Pharmacy Education, Training and CPD - Quick Reference Notes

Regulatory and Institutional Context

• CHED has jurisdiction over all higher education programs; Technical Panels exist for Health Professions Education.

• Under CHED: Technical Panels for health-related education; Office of the President involved in governance of colleges.

• Technical Committee for Pharmacy Education chaired by leaders from major pharmacy bodies (e.g., President of the Philippine Pharmacists’ Association and Chair of the Professional Regulatory Board for Pharmacy).

• PRC regulates licensure; CPD and continuing education are governed by CPD Council under RA 10912 (CPD Act).

Curriculum Structure (Overview)

• Level 1 (Year 1): Foundational sciences and first exposure to health care systems and leadership.- Examples: Pharmaceutical Botany with Taxonomy; Introduction to the Health Care System; Introduction to Pharmacy Administration, Management and Leadership; Pharmaceutical Organic/Inorganic Chemistry; Pharmaceutical Calculations; Human Physiology and Pathophysiology; Pharmaceutical Analysis 1; Perspectives in Pharmacy.

• Level 2 (Year 2): Core coursework in dosage forms, pharmacognosy, dispensing, analytical methods, pharmacology, and informatics.- Examples: Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms, Drug Delivery Systems and Medical Devices; Pharmacognosy and Plant Chemistry; Dispensing I; Instrumental Analysis; Pharmaceutical Biochemistry; Pharmacology 1; Physical Pharmacy; Pharmacy Informatics; Microbiology and Parasitology; Pharmaceutical Analysis 2 (Instrumental Methods).

• Level 3 (Year 3): Advanced therapeutics, manufacturing, pharmacotherapeutics, clinical practice, and health systems.- Examples: Biopharmaceutics & Pharmacokinetics; Pharmaceutical Toxicology; Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (with CGMP) including QA; Pharmacotherapeutics 2; Dispensing II; Public Health Pharmacy (Pharmaco-epidemiology); Drug Discovery & Development; Hospital Pharmacy; Pharmacology 2; Social & Administrative Pharmacy; Health Technology Assessment & Health Policy; Legal Pharmacy & Ethics; Pharmaceutical Marketing & Entrepreneurship; Pharmacy Research Methods with Statistics; Cosmetic Product Development.

• Level 4 (Year 4): Experiential Pharmacy Practice (practice-based learning) totaling 600 hours across settings.- Settings: Institutional, Hospital, Public Health & Regulatory, Industry, Community; Midyear Pharmacy Assessment; structured experiential components.

Experiential Pharmacy Practice (Level 4)

• Total hours: 600 hrs across four core or five settings; credit units typical: 12 (with midyear assessment).

• Settings (examples):- Institutional Pharmacy Practice (2.4 units, 120 hrs)

  • Hospital Pharmacy Practice (6 units, 300 hrs)

  • Public Health and Regulatory Pharmacy (6 units, 300 hrs)

  • Industry Pharmacy Practice (6 units, 300 hrs)

  • Community Pharmacy Practice (2.4 or 3 units, 300 hrs)

• Purpose: apply learned concepts, develop professional preceptors, and integrate interprofessional collaboration.

Internship and Practice Settings

• Institutional Pharmacy Internship: 120 hours; FDA-licensed pharmacy sites; TCPE-accredited employers; trained preceptors.

• Community Pharmacy Internship: 300 hours; TCPE-accredited community pharmacies; trained preceptors.

• Hospital Pharmacy Internship: 300 hours; DOH-accredited Level II/III hospital sites; preceptors.

• Public Health & Regulatory Pharmacy Internship: 180 hours; DOH/FDA-accredited settings; preceptors.

• Industrial Pharmacy Internship: 300 hours; industry operations (Manufacturing, QA, Cosmetics, etc.); team of interns with preceptor.

• Internships emphasize preceptor guidance, patient/public health focus, and compliance with regulatory standards.

Postgraduate Training and Specialty

• Undergraduate pathways: B.S. in Clinical Pharmacy; B.S. in Industrial Pharmacy; B.S. in Pharmaceutical Science.

• Master/MS in Pharmacy with majors: Hospital Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Social and Administrative Pharmacy.

• Doctoral pathways: Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Ph.D. in Pharmacy; universities offering these programs include Sto. Tomas, Centro Escolar University, UP Manila, UP Manila (MS/PhD options), etc.

• Additional credentials: UST Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (CCPh) via PPPhA; CPD-related certifications and continuing education.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

• CPD Act of 2016 (Republic Act No. 10912): mandates CPD for all regulated professions; creates CPD Council; allocates funds for CPD.

• CPD concepts:- CPD: advanced knowledge, skills, and ethical values in post-licensure specialization or multidisciplinary study for lifelong learning.

  • CPD Council: body promoting continuous professional improvement; accredits CPD programs.

  • CPD credits: units earned for learning activities usable toward qualification or license renewal.

  • CPD Program: accredited activities (seminars, workshops, modules, etc.) for advanced practice.

  • CPD Providers: entities accredited to conduct CPD programs.

• PRACTICAL IMPACT: CPD is a mandatory requirement in license renewal under the PRC implementing rules (IRR) of RA 10912 (2017).

• Note: examples of CPD providers are used for illustration; focus is on understanding CPD as a system for lifelong learning.

Gas Law and Related Equations (Notable formulas)

• Avogadro's Law: $V = an$

• Boyle's Law: $PV = K$

• Charles' Law: $V = bT$

• Dalton's Law: $P<em>{TOTAL} = \,\sum</em>i P_i$

• Ideal Gas Law: $PV = nRT$

Advanced Degree and Policy Context (Selected References)

• PSG and policy documents referenced: PHARMACY PSGs, CHED policy on PSG for BS Pharmacy (2021).

• Notable Acts/Regulations: RA 10912 (CPD Act 2016); IRR (Resolution No. 1032, 2017) governing CPD implementation by PRC and PRBs.

• Institutions mentioned as examples of programs: UP Manila; UST; Centro Escolar University; Adamson University; University of the Philippines; University of Sto. Tomas; University of San Carlos (for related programs).

Key Takeaways for Quick Recall

• Pharmacy education combines foundational sciences, therapeutics, and practice through four levels culminating in intensive experiential practice.

• CPD is mandatory for license renewal and lifelong professional development per RA 10912 and IRR.

• Internship paths span multiple settings (institutional, hospital, community, public health/regulatory, industrial) with defined hour requirements.

• Postgraduate options span clinical, industrial, pharmaceutical sciences, and pharmacotherapy specialties, including Pharm.D. and Ph.D. programs across Philippine universities.