Pharmacy is the study of manufacturing and dispensing pharmaceuticals. Chemistry and pharmaceutics are two of the particular topics covered in pharmacy studies. A pharmacist is a qualified healthcare practitioner who educates patients about various medications and treatment options.
They are well-versed in multiple medications, their applications, and their adverse effects. A pharmacist, also known as a chemist sometimes, often works in a pharmacy and can prescribe over-the-counter medicines and distribute treatments or medications recommended by a general practitioner. There are many different kinds of pharmacists, including hospital and community pharmacists.
The history of pharmacy dates back a long time. This skill was practised when the first individual extracted juice from a succulent leaf to put into a wound. The art of healing recognized a distinction between the responsibilities of the physician and those of the herbalist, who provided the physician with the raw ingredients from which to produce medicines in ancient Greece and Rome and during the Middle Ages in Europe.
However, the practice of having distinct responsibilities for the pharmacist and physician was brought about by the Arabian influence in Europe during the eighth century AD. Since World War II, the pharmaceutical industry has grown, which has resulted in the identification and use of novel and potent pharmacological compounds.
Pharmacists generally distributed prescriptions that doctors ordered and nurses administered, hidden from patients. Today, however, with a greater emphasis on lowering healthcare costs and enhancing health outcomes, hospital pharmacist positions are altering along with the constantly shifting healthcare environment. Hospital pharmacists with a more robust commercial focus, crucial to managing pharmaceutical costs and assets, have prospects for professional growth.
A significant role is managing drug safety and assessing a patient’s prescription requirements by determining the therapy’s indication, safety, and efficacy as part of the dispensing procedure. The work also includes providing information and guidance to patients and other medical professionals.
The Pharmacy curriculum is meant to have students ready for practice when they go to their experiencing locations, and they eventually experience more substantial clinical and professional growth throughout their patient care interactions and research activities. In contrast to the previous system, the curriculum incorporates core subject matter — such as the impact of drugs on the body and how to choose a specific drug among various alternatives — into courses based on organ systems and disease states. The following are some of the standard pharmaceutical specialisations you could explore:
- Pharmacology
- Clinical practice
- Microbiology & Immunology
- Drug development
- Pharmaceutical technology
- Obesity and weight management.
From 2021 to 2031, the employment of pharmacists is expected to expand. Over the next ten years, there are expected to be, on average, 13,600 opportunities for pharmacists, notwithstanding the modest expansion in employment.
As said before, pharmacy is crucial in the healthcare system. The purpose of pharmacy is to maintain and support the healthcare system. Delivering drug information, clinical services, and evaluating drugs for safety and effectiveness. Let’s examine pharmacy more closely, though.
Why Study This Program
Advancing Career Opportunities
You should know that studying pharmacy does not merely include distributing medication from behind a counter. Community, hospital/clinical, and industrial pharmacy are foundational pharmacy concepts. While professions in community and independent pharmacies are possible, clinical pharmacy may involve working in clinics or hospitals. Community pharmacists conduct differential diagnoses and give therapy utilising oral contraceptives, medication management for medical disorders that have already been identified, and restricted substances for reacting to symptoms.
Along with these treatments, they offer health promotion initiatives, including smoking cessation, family planning, and weight control. While a community pharmacy employs the majority of pharmacists, many others have sought out or developed new career options. Pharmacists may work in various healthcare settings, including managed care organisations, hospitals, nursing homes, pharmaceutical businesses, academic institutions, and the federal government. Pharmacists are involved in research, providing direct patient treatment, and promoting the profession via legislation. Every part of the healthcare system benefits from pharmacists’ leadership roles.
Help Save Lives
We are sure you desire to assist others if you’re interested in a healthcare profession. Being a drug expert is something you can achieve by obtaining a degree in pharmacy. In essence, pharmacists assess the variables, like food and lifestyle, that affect whether a person can take a specific type of drug. You will be at the forefront of illness prevention and treatment every day.
You will save lives by providing the knowledge enabling individuals to correctly utilise medication for their maximum health outcome. Additionally, as part of primary health care, pharmacists do screening tests, including blood pressure and cholesterol.
In any other case, you may advise people to take the appropriate prescription and improve their health. You’ll essentially be a healthcare hero. The safety of patients has been found to increase when a pharmacist does hospital rounds as a whole part of the patient care team, according to research. They avoid prescription mistakes, lessen negative drug responses, and lower medical expenses.
Studying Pharmacy is Exciting
University life involves a lot of studying, which can occasionally become dull. However, if you enrol in a pharmacy degree, you’ll have the opportunity to learn by doing while still being guided and watched over by your instructors. You’ll start doing it in your first semester, and it’s the most efficient and engaging method to study. The pharmacy program places a lot of emphasis on experiential learning. It strongly focuses on soft skill development and active, ongoing education.
Practicals, tutorials, process-oriented problem-based learning, skill labs, visits, presentations, and assignments come right after each theoretical course. Books, the herbal and pharmaceutical dosage form archives, the physiology dissection room, pathology specimens, speciality labs, and much more will all be used to teach you.
The local senior citizens receive monthly pharmacy care sessions from some pharmacy students. There, individuals develop communication skills and gain knowledge of various drugs. Additionally, they get to keep tabs on therapy fitness, success in achieving goals, adverse effects, drug interactions, and patient adherence. A community pharmacy operated by a university serves the needs of employees, students, and the general public. First-year students engage in a continuous rotational placement where they pick up the many tools and methods used to manage a neighbourhood pharmacy.
Save Your Surroundings
Are you interested in playing a significant part in the case of a powerful biological attack? Pharmacists are on the front lines regarding halting the spread of disease and dispersing safe antidotes since they are trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of epidemics and bioterror scenarios. In many cases, pharmacists have been the initial point of contact for help with bioterrorism, according to “Expanding the Pharmacist’s Role in Public Health.” Drug distribution, patient counselling, and support for other medical professionals were all things pharmacists helped with during some of the past world events.
The global ‘World Pharmacists Day’ theme is “From research to health care: Your pharmacist is at your service. It was chosen to ‘reflect the numerous contributions the pharmacy profession makes to health’. A degree in pharmacy could be just what you’ve been seeking if you’re ready to play a crucial role in the healthcare system and reap some enjoyable career and personal benefits in exchange.
Be Part of the Healthcare Team
Most of the time, treating patients requires the joint efforts of numerous people, and it is widely acknowledged that when the experts genuinely function as a team, a procedure’s results are maximised. Of course, treatment teams at healthcare facilities include pharmacists. Knowledge of the products and systems enhances treatment efficacy and workflow standards. Pharmacists collaborate with other medical specialists to improve patient outcomes and maintain continuity of treatment. Several studies have demonstrated the advantages of having a pharmacist on hospital rounds and ambulatory care settings to minimise medication mistakes and cut costs.
Pharmacists’ responsibilities in the mobile care context are constantly growing. With the introduction of accountable care organisations, pharmacists are now contributing to treating chronic diseases, drug therapy, and lowering hospital readmission rates. They participate in clinics, visit patients, and provide counselling in addition to being a member of the medical care team.
Why Study In Malaysia
Room to Grow
People who study pharmacy have the opportunity to develop and change throughout their careers as pharmacists. The truth is that pharmacists are no longer bound to a single position for their jobs since they are increasingly given different roles or responsibilities as part of their training and skill development. The discovery and engineering of pharmaceutical medications, academia, consultancy, private or public practices, and federal pharmacy are among the fields in which pharmacists can now work.
Job Security
The need for a degree in pharmacy is at its most significant point in recent times. Due to such a strong demand, pharmacists have strong job security. As hospitals and healthcare organisations compete to get the finest people with a degree in pharmacy and retain them for a long time, healthcare professionals seeking a pharmacist career should anticipate positive job prospects for the foreseeable future. Pharmacists have excellent job security because the healthcare sector is primarily steady regardless of the state of the economy.
Affordable Course Fees
The fee required to study pharmacy in Malaysia is comparatively less than that required in many other countries, such as the USA, the UK, Australia, and Canada, to name just a few. With pharmacy degree expenses shooting up worldwide, Malaysia comes across as a reliable option to receive a high-quality education at an affordable cost.
Globally Recognised Degrees
Pharmacy degrees from Malaysian universities enjoy global recognition. Studying pharmacy in Malaysia allows students to pursue the program in Malaysia and then move anywhere globally. Several students continue their master’s and specialisation in Malaysia or transfer to other countries to pursue different pathways.
International Education Standard
The standard of pharmacy programs in Malaysia meets international standards. This ensures exceptional education for students who enrol in this course. The course curriculum is rigorously developed, keeping in line with international benchmarks to ensure students learn the latest developments in pharmacy in Malaysia.
Excellent Campus Facilities and Infrastructure
Malaysia offers excellent campus facilities, modern infrastructure, and innovative teaching aids for studying pharmacy in Malaysia. The schools in Malaysia offer a great learning atmosphere. Several leading universities have developed in-house labs and testing facilities dedicated to helping students learn with hands-on experience, operate with state-of-the-art machinery, and stay up to date with the latest innovations.
Career Prospects
Pharmacists are medical specialists focusing on the proper administration, preservation, and storage of medications. They can advise you on taking drugs and inform you of possible side effects. They fill prescriptions written by physicians and other medical specialists. Pharmacists work on new medication testing and development as well.
Pharmacists are crucial in informing patients how to take or administer their drugs. Additionally, they work as a ‘final check’ to guarantee that dosages are accurate and that a patient won’t suffer any adverse or hazardous medication interactions. While a pharmacist’s precise position varies based on where they work, they often do a combination of the following basic tasks:
- Checking the dose of drugs that medical professionals have prescribed.
- Creating prescriptions following a prescriber’s guidelines.
- Determining if a particular medicine will interact with other medications, the patient takes and confirms that the patient is not otherwise at risk of harmful side effects from a prescription.
- Teaching patients when and how to consume or use the medication.
- Educating patients on possible drug side effects and responding to any queries they may have.
- Administering different vaccines, including flu injections.
- Supervise and control pharmacy technicians and interns.
- Essential administrative and record-keeping duties as necessary.
Pharmacy skills are required for optimal productivity and professional advancement in the pharmacy domain. With these skills, you can be productive at work and succeed in your professional objectives. As you continue to practise, you can acquire and gain pharmacist-specific abilities. Here are some skills to look out for:
- Technical knowledge and laboratory proficiency.
- IT and general research expertise.
- Data evaluation.
- Teamwork.
- Self-management entails organising and satisfying commitments.
- Excellent oral and written professional communication.
- Comprehensive knowledge of human biology and health concerns.
Clinical Research
You will conduct clinical trials as a clinical research associate to evaluate medications for efficacy, hazards, and benefits to make sure they are safe for the intended purpose. You’ll likely be engaged in all clinical study phases, including choosing an investigative site and setting up, starting, running, and concluding the experiment.
Hospital Pharmacist
You will be involved in purchasing and quality testing medications and issuing prescriptions. Certain therapies must be customised for specific individuals, so you can also create medicines.
Pharmacy Technician
Under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, a pharmacy technician works in a hospital or clinic pharmacy. They assist with running the pharmacy workstation, which includes placing orders for drugs for the stock and maintaining the shelves’ cleanliness, stock levels, and execute orders.
Chemotherapy Pharmacist
A pharmacist specialising in chemotherapy prepares and delivers the medications required to treat cancer. They evaluate the efficacy of these medications and provide cancer hospitals and cancer treatment facilities with their analysis. The healthcare professionals can then determine how well the medicines will work to treat cancer patients.
Pharmacologist
To determine what impact particular drugs could have on humans, pharmacologists can do in vitro study (using cells or animal tissues) or in vivo research (using complete animals).
Physician Associates
Physician associates do many of the same responsibilities as doctors under the direct supervision of a doctor, including patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and care. Throughout your career, you will be overseen by a named clinical supervisor who might be a consultant or a general practitioner.
Nuclear Pharmacist
A nuclear pharmacist must prepare, test, and dispense radiopharmaceuticals to diagnose and treat many cancers and other disorders.
Staff Pharmacist
An on-staff pharmacist fills up particular prescription orders, gives vaccinations, and advises patients on how to take their prescriptions. They do operational and quality assurance evaluations, install and monitor safety procedures, and analyse and interpret results.
Program Duration
The duration to study pharmacy in Malaysia is four years for the bachelor’s program. English is the medium of instruction followed in schools across all major international private universities.
The first year will have a number of common subjects between different specialisations. As students progress to years two and three, their modules and subjects will become more specialised as per their field of choice.
Students can sometimes switch from one specialisation to another, but it will require approval from the University faculty and the relevant authorities in Malaysia.
Students who want to opt for program transfers to another University will usually need to prepare the transfer paperwork and start processing from their second year onwards to ensure all the paperwork and approvals are in place so the program transfer can be done.
Entry Requirements
The Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) sets the entry requirements and guidelines for university admissions in Malaysia, which all universities must adhere to. All prospective international students must meet the minimum entry requirements, as the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) takes these standards into account during the application acceptance and processing phases.
The admission requirements to study pharmacy in Malaysia for international students may vary from one university to another. However, the basic entry requirements are the same for most universities.
Usually, there are two pathways to entering a degree program in Malaysia:
- First, students can join a foundation program after completing their secondary schooling, O levels, or equivalent qualifications. After completing the foundation in Science, they can continue to the bachelor’s degree as per their choice.
- Second, students who have completed their higher secondary school or A levels or equivalent will be able to join the bachelor’s degree programme directly into year one.
If a student fails to meet the entry requirements for a bachelor’s degree programme, the faculty may offer different pathways into the degree programme, for example, through a foundation or a diploma programme.
Universities may raise the entry requirements to ensure incoming students are academically prepared for the rigours of their programmes. So, prospective international students should consult with an admission advisor to determine the precise entry criteria for their chosen programme and their preferred university.
General Entry Requirements For Bachelor’s Degree
A Levels or Equivalent:
- Minimum CGPA 3.00 with/or grades BBB, ABC or AAC in 3 subjects Biology, Chemistry and Physics/ Mathematics, with minimum grade B in Chemistry
Foundation:
- Minimum CGPA 3.00 including a minimum B for Chemistry, and provided the course is not less than one (1) year. *with SPM/O-Level/equivalent with minimum 5Bs in the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Additional Mathematics and Another subject
English Language
International students who wish to study pharmacy in Malaysia will need to also provide proof of their English language proficiency with IELTS or TOEFL exams. Students who have studied the British or American curriculum are generally exempted from the English proficiency requirements since the medium of instruction for that curriculum is in English by default.
Students who have studied other curriculums where the medium of instruction is also English will usually need to provide a supporting letter from the school stating that the instruction language for their schooling has been English. With that letter, English language requirements are proven to have been completed.
Fees & Cost
Students sometimes only look at the tuition fee during the comparison. However, depending on how forthright and clear the fee guidelines from the university are, the extra fees can be a hefty amount that could be a surprise. So students are advised to correctly add all the fees and decide which university fits their budget requirements to study pharmacy in Malaysia.
Various factors will contribute to the overall cost structure, such as:
- Tuition fees
- Accommodation fees
- Admission fee
- Registration and Visa fees and
- Other one-time fees.
These fees vary from university to university and can depend on varying factors. The quality, infrastructure, facilities and teacher-to-student ratio will also determine how much a university charges.
You must find the right balance between quality and cost to get the best education possible. The average cost to study pharmacy in Malaysia is between RM 40,000 to RM60,000 per year, depending on the University.
For reference, that’s around USD $10,000 to $14,000 per year for a 4-year pharmacy degree program at the current exchange rate.
Accommodation
Accommodation cost is going to be another recurring fee for international students. Generally, students have two options: they can either stay at the on-campus accommodation provided by the university or at private accommodation. The prices will differ according to which university and area you choose.
Generally, campus accommodations at major universities start at around US$150 per month and can go up to $400 per month. The pricing for on-campus accommodation is determined by the size of the room, whether a student will be sharing the room or will be staying alone, or if the student is taking a master room which generally comes with an attached bathroom or decides to stay at a sharing room with shared bathroom.
Some universities also offer cooking facilities and on-campus accommodation, which are shared facilities which will also be factored into the accommodation costs. Utility costs are generally an add-on fee.
While choosing the university, you can check with your admissions advisor on the options available for accommodation and how much they will cost so that you have an idea of how much of a monthly budget you will require as a student.
Admission Procedure
Researching, applying and managing overseas admissions is a tedious, time-consuming and often confusing process. Incorrect application submissions can lead to lengthy processing, delayed approvals, or rejections. You can visit education, exhibitions and fairs to collect information. However, that is not enough. You can only collect cursory information at these places. However, your admission processing will usually take much longer. During that time, you will need consistent and dedicated support to ensure your application is in the right experienced hands.
This is where we help.
Edmates helps international students from around the world with complete admissions processing. Our integrated one-stop centre helps international students with everything. We help you find future-driven programs that match your abilities and interests in leading universities.
We handle the entire process from the beginning until you have joined the university. Our international support system will manage everything for you, absolutely free.
Each student is assigned with a dedicated admission advisor who will manage the complete admission process and also guide the student throughout the admissions process. The advisor will also liaise with the university admissions department to ensure clear communications and faster processing.
You can speak with your assigned advisor anytime by booking a free call online through the website. You will also receive regular updates regarding your application via emails, SMS and WhatsApp.
To learn about each step of the admission process, you can read our complete guide to start applying for your higher education the right way.