The Special Degree program in Pharmacy is a 4 year course, conducted jointly by the Department of Chemistry of the Faculty of Science and the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy of the Faculty of Medicine leading to award of B.Sc. (Pharmacy) as a Special Degree, awarded by the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo. Following graduation, the candidates are eligible to obtain registration at the Sri Lanka Medical Council as Pharmacists. A further 6 month course of non paid internship training to be followed at various relevant institutions is arranged for them. The Department of Chemistry take the responsibility of training students in the first two years and the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy trains them in the latter two years along with Department of Chemistry. Collaboration between the two Departments is helpful in conducting of the course.
The need for pharmaceutical expertise is founded upon the similar needs universally. Pharmacists are uniquely qualified because they possess a wide range of knowledge and skills and are able to function in various roles as described in “The role of the pharmacist in the health care system” – WHO Geneva, 1990, which has been incorporated into the objectives of the B.Sc. Pharmacy special course.
A graduate having completed this course would be able to,
- Apply the principles of quality assurance and quality control to medicines
- Appreciate the intricacies of the distribution chain and the principles of efficient stock-keeping and stock turnover
- Be familiar with the pricing structures applied to medicinal products that are available in the market in which they work
- Be the custodians of much technical information on the products available on the domestic market
- Provide informed advice to patients with minor illnesses and often to those with more chronic conditions who are on established maintenance therapy
- Provide an interface between the duties of prescribing and selling medicines and, in doing so; dispose any perceived or potential conflicts of interest between these two functions.
- Carry out research in the field of pharmacy and disseminate new knowledge for the benefit of society
- Discover and develop new chemical entities which can be used as drugs
- Manufacture pharmaceutical dosage forms and bulk drugs
With these objectives the B Sc. Pharmacy course aims to produce professional graduates with expertise in rational use of health care products and services and innovative and creative capacity to serve the community in the above roles of the pharmacist.
The activities carried out by the department of Pharmacology include,
- Teaching activities in the aspects of Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Pharmacy law and ethics, Pharmaceutics etc.
- Conducting practical sessions on pharmaceutical manufacturing and dispensing
- Coordinating community pharmacy attachment and hospital pharmacy attachment
- Coordinating six months of internship for students
4 years.