Pharmacy Education and Practice in 13 Middle Eastern Countries

Abstract

The Arab world has influenced the art and science of pharmacy for centuries. Pharmacy education and practice is continuing to evolve in the Arabic-speaking traditional Middle East countries, although relatively little information has been published in the English press. Our goal was to provide a high-level synopsis of conditions in this region.We selected 13 countries for review. Information was obtained by reviewing the available published literature and individual university and program web sites, as well as contacting program or country representatives. Seventy-eight active pharmacy schools in 12 countries were identified. At least 14,000 students (over 75% from Egypt) are admitted into baccalaureate degree programs every year. The 5-year baccalaureate degree remains the first professional degree to practice.While changes in pharmacy education have been relatively rapid over the past decade, the advancement of pharmacy practice, particularly in the private sector, appears to be slower. Hospital pharmacists often possess an advanced degree and tend to have a higher level of practice compared to that of community pharmacists. Despite the adversities that face academics and practitioners alike, there is a strong desire to advance the science and practice of pharmacy in the Middle East.

Clinical Pharmacy Education in the Middle East and Asia: Are we Doing it Right?

“…According to Jamshed et al 3 the PharmD program in Pakistan was implemented without proper planning and thought, the clinical pharmacy syllabus is placed under pharmaceutics, and the teaching and training of clinical pharmacy are neglected. The Middle East, according to Kheir et al 4 suffers from a shortage of well-trained faculty and clinical pharmacy mentors. The PharmD program in Nepal also faces challenges, such as curriculum content, manpower and infrastructure.…”

Perceptions and Satisfaction of Pharmacy Staff towards the Orientation Program at the Specialized Hospitals in Qatar: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Some programs (e.g., in Egypt) do not appear to have a structured practical experience as a requirement for graduation; other programs have experiential training requirements that range from 10 to 36 weeks [3]. Most programs appear to focus on the traditional 'knowledge-based' curricula with a lesser emphasis on the clinical sciences [3]. The variability between different pharmacy programs makes it more perplexing to train the new staffs and ensure a standardized practice among them.…”

“…Countries in the Middle East have different clinical training requirements for the 5-year baccalaureate degree in pharmacy. Some programs (e.g., in Egypt) do not appear to have a structured practical experience as a requirement for graduation; other programs have experiential training requirements that range from 10 to 36 weeks [3]. Most programs appear to focus on the traditional 'knowledge-based' curricula with a lesser emphasis on the clinical sciences [3].…”

A Hospital-based Pharmacy Internship Program in Jordan

“…2 Similar observations have been made by others in the Middle East. 3,4 Pharmaceutical care and the involvement of pharmacists in clinical decisions are not emphasized enough in the educational curricula and are not widely accepted or acknowledged socially in Jordan, as in most of the region. 3,5 This is attributed primarily to the pharmacy school curriculum, which is traditionally science-focused and theory-based.…”