College of The Bahamas Signs Agreement with University of Technology, Kingston, Jamaica, to Introduce a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy
Photograph shows: Seated (l to r) Gosset Oliver, U Tech; Rhonda Chipman-Johnson; Brenda Cleare, Dean, Faculty of Pure & Applied Sciences;
Standing (l to r) Janet Campbell-Shelly, Director Pharmacy Programme, U Tech; Bridget Hogg, Chair School of Sciences & Technology; Eugene Brown-Myrie, Dean, Faculty of Health & Applied Science, U Tech; Bridgette Rolle, Ministry of Health & Social Development; Zorene Curry, Head of Department, School of Nursing & Allied Health Professions; Vanessa Rolle, Chief Pharmacist, Princess Margaret Hospital, (on secondment to College of The Bahamas.)
Always ready to respond to national needs, The College of The Bahamas has signed an agreement with the University of Technology (U Tech) in Jamaica to launch a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy. Responding to a request from the Ministry of Health which recognized the shortage of pharmaceutical practitioners, especially in the Family Islands, The College began negotiations with U Tech eighteen months ago and the first cohort of students will begin classes in August 2008.
The Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy aims to provide the student with the basic core knowledge, skills and attitude needed for professional competencies to become practitioners in pharmaceutical care. Areas of study include compounding; dispensing; sale of drugs; monitoring drug therapy and advising on therapeutic values, content and hazards of drugs and devices; and identification and assessment in resolving drug problems.
Since 2000, as a result of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists Curacao Accord, a Bachelors degree is the minimum qualification for a pharmacist as the focus for pharmaceutical practitioners has switched from dispensing to pharmaceutical care. A baccalaureate degree is now the accepted standard across the Caribbean region. The Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy will also provide upgrading opportunities for certificate trained Bahamian pharmacists and will complement existing programmes in nursing, medicine and allied health.
Students in the programme will complete their first two years in Nassau and years three and four will be followed at the University of Technology in Kingston. To facilitate the classes in Nassau, The College has renovated two laboratories in its T block - one for pharmacognosy and the other for multi purpose science use. This is further evidence of The College's push towards upgrading its facilities as it transitions to university status.
Executive Vice-President, Academic Affairs, Dr Rhonda Chipman Johnson, said, "We at The College are determined to both respond to national needs and to initiate programmes and research that will inform national decisions, and this Pharmacy Programme, which will for the first time provide a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy for Bahamians in The Bahamas, is very real proof that we are honouring the words of our mission."
She went on to say, "During the course of the last two years we have entered into partnerships, memoranda of understanding and collaborations with universities and colleges around the world, all with the aim of improving our offerings and upgrading the student experience here at The College of The Bahamas. This agreement will undoubtedly augment our offerings and definitely add significantly to the student experience."
She ended her remarks by saluting the committee here in Nassau that enabled The College to implement the programme so quickly and said she was looking forward to a happy, profitable and cooperative relationship with the University of Technology.
Barbara Burrows, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Development, expressed her gratitude to The College of The Bahamas and University of Technology for the way they constructed the collaborative agreement so speedily and also mentioned the wonderful opportunity that the programme offered Bahamians as it would fill the gap that exists in the pharmacy profession without compromising the standards of education.
Professor Gossett Oliver, Vice-President of Graduate Studies who signed on behalf of the University of Technology, spoke of the significance of this collaboration particularly in reference to small island states. He mentioned the often prohibitive costs of technological equipment and the need for sharing of resources so that one island can benefit another. He also stated that the U Tech pharmacy programme was very much its flagship programme because it is professionally driven and monitored and accredited by the Pharmacy Council of Jamaica. Students graduating from the programme would receive an internationally recognized certificate and would definitely be in the forefront of the pharmaceutical profession as a result of their studies.
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The College of The Bahamas
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