Education & Training of Pharmacists

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the laws, regulations, licensure requirements, competencies, continuing professional development, and postgraduate specialties in Philippine pharmacy education.

Pharmacy Education

A $4\text{-year}$ Bachelor's degree that provides a broad spectrum of scientific training and prepares graduates for employment across academia, community pharmacies, hospitals, government, research establishments, public health, and industry.

Primary Concern of Pharmacy Education

To provide the country with pharmacists who are scientifically competent.

Product and Service Scope of Pharmacy

The professional domains covered by pharmacy education, encompassing pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, household hazardous substances, drug delivery services, and veterinary medicines.

Council of Pharmaceutical Education

The administrative body established to take care of the standardization and regulation of pharmaceutical education in the Philippines.

Composition of the Council of Pharmaceutical Education

A council composed of seven members: the Secretary of Education, Undersecretary of Health Service, FDA Administrator, Chairman of the Board of Pharmacy, Dean of the UP College of Pharmacy, Dean of a private school College of Pharmacy, and a representative of a bona fide national pharmaceutical organization.

Republic Act No. 10918

The Philippine Pharmacy Act; an act regulating and modernizing the practice of pharmacy in the Philippines, approved on July 21, 2016.

Republic Act No. 7722

The Higher Education Act of 1994; an act enacted on May 18, 1994, that created the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and appropriated funds for its operation.

CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 42 Series of 2017

The policy establishing the Updated Policies and Standards for Pharmacy Education to rationalize education, meet health needs, and maintain pace with global competitiveness demands.

Pharmacist Licensure Examination Citizenship Qualification

The qualification requirement that an applicant must be a citizen of the Philippines or eligible through foreign reciprocity under RA 10918.

Internship Hour Requirement

The qualification rule requiring a candidate to complete an internship program of at least $960\,\text{hours}$ prior to taking the licensure examination.

Degree Requirement for Licensure

The prerequisite of having graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree from an accredited institution to qualify for the licensure examination.

Foreign Reciprocity

The legal provision barring foreign pharmacists from taking the Philippine licensure examination or obtaining a Certificate of Registration unless their country permits Filipino pharmacists to practice on the same terms under international agreements.

Board Exam Module 1

Pharmaceutical Chemistry; one of the six $100\text{-question}$ modules included in the Pharmacist Licensure Examination.

Board Exam Module 2

Pharmacognosy and Biochemistry; a $100\text{-question}$ testing module in the Pharmacist Licensure Examination.

Board Exam Module 3

Pratice of Pharmacy; the licensure examination module evaluating the practical and clinical applications of pharmacy practice through $100\,\text{questions}$.

Board Exam Module 4

Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics; the $100\text{-question}$ board module testing drug mechanisms, physiological effects, and pharmacokinetic processing.

Board Exam Module 5

Pharmaceutics; the $100\text{-question}$ licensure module covering dosage form design, manufacturing, and drug formulation.

Board Exam Module 6

Quality Assurance and Quality Control; the $100\text{-question}$ board module testing analytical verification, product testing, and pharmaceutical standards.

General Passing Average for the Board Exam

The licensing score requirement to obtain an overall rating of at least $75\%$ across the modules.

Minimum Module Rating

The grading standard stating that an examinee must receive no rating lower than $50\%$ in any individual exam module.

Three-Time Board Exam Failure Consequence

The requirement that a candidate who fails the Pharmacist Licensure Examination for the $3\text{rd}$ time must complete a refresher course (pre-board review course).

Minimum Age to Practice Pharmacy

The legal age requirement stipulating that an individual must be at least $21\,\text{years}$ of age to practice the pharmacy profession.

Certificate of Registration (COR)

A mandatory legal document duly issued by the Board of Pharmacy certifying that a pharmacist is registered and qualified to practice.

Republic Act No. 10912

The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act of 2016; an act making CPD mandatory for the renewal of the Professional Identification Card.

Professional Identification Card Renewal Frequency

The recurring schedule requiring pharmacists to renew their professional identification card every $3\,\text{years}$.

CPD Act Enactment Timeline

The statutory timeline under which RA 10912 lapsed into law on July 21, 2016, and officially took effect on August 16, 2016.

Mandatory CPD Units for Pharmacists

The required $15\,\text{units}$ of continuing professional development credit necessary for the renewal of a pharmacist's license.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

The process of developing professional skills and knowledge through interactive, participation-based, or independent learning to proactively maintain professional capabilities.

CPD Cycle

A cyclical process of ongoing learning comprising Step 1: Reflection on Practice, Step 2: Planning, Step 3: Implementation, and Step 4: Evaluation.

Formal CPD

Structured, active educational activities including online and offline training courses, learning-oriented conferences, group events, and workshops.

Informal CPD

Unstructured, self-directed learning methods such as reading expert publications, studying case studies, listening to podcasts, following news feeds, and writing articles.

PhD or MS in Pharmacy Prerequisites

Advanced degree requirements stating that a candidate must possess sufficient fundamental knowledge in research methodology, statistics, and their specific field of study.

Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D)

A patient-focused postgraduate program designed for candidates practicing in direct patient care settings to deliver collaborative, holistic healthcare from diagnosis to post-discharge follow-up.

Pharmacy Residency Programme

Postgraduate hands-on clinical training programs preparing advanced practitioners in medical specialties such as oncology, infectious diseases, psychiatry, cardiology, or geriatrics.

Non-Clinical Postgraduate Degree Pathways

Postgraduate master's degrees outside of pharmacy (such as MPH, MHA, or MBA) that prepare pharmacists for roles as epidemiologists, health administrators, statisticians, or advocates.

Pharmacy Research

Any scientific investigation conducted by pharmacists regardless of the topic, ranging from basic laboratory investigations to population-based health studies.

Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences Research

A research branch focusing on the development and experimental testing of new dosage forms and medication administration modalities.

Clinical Research in Pharmacy

Health research conducted by pharmacists concerning the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of drugs in human subjects.

Pharmacy Practice Research

A research field addressing practice-related areas such as the evaluation of pharmacy services, workload measurement, pharmacoeconomics, and quality management.

Pharmaceutical Care and Counseling

The professional responsibility of providing patient-centered drug therapy support and advising clients on the proper use of both prescribed and patient-chosen medications.