The Department of Pharmaceutical Technology aims to equip students with the knowledge essential for the understanding of Pharmacists in carrying out their duties irrespective of the nature of work. Be they in hospitals, retail outlets, research institutions, teaching schools, health consultants or as consumers.
OBJECTIVE AND PURPOSE
- To provide a holistic education on pharmaceutical technology by incorporating relevant and up-to-date topics.
- To allow students to be laboratory savvy so that they are encouraged to conduct their own laboratory investigations in the pursuit of knowledge.
- To allow students to use as much equipment and instruments in the laboratory to provide the experience and to be scientifically oriented.
- To allow students to prepare their own formulations and be responsible for the methods employed and the products.
- To ensure that the students during the practical in the laboratories, are aware that they are governed by a certain code of conduct and regulations in the laboratories, and that in future they are also governed by similar code of conduct and regulations at the institutions that they join.
EDUCATION OF PHARMACY STUDENTS
The department emphasises a lot on first-hand experiences. In facilitating this, students enrolled in the courses offered by the department must go through substantial amount of laboratory practical. These laboratory sessions intend to expose the students at least to the following: Basic principles in physico-chemical aspects of drugs.
- Techniques in the preparation of dosage forms.
- Characterisation of stability of carriers for drugs.
- Appreciation of quality assurance and regulations.
During these practical sessions, students are encouraged to interact with the lecturers in charge of the sessiosn to maximise the benefits of the sessions. It is worthy to note that these sessions in general cover the more subtle aspects of science such as the effect of stirring on polymorphic change. Upon completion of these laboratory sessions, students are expected to be more at ease in carrying out scientific investigations and using advance instruments.
The Kulliyyah of Pharmacy is well aware of the booming pharmaceutical industries in the country. Not to mention the mushrooming of traditional medicines and the wide consumption among Malaysians that even prompted the imports of such products from around the world. However, as is well known, Malaysia is in dire need of registered Pharmacists in these pharmaceutical industries. They play many roles as is evident from the multi-tasking Pharmacists currently employed. To meet this requirement, the Kulliyyah vision herself as a niche for training undergraduates to enable them to work effectively in the more demanding environment of the pharmaceutical industries.
PHM3314 Industrial Attachment is offered to third year students who are interested in the administration, operation, running and manufacturing involved in the pharmaceutical industries. Guidelines were given so that the students may cover as many areas as possible during the attachment, including the possibility of research assignments. Out of our 43 students of the first batch, 27 had successfully completed the training for a minimum of 6 weeks at 10 pharmaceutical industries. The feedback given by both the industries and students has been very encouraging.
The department has also engaged visiting professionals from the industries to give lectures on specific subjects. This is partly a move from the department to seek collaboration with the industries for the following purposes:
- Review of the curriculum so that we are teaching our students with the most recent technology employed by the industries.
- Possible research activities to be conducted by both students and lecturers with financial support from the industries.
- Expose students to real problems faced in the industries and appreciation of how the application of knowledge received in class is essential.
- Problems with the introduction of new drugs and the methodology employed by the industries to handle cases of adverse events.