The University of Malta is launching a programme leading to a professional doctorate in pharmacy, the PharmD degree, Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia told the annual pharmacy symposium.

The programme is being offered in collaboration with the University of Illinois in Chicago and will be an opportunity not to be missed.  Pharmacists can now follow this PharmD course and while taking up further studies at the doctoral level, develop skills in advanced practice and applied research – two skills that will strengthen the contribution of pharmacists in our healthcare system, he said.

The outcome will be pharmacists with an even more strong clinical background.

The pharmacy undergraduate students are already ready to embrace clinical pharmacy and work as clinical pharmacists in institutions, particularly Mater Dei Hospital.  Malta needs them. The Department of Pharmacy has a strong collaboration with entities within the ministry that is leading to sustaining this service development.  The PharmD programme provides opportunities to develop pharmaceutical services and introduce concepts that have been implemented in US healthcare systems aiming to individualise patient care. 

The Department of Pharmacy at the university moved from the bachelor of pharmacy degree to the Master of pharmacy degree integrating theory, practice and research in its curriculum, Dr Farrugia said.

“The end product is abvious. Pharmacists are graduating with an exceptional level of professionality able to integrate the clinical aspects of pharmaceutical care with research and academic aspects.  The Department is also offering a degree in pharmaceutical technology, and I look forward to these graduates also joining our health care professionals in the health sector, and  postgraduate students including the Master of Science with specialisations in industry, pharmacoecomonics and clinical pharmacy.

“It is with pride to note for example that one of the MSc graduates has carried out a thesis related to the improvement of quality of services at the POYC.  It is such standards that I would like to see at all levels of pharmacy practice.”

One of the priorities of this government with respect to health is for the National healthcare system to move in the direction of patient centred service developments, with the patient being at all times at the centre of the health system.

For an efficient patient centred service we need trained and specialised healthcare professionals including clinical pharmacists with advanced practice skills to ensure patient safety and efficient medication use.  It is the Government’s committment to maintain a cost free sustainable national health service within a framework of a PP mix.

“It is my intention to run a sustainable system with cost saving measures where medication wastage and out of stock situations are decreased and instead we focus more and more on cost effectiveness and patients’ quality of life that reflect the latest evidence based pathways.”