The Chairperson and Executive Director,
Higher Education Commission,
Sector H-9, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Subject: IRRATIONAL APPROACH IN THE PREPARATION OF CURRICULUM OF PHARMACY EDUCATION (PHARM.D)
Sir,
We highly appreciate the initiative taken by your good office regarding the up-dating of Pharmacy curriculum to bring it abreast with international standard. However, we feel our earnest and sincerer concerns to bring facts into your kind notice before preparing a curriculum for the incoming generations.
1- A meeting was arranged by Pakistan Pharmacy Council on April 19 – 21, 2010 in collaboration with the World Health Organization for the revision of curriculum that ended with the decision “Pharmacy Curriculum will be devised into 4 areas viz Basic Biomedical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy Practices and Allied Subjects, and contents of different courses will be framed later in consultation with academia”. Till date, no such meeting has been convened the Secretary of Pakistan Pharmacy Council to give a final shape to the Pharmacy Curriculum draft in the light of wisdom collected in the aforesaid meeting. We have been waiting for continuity of efforts made in that meeting, instead, the council maneuvered to design a draft copy without getting input from academia/participants of that meeting and convinced HEC authorities to get the approval at the HEC forum by inviting people of their own choice ignoring the subject specialists and maintaining the ratio of experts of different disciplines.
2- The curriculum being taught at present was developed in hurray along with the change in the name of degree (4 years B. Pharmacy to 5 years Pharm-D). This change was made considering national as well as international needs. Actually, it is neither fulfilling requirements/standards at national nor international levels. This has led to a lot of criticism and much has been written against this curriculum in various international journals of pharmacy education and pharmacy practices. Nevertheless, Pharm-D degree was criticized as “Tag not a degree”. Among the main reasons, the most important was the constitution of the committee (28 members), most of them were non academicians or having only B. Pharmacy degree.
3- Today (Feb 28, 2011) in the ongoing meeting in HEC regional office Lahore, the representation is again irrational. It is having 9 members from the Pharmacy Council, whereas only 1 member has been invited from each university. Moreover, retired personnel working as heads of private pharmacy departments or universities have been included among the participants. Surely, these people cannot contribute against the will and wish of Pakistan Pharmacy Council because they have to get accreditation from the council. As well there is hardly any expert in the field of Pharmacognosy present in the meeting.
It is therefore, requested to restructure the committee for the revision of the curriculum having proper representation of experts in various disciplines of Pharmacy, and there should be least contribution of Pharmacy Council members so that academia and other stake holders can give their independent opinion instead of putting thumb impression on the draft of the Pharmacy Council.
Revision of curriculum at international standard will help in the recognition of our degree and graduates to work and get higher education abroad.
Yours Sincerely,
Prof. Dr. Bashir Ahmad President Pakistan Pharmacists Association (Punjab), Professor of Pharmacology, University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab, Lahore.
Prof. Dr. Khalid Hussain Staff Secretary, University College of Pharmacy University of the Punjab, Lahore.
Mr. Furqan K. Hashmi General Secretary (Pakistan Pharmacist Association), General Secretary (Pakistan Pharmacy Education Society) University College of Pharmacy University of the Punjab, Lahore.
C.C
1- Vice Chancellor, University of the Punjab, Lahore.
2- President Pakistan Pharmacy Council, Islamabad.