Academic Preparation

vs.
Real World of Pharmacy Practice

Group members: Abda Popper

Dan Li
Ivan Watson
Ricardo Pinelo

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 Academic Requirements for a
Pharmacist in Belize
• The title “Pharmacist” by law should only apply to those who have
had the proper educational training in the area of Pharmacology
and its related subjects, and who have successfully completed the
3-year-long course at the University of Belize or any other
recognized school of Pharmacy in Belize, the Caribbean, or any
other country for that matter.

• To be a pharmacist in the country of Belize, a student is required

to complete a 110 credit hour program at the University of Belize
or any other institution in the following courses:

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General Core Requirements

• * ENGL 111 College English 1 …………… 3

• * ENGL 112 College English II …………… 3
• * HIST 201 Belizean History …………… 3
• * SPAN 111 Intermediate Spanish …………… 3

Science and Mathematics

• * CHEM 124 Introduction to Organic

• Chemistry and Biochemistry I ……………. 4
• * CMPS 140 Introduction to Computers ……………. 3
• * MATH 121 Intermediate Algebra ……………. 3
• * ALHL 299 Health Education and
Primary Health Care ……………. 2

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Social Science

• * MGMT 101 Introduction to Business ……………. 3

Others

• * GSTU 101 Study Skills ……………. 1

PROFESSIONAL CORE REQUIREMENTS

• * PHAR 101 Introduction to Pharmacy ……………. 2

• * PHAR 102 Pharmaceutical Calculations ……………. 3
• * PHAR 201 Clinical Microbiology ……………. 3
• * PHAR 203 Compounding and
Manufacturing I ……………. 4

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• * PHAR 221 Pharmacology I ……………. 4
• * PHAR 222 Pharmacology II ……………. 4
• * PHAR 223 Pharmacokinetics ……………. 4
• * PHAR 224 Pharmacognosy ……………. 3
• * PHAR 230 Therapeutics I ……………. 4
• * PHAR 299 Supervised Practical
• Experience ……………. 5
• * PHAR 301 Supervised Internship ……………. 15
• * PHAR 304 Compounding and
• Manufacturing II ……………. 4
• * PHAR 312 Patient Counseling ……………. 2
• * PHAR 323 Pharmacology III ……………. 4
• *PHAR 331 Therapeutics II ……………. 4
• * PHAR 340 Jurisprudence/Ethics ……………. 2
• * PHAR 399 Pharmacy Board Review ……………. 2

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Supporting Professional Core Requirements
• * BIOL 121 General Biology I ……………. 3
• * BIOL 204 Human Anatomy and
• Physiology I ……………. 3
• * BIOL 205 Human Anatomy and
• Physiology II ……………. 3
• * CHEM 121 General Chemistry I ……………. 4
> Grand Total ………….................................... 110 Sem. Cr. Hrs.

• After the completion of the courses at the University of Belize, the

individual is reviewed by the Pharmacy Board of Belize. Upon
successfully passing the Boards, the pharmacist is issued a certificate for
their achievement and must also register as Pharmacist or Chemist and
Druggist as it is also termed. This certificate is required by law to be
displayed in full view for the public to see in the place or establishment
the pharmacist is practicing.

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Academic Preparation in The Caribbean
• The most striking fact about pharmacy practice in the Caribbean is the
different levels of education acceptance to practice Pharmacy in each
country.
• In some Caribbean countries a bachelor's degree is compulsory (e.g.
Jamaica), in others an associate degree, diploma or even just a
certificate is all that is necessary (e.g. Grenada). Since each individual
jurisdiction decides its own requirements for pharmacy practice, the
CAP has until now only been able to make recommendations and
suggestions. Indeed, the debate as to what is an acceptable minimum
education level is one that is taking place within the CAP. This is not
surprising given that several national members of the CAP have a
majority of pharmacists qualified below degree level.

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 In addition to that, only Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Guyana offer
or expect degree level pharmacy courses. Therefore students would have
to leave their own country or island to pursue their pharmacy education to
degree level. Politicians and pharmacy leaders in some states may have
been reluctant to take up an agenda that might alienate not only the bulk
of pharmacists but also their own colleges of education that offer diplomas
or certificates in pharmacy. The issue of self-sufficiency is a matter of
both pride and economics for individual states world-wide.

• Another factor that probably has blocked progress is that of wage control.
It has been suggested that politicians consider it unwise To encourage
pharmacists to gain a better education and then demand higher wages.

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Some of the better qualified pharmacists
may also consider it better that, so as long as they are "rare birds“
they can expect better positions and better incomes, and so for
them it would be best to maintain the status quote.
Also, should the majority of Caribbean pharmacists gain higher
qualifications, this could lead to increased emigration as they
would have internationally recognized qualifications; this would
exacerbate the manpower problems already faced. The debate
has therefore been whether to raise standards or just level them
out.

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 Academic Preparations in The USA
• In USA, the role of pharmacists is reflected in every gallop poll
conducted. Pharmacists are rated higher in terms of ethical standards,
than physicians, dentists and professors.
• In USA a pharmacy graduate has to pass an examination for licensure
to practice pharmacy. You are eligible to work as a pharmacist
anywhere in the United States.
• However, you must be licensed in the state in which you would like to
work. Individual states are responsible for issuing their own license to
practice.
• Therefore, applicants should contact the licensing body in the state in
which they wish to work, in order to confirm the specific requirements
for that state.

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The Pharm.D. degree program requires...

At least 2-Years of pre-pharmacy study

+ 4-Academic Years of pharmacy study

= 6 or more years of study after high school

The majority of pharmacy students enter the professional program with 3 OR

MORE years of (pre-pharmacy) college experience

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• Outline of Course:
Junior Freshman Year
• Physiology
• Cell & molecular biology
• Biochemistry
• Sources & characteristics of substances used in medicines
Physicochemical aspects of drugs & biological systems
• Discovery, isolation, separation & analysis of substances used in
medicines
• Introduction to pharmaceutics & formulations  
• Pharmaceutical calculations & data handling
• Practice of Pharmacy I
• Orientation & learning skills & integrated pharmacy studies

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 Senior Freshman Year

• Pharmaceutical properties of materials used in medicines

• Physical pharmacy II
• Isolation, separation & analysis of substances used in medicines
Formulation & pharmaceutical technology
• Microbiology, Biochemistry & Veterinary Pharmacy
• Practice of Pharmacy II
• Professional development & career planning
• Pharmaceutical biotechnology I
• General principles of pharmacology
• Molecular pharmacology & chemotherapy

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 Junior Sophister Year

• Medicinal & pharmaceutical chemistry III

• Natural sources of drugs & medicines
• Sterile products
• Pharmaceutical data analysis & bioinformatics
• Practice of pharmacy III
• Pharmaceutical biotechnology II
• Inflammation, endocrine & reproductive pharmacology
• Respiratory & gastrointestinal pharmacology
• Blood, cardiovascular & renal pharmacology

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 Senior Sophister Year

• Medicinal chemistry IV: Drug design, discovery & development

• Herbal medicinal products & complementary medicine
• Advanced drug delivery & future directions
• Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, biopharmaceutics & drug
metabolism
• Practice of pharmacy IV1
• Practice of pharmacy IV2
• Addiction pharmacy
• NeuropharmacologyPractice of pharmacy IV3 – Electives
• Malignant disease, immunopharmacology & pharmacology of the eye

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Licensing and Certification Processes
in Belize
• No person shall be entitled to be registered under the Chemist and
Druggist Act as a Chemist or Druggist unless he is 18 years and above
and gives proof to the satisfaction of the Board of Examiners that
he/she is a person of good character, and is entitled to be registered in
Great Britain or Northern Ireland as a Chemist and Druggist or as
Pharmaceutical Chemist, or is the lawful holder of a diploma or
certificate from a pharmaceutical school for the time being recognized
by the Board as furnishing a sufficient guarantee of the possession of
the requisite knowledge and skill for conducting the business of
chemist and druggist and proves to the satisfaction of the Board that
he is the lawful holder of such diploma or certificate, or was at the
date of coming into operation of the Chemist and Druggist Act,
carrying on, in Belize, the business of a Chemist and Druggist, or has
been actually engaged and employed without interruption for a period
not less than three years

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 as a dispenser to a registered Medical Practitioner or assistant to a
Chemist and Druggist in Belize, or at any public hospital Dispensary, the
last year of which being devoted to dispensing, and has obtained a
certificate from the Board that he/she has successfully passed the
examination.

• All Pharmacists trained either locally or abroad are required to pass the
Pharmacy Board Examination before they can be registered to practice in
Belize.

• The purpose of the examination is to ensure that all Pharmacists possess

the requisite knowledge and skills to provide an acceptable level of
Pharmacy practice in the evolving patient care environment.

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Licensing and Certification Processes
in The Caribbean
• Minimum Training and Experience of an Associates Degree in
most Caribbean country and a minimum of a Bachelors Degree in
some countries like Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

• Candidates should have:

• BSc. in Pharmacy from UWI or a recognized university.

• Possession of a pharmacist License recognized by the Pharamacy
Board of a Caribbean country.
• Any equivalent combination of Training and Experience

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Licensing and Certification Processes
in the USA
• Individual states are responsible for issuing their own license to
practice. Applicants should contact the licensing body in the state in
which they wish to work, in order to confirm the specific requirements
for that state.
• The basic process for licensure involves: completing a program from a
college of pharmacy that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for
Pharmacy Education (ACPE); completing the state's internship
requirements; passing the North American Pharmacist Licensure
Exam (NAPLEX); passing a jurisprudence exam. Specifically, 44
states and the District of Columbia require that applicants pass the
Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE), while those states
that do not require the MPJE have their own law exam. Both the
NAPLEX and MPJE are administered by the National Association
Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Note: Some states have additional
exams that are unique to their jurisdiction.

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• Graduates of foreign pharmacy schools may also qualify for licensure in
some U.S. States and territories. These individuals must apply for
certification from the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination
Committee (FPGEC). Once certified, they must pass the Foreign
Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE), Test of English
as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam, and Test of Spoken English (TSE)
exam. They then must pass all of the exams required by the licensing
jurisdiction, such as the NAPLEX and MJPE.

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 PHARMACIST IN SOCIETY
• A Pharmacist distributes prescription drugs to individuals. They also
advise their patients, as well as physicians and other health
practitioners, on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of
medications. Pharmacists monitor the health and progress of patients
to ensure the safe and effective use of medication. Compounding—the
actual mixing of ingredients to form medications—is a small part of a
pharmacist’s practice, because most medicines are produced by
pharmaceutical companies in a standard dosage and drug delivery
form. Most pharmacists work in a community setting, such as a retail
drugstore, or in a health care facility, such as a hospital, nursing home,
mental health institution, or neighborhood health clinic.

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 PHARMACIST IN A COMMUNITY

• Pharmacists in community pharmacies dispense medications, counsel

patients on the use of prescription and over-the-counter medications, and
advise physicians about patients’ medication therapy. They also advise
patients about general health topics such as diet, exercise, and stress
management, and provide information on products such as durable
medical equipment or home health care supplies.

PHARMACIST IN HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

• Pharmacists in health care facilities dispense medications and advise the

medical staff on the selection and effects of drugs. They may make sterile
solutions to be administered intravenously. They also plan, monitor and
evaluate drug programs or regimens. They may counsel hospitalized
patients on the use of drugs before the patients are discharged

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 PHARMACIST PRINCIPLE GOAL

• The principal goal of pharmaceutical care is to achieve positive outcomes

from the use of medication that improves patients' quality of life. These
outcomes include: 1) cure of a disease; 2) elimination or reduction of
symptoms; 3) arresting or slowing a disease process; 4) prevention of
disease; 5) diagnosis of disease; and 6) desired alterations in
physiological processes, all with minimum risk to patients. Pharmacists
are professionals, uniquely prepared and available, committed to public
service and to the achievement of this goal.

DUTIES OF A PHARMACIST IN SOCIETY

• Educate patients about prescription and over-the-counter medications.

• Advise other health care professionals on drug decisions for patients.
• Provide expertise about the composition of drugs, including chemical,
biological, and physical properties, as well as on use.
• Ensure drug purity and strength.
• Ensure drugs do not interact in a harmful way.

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