History

Since its establishment on February 3, 1996, the Faculty of Pharmacy is continuing its curriculum development and staff recruitment with a target of 32 full-time academic staff in four different departments. The Faculty accepted its first class of 32 full-time students into the first year of the program in September 1997. The number of admitted students increased over the past seven years with an average of 53 students admitted per year.

The Profession of Pharmacy

Traditionally, pharmacists have been compounders and dispensers of medicines. Nowadays, pharmacists are the professionals responsible for optimizing patients’ drug therapy both therapeutically and economically. In hospitals and community practice, pharmacists counsel patients about the correct use of their medication, provide screening programs, monitor patients for adverse effects, and are a source of drug information. In industry, pharmacists are involved in the development of new dosage forms, product manufacture, and quality control. Other pharmacists are involved in government and regulatory bodies ensuring that the public’s supply of medicinal products is safe and meets the highest international standards of quality. Finally, selected pharmacists become teachers at universities and undertake academic or industrial research.