Pharmacy

About
Pharmacy is a health profession that marries health sciences, the study of the human body, the practise of medicine and the field of chemistry together to ensure the safe manufacturing and usage of drugs for the treatment of diseases. If you enjoy the study of chemistry and love working in an environment which involves interaction with people, this profession is for you.

Registered Pharmacist
Pharmacy is a profession that is regulated strictly by the Pharmacy Board of Malaysia. To be registered with the Board, one must possess a degree from a recognised university or institution of higher learning. A list of universities is available at the Malaysian Board of Pharmacists

Route to become a registered pharmacist

i.

Recognised degree One must first possess a recognised degree which comprises of a four year course from a recognised institution of higher learning. Compulsory government service Effective September 2011, in order to qualify to become a registered pharmacist, a student pharmacist is required to complete a one year internship and one year of service in the government. During the final year, a student pharmacist will apply to the Public Service Commission (Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam(SPA)). He will attend an interview with the SPA. If successful, he will be placed at either at a hospital under the Ministry of Health or a teaching hospital under the Ministry of Education to undergo his internship. During internship, the pharmacist will undergo a rotation programme where he will be attached to different departments in a hospital to expose him to different areas of practice. After completing a year of internship, the pharmacist continues on to complete a year of government service based on a posting order issued by the Ministry of Health. A posting order places a pharmacist in a hospital run by the Ministry of Health and may be located anywhere in Malaysia. While in government service, he will be placed in only one department depending on his posting order.

ii.

iii.

Pharmacy Forensic/ Jurisprudence Examination A pharmacist must then pass a Pharmacy Forensic/ Jurisprudence Examination which is a course that sets out the provisions of law governing the profession. Such statutes include the Dangerous Drugs Act and the Regulation of Pharmacists Act. This examination must be taken by: a. b. c. provisionally registered pharmacists who are undergoing training; pharmacists who are registered in a recognized country who intend to get registered in Malaysia and; foreign registered pharmacists who intend to apply the Temporary Registration.

Job prospects
A pharmacists scope of work includes identifying and solving drug related issues, dealing with prescriptions of inpatients and out-patients, or enforcing a ban under the enforcement division with one aim i.e. to ensure that a drug is not misused and to oversee the administration or usage of a drug. The job opportunities available to a registered pharmacist are endless and include the academics i.e. lecturing at an institution of higher learning, to become an entrepreneur by venturing into business and registering a company under the Registrar of Companies and acquiring a licence to sell drugs regulated under the Regulations of Pharmacists Act, to join the sales and marketing team of international pharmaceutical companies and earn commission based wages, acquire an import and export licence and start a business venture related to the import and export of drugs regulated by the Dangerous Drugs Act and other regulations enacted thereunder, be attached to any retail chain pharmacy in Malaysia, join a clinical research centre as a researcher, employed by pharmacies, clinical research centres, researcher, or join any industry related to chemistry for e.g. oleo-chemicals, food, biotechnology, cosmetics and toiletries or continue with government service either under the Ministry of Health or other government agencies such as the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau, the Chemistry Department or the Forensic Science Unit.

Further Education
One can always pursue masters in any field of study related to chemistry and the study of virus and bacteria and the interaction of drugs with these organisms such as pharmacology, take on a diploma in Postgraduate (PG) Diploma in General Pharmacy Practice, or a masters degree in any area of health science for example paediatrics, oncology, immunology, obstetrics and gynaecology or emergency medicine and treatment.

Specialisations

Specialisations in pharmacy require a pharmacist to acquire work experience and clinical experience at a local government hospital in the different faculties of medicine. The choice of specialization really depends on the faculties available at the hospital a pharmacist is attached to. Specialisations that may be available include cardiovascular which deals with heart problems, infectious diseases include methods of dealing with epidemics, pandemics and endemics, oncology which relates to the study and control of cancer curing drugs, pharmacotherapy, nuclear medicine, nutrition, and psychiatry which involves drugs which affect a patients hypothalamus and encourages secretion of chemical hormones to balance the brainwaves.

Salary Scale
Basic wages start from RM4000, which consists of nett wages and allowances such as critical allowances and cost of living allowances. In the government service, promotion is automatic and is based on the years of service. A promotion from rank 41 to 44 requires 3 years of service before a promotion is due, for rank 44 to 48 a total of 4 years of service is required, for rank 48-52 a total of 4years is required and for rank 52-54 a total of 3 years service will ensure a promotion.

Bitter pill for pharmacy grads

By REGINA LEE regina@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: It is not just nurses who are finding it hard to get job placement in public hospitals pharmacy graduates are also in a similar quandary. However, unlike the job shortage for nurses, which was blamed on oversupply and not meeting market demands, pharmacy graduates believe that their applications for placement were unsuccessful due to issues connected with the New Public Service Remuneration Scheme (SBPA). Pharmacy graduates have to serve a mandatory training placement at public hospitals before they can obtain a practising licence. The Health Ministry's previous requirement was a one-year training and three-year attachment stint in public hospitals. Last October, the three-year attachment condition was slashed to one. Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah said the SBPA should not have any effect on the intake of pharmacy graduates for training purposes. This cannot be happening. They shouldn't be treated like that and I sympathise with their plight, he said, adding that he would raise the matter with ministry officials. Health Director-General Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman pledged to resolve the problem by Feb 24. Pharmacists, doctors and dentists must do compulsory government service.

The problem (of not getting placements) has nothing to do with the allocation of places in public hospitals or the salary scheme, he said, adding that he would meet the PSD today to discuss the issue. Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society president Datuk Nancy Ho said there were about 8,900 registered pharmacists in the country, with a pharmacy-patient ratio of 1:3,200. This is still far from the World Health Organisation's recommendation of one pharmacist for every 2,000 people,'' she said, adding that almost 1,000 pharmacy graduates were being churned out each year. PETALING JAYA: After six years of studying, Sara had been eager to fulfil her life-long dream of becoming a pharmacist. But that dream remains distant she has been unemployed over the past eight months. She is among possibly hundreds of other pharmacy graduates in the same boat. A graduate of Indonesias Universitas Gadjah Mada, Sara (not her real name) said her 11 coursemates had also applied for their one-year public hospital training stint last August.

In a quandary: Many pharmacy graduates have applied for a training stint in public hospitals but have yet to get placement.

We were told by our seniors that it would only take about a month to get a placement in a public hospital. I was called for an interview at the end of August and I am still waiting for news, she told The Star. Each time she called the Public Service Department (PSD), she was told that the delay was due to the review of the New Public Service Remuneration Scheme (SBPA). While waiting, I worked at a private pharmacy to gain some experience. But I resigned after just one month when told that the offer letter would be issued anytime, she lamented.

John, another pharmacy graduate, said he had been trying to get a placement for his one-year training after graduating from Glasgows University of Strathclyde last July. Like Sara, he applied for his training in August and thought that he would land a placement in a public hospital by November. Most companies would want their part-timers to commit for at least two months. If I had known that I would be unemployed for more than six months, I would have definitely found a job, he said, adding that up to 40 graduates from his batch had also not got placements. When we studied to become pharmacists, people were always saying that there was a shortage in the field. But it has been crazy just waiting for a placement, he added.

Foundation (Asasi) in IPTA

Introduction Asasi is a foundation course that is offered by the government. It is a specific foundation course because it's designed to fit the curriculum of that particular universitys degree course. There are two types of Asasi programmes which are Program Satu Tahun (PST) and Program Dua Tahun (PDT). The types of Asasi programmes available are undang-undang, sains, perakaunan, kejuruteraan, and TESL. The courses are available at UM, UIAM, UiTM, UPM, USIM, UPNM, USM and UNIMAS. The major difference between Asasi and Matrikulasi is that Asasi is mostly offered to Bumiputeras and Asasi is specific to the degree course offered by a particular college. Only five Asasi courses are offered to non-Bumiputeras; Asasi Sains Pertanian at UPM and all four courses at UPNM. Eligibility Asasi is catered mostly for Bumiputera students. Students who intend to study Asasi should have completed their SPM with a minimum of 5 credits including a credit in Bahasa Malaysia. Interested and eligible students can start their application for Asasi sometime in January. The advertisement for Asasi application is usually online and in the local Malay newspapers in December. This whole process can be done online by obtaining a special pin number from Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN). Cost The tuition fees are subsidised by the government. In addition, students will be given an allowance of RM1, 250 per semester. RM350 per semester for tuition fees and RM360 per semester for accommodation are also awarded. Students stay in hostels that are provided by the universities. Recognition Students who perform very well in Asasi are more often than not confirmed a seat in IPTA. Students have to apply for IPTA through Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU). Usually students will get to complete their degree in the same universities that offered them Asasi. Duration

Asasi is usually stretched across one year (two semesters) but can take two years with a total of 38 credit hours. Governing Body Asasi is governed and managed by specific universities. Only candidates who are doing Asasi at Universiti Malaya and UiTM would have to apply for local universities through BPKP or USM. Other than these, students will be admitted to a degree course in the universities they are currently doing Asasi at. Unit Pusat Universiti manages the applications for the Asasi programme. The respective universities that offer the Asasi programme come up with their syllabus and govern the examinations. Hard Facts

Asasi being a one year course specific foundation allows students to enter the working world between the ages of 21-22 years. Students will have to pay back the entire amount of financial assistance if they do not successfully complete the course. Only Asasi students from UM and certain courses in UiTM are allowed to switch universities. The rest of the universities do not permit them to switch.

Government Matriculation
Introduction There are two matriculation options: Program Satu Tahun (PST) and Program Dua Tahun (PDT). Matrikulasi is a fairly easy course. It is much easier compared to STPM. The only difference between PST and PDT is that in PDT, the subjects are stretched across 2 years whereas in PST, the subjects are taught within one year. This is to enable the slightly weaker students to be able to complete their course. All Math, Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Informatics Science subjects are taught in the English language. Starting from the 2011/2012 intake, the Matriculation program has been changed. However, only the Science stream is affected. The Accounting and Technical streams remain using the same program structure as before. The new program Matrikulasi is as follows: Program Matrikulasi Satu Tahun (PST): PST will run for two semesters involving the Science stream, Accounting stream and Technical stream for bumiputera and non-bumiputera students. Program Matrikulasi Dua Tahun (PDT): PDT will run for four semesters involving the Science stream for bumiputera students. Science stream The new Matrikulasi will provide opportunities to students from Science backgrounds to choose three modules offered for the next intake. The changes are made where Life Sciences and Physical Sciences are no longer offered but replaced by Modul I, Modul II and Modul III. Core subjects offered for each module in the Science stream are as follows:

Module I - Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. Module II - Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science and Mathematics. Module III - Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science and Mathematics.

Both the Science streams in PST and PDT offer all three modules. If you wish to take Medicine in your undergraduate study in IPTA, you have to take either Module I or Module III because the entry requirements for IPTA are minimum of A- in Biology, Chemistry and Physics/Mathematics.

Accounting stream The Accounting stream is only offered in PST. The core subjects offered are Mathematics, Accounting, Economics and Management.

Technical stream Technical stream is reserved for students from technical schools or students from day schools, but has a background of engineering technology subjects. This is only offered in PST. The core subjects offered are Mathematics, Chemical Engineering, Engineering Physics and School of Civil Engineering / Mechanical / Electrical & Electronics. Compulsory subjects for all students are English, Kemahiran Dinamika and Pendidikan Islam / Pendidikan Moral. All Matrikulasi students are also required to participate in at least one co-curricular activity; Sukan dan Permainan, Kelab dan Persatuan or Pasukan Beruniform.

Structure The following are the subjects available: / = Ditawarkan (Offered) = Tidak ditawarkan (Not offered) PST Mata Pelajaran Hayat Matematik Kimia Fizik Biologi Fizik dan Kimia Kejuruteraan Asas Kejuruteraan Pengajian Kejuruteraan Awam Pengajian Kejuruteraan Mekanikal Pengajian Kejuruteraan Elektronik dan Elektrik Perakaunan Ekonomi Pengurusan Perniagaan Bahasa Inggeris Teknologi / / / Sains Fizikal / / / Teknikal / / / / Perakaunan / PDT Modul I / / / / Modul II / / /

/ /

/ /

/ / /

/ / / / /

Maklumat Sains Komputer Pendidikan Islam/Moral Kemahiran Dinamika KoKurikulum / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Eligibility

90% of Matrikulasi is allocated to bumiputera students, and 10% to non-bumiputera. PDT is only offered to bumiputera students. Students who intend to study Matrikulasi should have completed their SPM examinations with the following results:

Science stream At least a credit in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Additional Mathematics and Chemistry, and one more credit in Physics, Biology or technical subjects.

Accounting stream At least a credit in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mathematics and Accounting, and one more credit in Economics, Science, Commerce, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, or any technical subjects.

In order to apply for Matrikulasi online, students have to obtain a pin number from Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) for RM6 or an application through your school with a payment of RM10 to BSN for manual application. The full application process can be viewed here. Cost The tuition fees for this course is subsidised by the government, thus it is free. However, students do have to pay a registration fee. Registration fees for the one-year programme are RM220 for the science stream and RM212 for the accounting stream. For the two year programme, registration for the first year is RM160. All Matrikulasi students will receive an allowance of RM1, 250 per semester. Recognition Students who undergo Matrikulasi are accepted into IPTAs. The selection process for Institute Pengajian Tinggi Awam(IPTA) acceptance is the same as students who undergo STPM. Matrikulasi is recognised by foreign universities albeit limited. The following foreign universities recognise Matrikulasi:

United Kingdom I. University of Birmingham II. University of Nottingham III. University of Surrey IV. Kings College London V. University of Manchester VI. University of Southampton VII. University of York Australia / New Zealand I. University of Sydney II. University of New South Wales III. University of Auckland

IV. University of Wellington Indonesia I. Universitas Sumatera Utara II. Universitas Andalas III. Universitas Airlanga IV. Universitas Gadjah Mada

Duration There are 2 different intakes with different durations. The first intake is a 1 year programme that starts in April, whereas the second intake is a 2 year programme that begins in May. The matriculation department in the Ministry of Education will determine which intake you belong in. Governing Body Matrikulasi is governed by Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia (KPM). The following is a list of KPM and Mara institutes that offer Matrikulasi:

Kolej Matrikulasi Melaka Kolej Matrikulasi Labuan Kolej Matrikulasi Negeri Sembilan Kolej Matrikulasi Pulau Pinang Kolej Matrikulasi Perlis Kolej Matrikulasi Johor Kolej Matrikulasi Perak Kolej Matrikulasi Kedah Kolej Matrikulasi Pahang Kolej Matrikulasi Selangor Kolej Matrikulasi Teknikal Kedah Kolej Matrikulasi Teknikal Pahang Kolej Matrikulasi Teknikal Johor Kolej Mara Kuala Nerang (only for Accounting stream) Kolej Mara Kulim (only for Science stream)

Students are allowed to state their top 8 course preferences during their application but the end result will be determined by the ministry. Hard Facts

Matrikulasi is the best option to enrol in IPTA because it is easier and costs nothing. Students must bear in mind that there is a high competition in order to enrol into critical courses.