30 Apr 2012

The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine announces that its current Bachelor of Pharmacy Programme (BPharm programme) has obtained full accreditation from the Hong Kong Pharmacy and Poisons Board. The first batch of HKU BPharm graduates can proceed to their pharmacy internship training commencing on July 1, 2012 and they will be exempted from the Board's written examinations to register as pharmacists in Hong Kong after finishing the one-year internship with satisfactory performance. The acquisition of full accreditation has to follow a continuous process and the Faculty is pleased to achieve this step by step within the expected timeframe.

Professor Lee Sum-ping, Dexter HC Man Family Professor in Medical Science, Dean of The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, is delighted about the outcome. “We would like to thank the Pharmacy and Poisons Board for granting this recognition to the Bachelor of Pharmacy Programme of HKU. This is an important milestone in the development of both the Department and the Faculty. With full confidence, we will continue to recruit and train young talents for the pharmacy profession to meet the ever-escalating needs of the society.” says Professor Lee.

Programme admission

The BPharm programme is run by the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy of The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. Since its launch in 2009, the programme has been attracting dedicated and high caliber students seeking admission through JUPAS and Non-JUPAS. In 2011, the mean HKAL score of JUPAS candidates to the programme is 2A1B. Quite a number of students with outstanding academic performance (6As or above) in HKCEE were admitted to the programme through the Early Admission Scheme.

Clinical and research exposure

To nurture the next generation of high-quality pharmacists, the HKU BPharm programme provides comprehensive pharmacist training with considerable clinical exposure at Queen Mary Hospital which has the biggest Pharmacy Department amongst all HA Hospitals in Hong Kong.

The programme also affords students exposure to research, in particular in the interaction of drugs with living systems and the development process of drug discovery. Each student is required to do an independent research project under the supervision of a professoriate staff during the final year, with ample choices of topic ranging from basic to clinical research.

Overseas exchange opportunities

Internationalism is another exciting and innovative key component built into the HKU BPharm programme. Agreements have been signed with overseas institutes such as King’s College London, Sojo University in Japan, and Hospital Pharmacy in Grenoble which is affiliated with the University of Joseph Fourier in France, under which students of the HKU BPharm programme are offered the opportunity to undertake a four-week attachment in these institutions. Our students will be involved in lab-based research projects, hospital visits and local pharmacy visits. There are also study tours to China and other countries. These visits and exchange programmes serve to enhance the culture awareness and effective communication of the students with people from diverse backgrounds, as well as to increase their exposure to the practice of pharmacy and the operation of pharmaceutical companies in different places.

Promising career prospects for graduates

Professor Ian Wong Chi-Kei, Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine remarks, “A career in Pharmacy offers many different career options. Traditionally, these include community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy and pharmaceutical companies of western medicines. However, there are many other career opportunities for pharmacists including positions at the Department of Health, pharmaceutical companies of Chinese Medicines and healthcare products. Our graduates may even choose a research and teaching career and find success in academia. We work very closely with the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, private hospitals, pharmaceutical industry, community pharmacies, overseas hospitals and universities to ensure that there are adequate training positions for our graduates.”

“Currently, the demand for pharmacists is extremely high and many employers have found it challenging to recruit pharmacists. In 2009, the estimated ratio of Hong Kong pharmacist-to-population is 1: 3700, which is unsatisfactory in view of the recommended ratio by the World Health Organization (1: 2000). It is hence expected that our society will continue to demand more pharmacists, which is important especially with the aging population. Pharmacists will play vital roles in managing medicines for the elderly and chronic illness. We are delighted to serve our society by training the next generation of pharmacists”, says Professor Wong.

Recent development of the Programme

The HKU BPharm programme will be changed to a 4-year programme from 2012 under the 3-3-4 structure. Our graduates will be well prepared for continuous postgraduate training, whether through a taught Master of Clinical Pharmacy programme (which is planned to commence in 2013), or through research by higher degrees.

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