"--at mandatory, affordable
rates.
Here is the other side of the coin, are we really willing to employ this
clearly feasible, sustainable strategy?
George Kibumba, MPS
Teaching Assistant, Clinical Pharmacy
Dept of Pharmacy, Makerere University.
e-mail: kibumba@yahoo.com
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