Introduction
Pharmacy is a profession that is concerned with the Art and Science of preparing and dispensing suitable medications and the provisions of drug and related information to the public.
With the increase in need for modern and extensive Pharmaceutical Services and to deliver those services more effectively, the demand, visibility and use of qualified Pharmacy Technicians is growing tremendously. The role of the pharmacist in the health care system has increased greatly including drug monitoring, patient and staff education and counseling of patients for delivering better and error-free drug therapy, therefore pharmacy technicians will be assigned to take over the technical jobs so that pharmacists can give more time for Pharmaceutical Care.
Therefore, and since the year 1985, the College of Health Sciences in the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training have designed Pharmacy Technician Diploma program, which was upgraded a couple of times, lately in 2011. Students that pass the requirement criteria will take at least two and a half a year of intensive courses including professional training practice in some medical centers and hospital pharmacies and will be qualified upon graduation to work in some therapeutic and pharmaceutical posts in the State of Kuwait.
What are the professional tasks for qualified Pharmacy Technicians?
Based on the job description of Pharmacy Services Administration in the Ministry of Health, Pharmacy Technician perform supportive duties in the field of pharmacy profession, and practice many technical activities under the direct supervision of the pharmacist in charge in the following fields:
- Understand prescriptions and prepare patient medications and hand them to the pharmacist
- Dividing and filling pharmaceutical preparations in the compounding lab and make it ready for dispensing under pharmacist supervision
- Assist in Total Parenteral Nutrition Unit, Chemotherapy Unit, and in preparing consumables and instruments and in devices sterilization
- Properly store, arrange and classify medicines, chemical agents, medical items and consumables under pharmacist supervision
- Arrange an up-to-date follow-up for medicines, chemical agents, medical items and consumables and ensure their validation and notify the pharmacist in charge
- Stock control and inventory for medicines, chemical agents, medical items and consumables under the supervision of a pharmacist
- Registration of the incoming and dispensed amounts (except for narcotics and psychotropic agents) and record keeping
- Procurement requests of medicines and medical items under the supervision of a pharmacist
- Assist in preparing wards and medical units requests of medicines and medical needs under the supervision of the pharmacist in charge
- Perform on-call duties if requested by the organizing team
- Considering the instructions and directions of the pharmacist incharge about work distribution and responsibilities and perform all duties and responsibilities requested for by the pharmacist in charge except dispensing and registering narcotics and psychotropic drugs.
Admission Requirements:
1. High School Certificate (Scientific Branch) with a passing percentage of not less than 75% for girls and boys (or based on registration regulations of PAAET).
2. All general requirements of PAAET should be applied on applicants.
Professional Classification:
Graduates that successfully finished the two and a half years course will be entitled with 'Pharmacy Technician Diploma' according to laws and regulations of pharmacy practice in the State of Kuwait.
Job Progression after Graduates:
Kuwaiti graduates will be assigned in the government positions on the fifth degree distribution of the general jobs and three allowances. However, the private sector positions are controlled by other regulations and market needs.
Duration of the Study:
Student should finish 68 units distributed on five semesters, four of them are normal 14 weeks semesters and allocated in two years period, and the fifth will include structured hospital pharmacy training (internship). Upon graduation, students will obtain 'Pharmacy Technician Diploma' with a position title 'Pharmacy Technician', which qualify them to work in many places in the Ministry of Health such as primary health care units, general and specialized hospitals, Islamic Medical Center, medical stores, drug quality control, inspection department, in addition to other governmental or private pharmaceutical areas and drug manufacturing companies.
Nature of the Study:
All students will receive well-planned program that include theoretical, practical and applied courses. All theoretical and practical courses are taken in the college lecture rooms and in the department laboratories. However, the applied courses are totally or partly completed in some health-related institutions such as drug manufacturing companies, drug quality control, Islamic medicine, central medical stores, pharmacies, etc. These site visits are essential to increase student's knowledge regarding the nature of their work and available opportunities, and increase student's communication skills and expertise required in dispensing, compounding and using up-to-date automated services.
Media of Instruction
The media of instruction is English in all pharmacy and supportive scientific courses, while Arabic language is the media of instruction in the general and elective courses.