Welcome to LYN’s Pharmacy thread. This is the place for discussion, questions and recommendations. All are welcome regardless if you’re a pharmacy student, a pharmacist or neither.

Please do not expect us to know the answer to every of your question nor start a flamewar here. Comparisons between medicine, pharmacy and sciences are more than welcomed but please keep them under control.
What is Pharmacy?

Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences , and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs.

Source: Wikipedia
What does a Pharmacist do?

A pharmacist compounds and dispenses drugs to patients to ensure optimal health outcomes. A pharmacist is also responsible in counseling patients on the safe and effective use of drugs.
Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Pharmacist and a Doctor?

A doctor will diagnose(a disease) and prescribe medicine for patients. A pharmacist dispenses medicine to patients.

What is the difference between MPharm and BPharm?


What are the career options for a Pharmacist?

What is the starting pay for a fresh graduate in Malaysia?

Approximately RM 3, 000 - RM 4, 000.
How do you register as a Pharmacist in Malaysia?

Link from the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society – UK Student Chapter Blog

List of Places of Training for Provisionally Registered Pharmacist



How does an institution of education (university) gain recognition by the Pharmacy Board of Malaysia?

How do you register as a Pharmacist in UK?


MALANSIAN PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY (MPS)
MPS is the national pharmacy & pharmaceutical society in Malaysia. Check out their website to know more about the latest news relating to the pharmacy profession in Malaysia.

[for those of you overseas, it is the equivalent of PSA (Australia) and RPSGB (UK)]

Previous Topics:

1. Studying Pharmacy - share your experience
2. Pharmacy course - private colleges in Malaysia
3. BPharm in Malaysia
4. Will Pharmacists Gain Dispensing Rights in Malaysia?
5. Pharmacy Thread V1

UNIVERSITY SECTION
Recommended subjects to take at pre-u level

1. Biology is not necessary at pre-u level as a criteria to enter universities in Malaysia, but it provides a solid foundation when you enter the course later. Chemistry, however, is a must.

Should you not choose to take Biology, you should have a combination of 2 science subjects (Chem & Physics) and 1 Maths subject.

However, some unis may have their own requirement and the above may not apply.
2. Tha mathematics involved in Pharmacy is very basic calculations. A little bit of statistics is involved and very minimal calculus.



Courses offered by PUBLIC (IPTA) universities in Malaysia:



Courses offered by PRIVATE (IPTS) universities in Malaysia (fees may not be up to date)




Courses offered in UK and Europe


Courses offered in Australia (Group of 8 unis)



Courses offered in Indonesia:

LYN memberlist



New entry requirements beginning March 2013.


Clearing misconceptions on pharmacy practices — Gan Ber Zin

See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you...h.TsMjaLiT.dpuf

MARCH 20 — Kindly allow us to refer to the column “Pharmacists vs doctors: The ongoing debate” published in Malay Mail Online on March 11, 2015. We too agree with the writer that all parties should be working together towards the betterment of healthcare for the rakyat.

Nonetheless given so many letters and articles by doctors associations to the media with several misleading statements and comments, we have little choice but to respond as we need to correct the many misconceptions about the profession.

The allegation by some doctors that dispensing in government hospitals and clinics is not carried out by pharmacists reflects ignorance of the real situation. Since the 1980s, government pharmacy practices have made tremendous progress and have been providing pharmaceutical care to the rakyat. Such allegations are not doing justice to the government pharmacists who have diligently been providing the best pharmaceutical care to the rakyat.

Perhaps these doctors are confused and are referring to some of the 1 Malaysia Clinics where the assistant doctors (medical assistants) prescribe and the assistant pharmacists (dispenser) dispense. Incidentally, both qualified pharmacists and doctors advocate these 1 Malaysia Clinics to be served by qualified professionals.

In government hospitals, pharmacists screen all prescriptions taking into consideration the patient’s individual condition like their health status, lifestyle, and food habits before handing it over for packing by trained pharmacy assistants with diplomas in pharmacy. The packed medicines are then counterchecked and dispensed by another pharmacist.

All new patients are counselled at the Pharmacy Drug Counselling Room and patients who opted for the Medicine by Post programme are provided with follow-up consultation through phone calls by pharmacists.

In the ward pharmacies, medication to in-patients are now packed in the unit-of- use packs and sent to the wards ready to be served by the nurses. Special formulations like Total Parenteral Nutrition and all Cytotoxic drugs for cancer treatment are constituted by pharmacists. Doctors or nurses may ADMINISTER the medicines to the patients but there is a marked distinction between administering the medicines versus dispensing.

Administration of medicines by doctors, nurses or by the caregivers is NOT DISPENSING of medications. Similarly the DELIVERY of medications by post or courier is NOT DISPENSING medications. It is very sad to see doctors that cannot differentiate dispensing from administering or delivery.

Pharmacists have been assigned to the wards since the 1980s and these pharmacists carry out pharmacy ward rounds, check on the medication and provide bedside medication counselling to patients. Pharmacists take part in the Consultant Ward rounds where they are accepted as part and parcel of the health team which also include other healthcare professionals. It is only those doctors who quit government service to set up private practice that suddenly feel that the pharmacist’s services are no longer of use to them or to their patients!

The Drug Information Service (DIS) in the hospital is one of the busiest units within the pharmacy. The clients who are using this DIS are mostly doctors who require all sorts of information related to the use of medicines.

Over the past decades, Medication Therapy Adherence Clinics (MTAC) manned by pharmacists had been set up in most government hospitals. These MTACs operate side by side with the doctors clinics in the hospitals. At these clinics, patients who are on long term medication therapy are referred to the pharmacists manning the MTACs by doctors for the required medication counselling. The MTSCs are very much in demand as the doctors want the pharmacist’s intervention to see better compliance to medications. Better compliance to medication leads to better outcomes.

The government has the facts and figures on the number of fatal prescribing errors like wrong dosages, inappropriate or irrational, excessive prescribing, drug interactions etc. The numbers of the pharmacist’s intervention on these errors prior to dispensing are also documented. These data are collected from all outpatient and inpatient pharmacies as part and parcel of the MOH’s Quality Control Programme to ensure medication safety to patients. These data can only be collected in settings where there are dispensing separation.

Another misconception that some private practitioners would like us to believe is that ALL medicines require a doctor’s prescription and some have accused pharmacists of selling medicines without prescriptions from doctors. To set the record straight, medicines are classified into Groups B, C and others. All Group C medicines like medication for flu and cold, eye-drops, dermatological preparations and several medications for other diseases like diabetes, asthma are dispensed under Group C classification, which is the legal responsibility of pharmacists and these medicines can be dispensed without a doctor’s prescription.

Putting aside the qualification of GPs to dispense, there are two key issues which are related to the quality of the community healthcare that should be improved. Firstly most of the time, the dispensing jobs in GP clinics are not done by the doctors themselves but by unqualified personnel who are not trained in screening prescriptions and are dispensing medication without proper counselling. According to a MOH survey on the use of medicines by Malaysian consumers in 2012, 73 per cent agreed that counselling is necessary to help them in taking their medications.

Secondly, again not questioning the qualification of GPs in this case but outpatient healthcare system as a whole, there is lack of a check and balance mechanism in place to ensure the quality, safety and effective use of medicines. Dispensing should involve clinical review of medicine order. Solitaire in healthcare where the private doctors diagnose, prescribe and supply medications to patients rules out patient safety.

The age-old myth of not enough pharmacists or patient inconvenience are no longer true. There are many pharmacies within walking distance of clinics and 24-hour pharmacies will be available as soon as separation takes place on a “supply and demand” rationale. Increasingly more and more people are seeking the services of pharmacists, in both the government as well as in the community pharmacies.

Community pharmacies are the most accessible and affordable healthcare facilities to the rakyat. Any person can walk in to a pharmacy and see the pharmacist in attendance without the need for an appointment. Moreover, for all the professional services provided pharmacies do not charge or impose any consultation fee. Currently the pharmacists to population ration is 1:2250.

By 2017 we shall reach the WHO recommended norm of 1:2000 in the private sector. The data available in Health Facts 2014 also indicate that there are 6,801 registered private clinics as at December 31, 2013 and 2,800 registered community pharmacists who hold Type A licence as at December 31, 2014. Needless to say, we are not short of pharmacists to serve doctors on a 1:2.4 basis.

The accusation by doctors that pharmacists who conduct blood sugar or blood pressure screening with the home monitoring devices are acting like “doctors” again overlook the fact that many doctors all round the world are encouraging patients to monitor their own health parameters. Are those private practitioners also implying that the patients who are using these home monitoring devices to monitor their health parameters are guilty of "playing doctor"?

There is absolutely nothing wrong for pharmacists to conduct health screening using these home monitoring devices. The paramedical staff are conducting all these measurements in hospitals as part of their work to screen the patients before the patients see their doctor. The pathology lab has also not disallowed pharmacies to carry out such measurements with the home monitoring devices. Pharmacies should be encouraged to assist in the screening and detection of patients with potentially serious problems such as elevated blood sugar and blood pressure. These patients can then be referred to the doctors for management

Last but not least, some private practitioners asked why change when Malaysia has one of the best healthcare system in the world, often quoting a WHO report. The positive ranking that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has given Malaysia is due to our healthcare delivery system by the PUBLIC Sector and not the private sector. To equate this ranking to the doctor dispensing system in our country is indeed very misleading.

In any case, it has been reported that a large majority of the countries with rankings which are better than Malaysia have been practising dispensing separation for a long time. That WHO paper on Policy Perspectives on Medicines has categorically found that “prescribers who earn money from the sale of medicines prescribe more medicines and more expensive medicines, than prescribers who do not.” This report perhaps helps us to understand why so much objections have arisen from our medical practitioners against dispensing separation.

Another WHO report had stated that “Drugs cannot be viewed as ordinary commodities of commerce as they are not like most other commodities. Drugs are not chosen directly by the buyer (the patient), the buyer is not always the responsible payer, and the buyer often has no background or the necessary information to evaluate or make a choice which can have hazardous or even deadly consequences for the patient….”

In conclusion, we ask for clear thinking and open-mindedness in this consideration of dispensing separation. We trust the authorities to advocate best practices in medicines management by pharmacists to reduce medication errors and "over-prescribing" which could well lead to greater patient safety and cost saving.

* Gan Ber Zin is the former chief pharmacist of Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar, Seremban.

This post has been edited by zstan: Mar 20 2015, 08:38 PM

wow the fees at indonesia is cheaper.. is it good to study there?

what you pay is what you get

well i'll assume that it's not good to study there..and according to the website, the teaching will be conducted in bahasa indonesia at ITB..

yeap. the entry requirements over there are quite low too so that will be the quality of your course mates as well

Just found out that the tuition fees for Monash Uni is just slightly higher than IMU...

yeap. but the recognition and the resources you have access too is miles apart.

Of course. I think Monash somehow is superior than IMU due to the prestigious .

Every university has some shitty lecturers, doesn't it ? ;D
Just depends how you overcome it.

Hmmm... does 'every pharmacist need to have good memory' this statement correct?
Seen it in a uni. website and it freaked me out

The tuition fees for cucms now is rm120 000. Im a 1st year student there

Prestige is one thing, quality is another. Fortunately Monash has both for now.

Every pharmacist needs good memory AND analytical skills.

However with practise, that "memorising" will come naturally at your finger tips. So I think you need not worry.

Monash has terrible lecturers too but the good thing is that you have access to the australian lectures.

Meh, pessimist here.
My first choice is NUS actually, too bad I am taking 3 subjects only.
Even NUS told me that I ain't precluded from applying, but I know I have no hope on it

really? they told me they won't see anything less than 4 subjects when i enquired

This is even worse
after reading you blogged about 1st sem in mupharm make me scared scared @@

I hate calculations TT

This post has been edited by AP.L: Oct 16 2012, 09:42 PM

ah well, a huge compartment of a pharmacy program involves calculation. you will have to carry that knowledge until you retire if you are working as a clinical pharmacist.

Ah well, I think i really need to re-consider all of the decisions i have made ...
Math is even harder than A level ?
A level's math killed me

errr no the maths are relatively simple. just basic multiplications and stuff. its just how you apply the formulas into practice.

That make me relief ! Hehe
Any advice for those ppl who are intending to take pharm?

hmmm. try to think why did you really wanna do this course in the first place and where do you see yourself after you graduate (assuming you know what are the career options are).

oh yes i do see the future of myself working at hospital or pharmacy and talking non-stop with other people Lol

Good day, any MPHarm graduates from the UK and CURRENTLY working in the UK ?

Need some info regarding TIER 2 VISA. =)

Hi there.

A question from an a levels student really interested in doing pharmacy...

I have no interest in doing industrial work or etc., since I like the idea of using my knowledge to assist others while working with people.

But I'm more of an analytical person than a person who can memorize things really well.

So my question is: For a hospital/retail pharmacist, what do you all think about the ratio of memory work to analytical skills required?


50:50?

Also, I suck horribly at memorizing formulas for trigonometric functions and how to integrate them etc. (B/c I barely understand trigo), but I am good in grasping stuff related to biology (especially stuff like evolution and natural selection where a bigger picture is involved). Do I need trigo skills when doing pharmacy?

Thanks (sorry if some of the questions are rather stupid ): )

http://www.pharmacy.gov.my/index.cfm?&menuid=101&parentid=10

it's confirmed! fresh grads can work in private settings for their PRP now!

I am a final year pharmacy student.

What i can tell you is you'd need more memorizing skills than "trigo?" skills. No questions are stupid =).

tier 2 visas means need to have a firm job offer to qualify.....

---

Added on November 6, 2012, 8:45 amrunning out of jobs in the gov.....

possible over supply and joblessness looming?.....

This post has been edited by limeuu: Nov 6 2012, 08:45 AM

running out of PRP places maybe but certainly not lack of jobs. besides many who do this degree have no intention of working in clinical/hospital settings so its technically a good move. just not sure what kind of training you can get outside the public hospitals and how's the salary scheme like.

if 'i-care' (or whatever they want to call it) comes through, there is going to be possibly a doubling of retail pharmacists needed....

Hi, I'm a final year student in Uni of Nottingham, UK. It's true that you will need to memorise tons of things like physiology and pharmacology etc, but at the same time, you will be trained to analyse situations by considering factors like signs & symptoms, past medication history etc and decide which drug or what kind of treatment is needed for a particular patient. The latter part is what I find most interesting and challenging.
About calculation, well, you don't have to worry about integration, differentiation and those complicated A-level Math topics, basically just simple chemistry calculations which I believe you've already learnt in A-level will be involved. Of course, there're some other slightly more complicated formulations in courses/subjects like spectrometry, drug delivery etc etc, but I believe it won't be a major problem, so don't worry ya

Hope this help

haha securing a pre-reg position? what do you need to know?

i am not sure if the details of getting an employment in uk has been discussed in this thread before but i have not seen information regarding this in the first post so i will just provide some information here for those who wants to know more about securing a pre-reg/pharmacist position in uk after graduation, since that was what i wish to know from here too when i was still new in pharmacy.

to be able to work in the uk, you'll first need a job offer, then using the job offer, you'll have to apply for your working visa to allow you to continue your work in uk after your graduation. previously, foreigners could apply for the Tier 1 Post Study Work scheme which entitle them to work in UK after graduating as long as they have gotten a job offer. however, securing a pre-reg position in uk is not as easy anymore beginning from this year. the uk border agency has recently made some changes to their visa schemes and unfortunately the Tier 1 (PSW) scheme has been removed. now if you wish to work in uk, you'll have to apply for the working visa through another route ie. the Tier 2 visa.

however, there is a catch, to be qualified for the Tier 2 visa application, your job offer should have a minimum salary pay of £20,710/year, no less. at the moment, the salary schemes for community pre-reg ranges from £15k-21k/year (depends on location/workload/etc) while NHS (generally hospital) pre-reg pays above the minimum salary requirement, ie. more than £20,710/year. therefore, to fully secure a pre-reg position in uk, you should get a job offer from hospital pharmacy so you could apply for your working visa. but unlike in malaysia, hospital pharmacies in uk are more exclusive as they only accept the very best graduates and have limited positions available, so it is very competitive to even get a chance for an interview.

you could also apply for community pharmacies which offer pay above the minimum salary requirement, though not many will offer at such high salary as even giant pharmacy chain stores like boots, llyods only offer an average salary of £18-19k/year. only a small number of independent/privately-owned community pharmacies could offer above the minimum salary requirement after negotiation with the employer.

thankfully, since most of the pre-reg positions based within the community setting are offering salary less than the minimum required amount, the ukba agency has agreed for RPS (uk royal pharmaceutical society) to support foreigners graduated from uk pharmacy schools in their working visa application if their salary is below the Tier 2 minimum salary requirement. this is offered via the Tier 5 PPSS visa scheme.

however, this does not solve the problem too as the Tier 5 visa scheme is only catered for students who have enrolled into the MPharm course before 2012. the reason was because international students (eg: hong kong) enrolled into the course prior to the change in visa regulation, were expected to graduate and work in uk to be a fully qualified pharmacist first before going back to HK. the HK pharmacy board only recognises overseas qualification if they return to HK as a qualified pharmacist, not as a fresh graduate. which is why there is a leniency for RPS to support overseas students, otherwise their 4 year degree would be a waste for not being able to work in HK in the future if they could not secure a training position with the minimum salary in UK (indirectly, malaysian students benefited from this although we do not have this limitation). beginning this year, having been informed about the changes in the visa regulation, it is up to international students to prepare for the possible consequence of not being able to secure a job to be a qualified pharmacist - if they have still decided to study in the uk (ie. a waste of a four year degree for HK students).

for those who have enrolled into the course prior to the change in visa regulation, not to worry. getting a job offer from a community pharmacy is no biggie (at least for me), and if you do not mind the location, the chances of getting it is even higher. the only concern is the salary of the offer. therefore, it is entirely possible for you to have gotten a job offer but fail in the working visa application process due to the pay. but as long as you're covered by RPS, you should be fine.

more info here:
http://www.rpharms.com/preregistration-tra...cy-students.asp
and
http://www.rpharms.com/pharmacy-profession...udents/faqs.asp

i hope i did not discourage anyone from going to uk to study pharmacy just because of the slimmer chance in securing a job there after graduation. i would say the experience as a pharmacy student in uk is worthwhile too if you have the money, especially if you really do spend some time working in the pharmacy during weekends/holidays/summer of your university life. besides, the visa scheme may change in favour of graduates again in the future, who knows?

for a hospital/retail pharmacist your requirements of memorising differs in which position you are in... having said that.. as a pharmacy student you have be prepared to mug loads of information and vomit out during the exams. trigo skills is not really required but calculus is a big plus

thanks very much for the info. will put this in first page!

Thanks everyone.

I hope I'm fit for it then, memorizing bio seems to be fine for me. Chemistry calculations are so far so good I guess, but I'd prefer memorizing over calculating lol.

Yeah. Trying to hit the 20,710 annual limit to apply for a TIER 2. Thanks so much for your time and effort ! Looking at the links youve posted and the fact that RPS is sponsoring students to achieve a TIER 2 sounds really comforting.
I will have to look into that ! Thank you so much again! =)

Anyway...you shouldn't be choosing a course based on the subjects on offer.. you should really think about life after the degree and the career pathways you are interested in...

Hi guys and girls. I have a few question to ask about pharmacy :-)

1) I'm 30 yo this year. Am I too late to study for this? I'm really interested.

2) How long does it take to complete that enables me to work as one while saving money to continue studying to a higher level?

3) How much does it cost for each level?

4) Can I use this diploma/degree to work in Australia?

Thank you. :-)

This post has been edited by shoduken: Nov 19 2012, 03:40 PM

1) its never too late if you are really interested

2) if you are referring a higher level to those master degrees, it may take 3-5 years.

3) depending on which institution you are at, private will likely to cost more

4) no

sure u can!! fully support u!

As long as you have $$ , age isn't a matter.

New entry requirements beginning March 2013. added to 1st page. They are really placing emphasis on Chemistry now

Source

STPM
-CGPA 3 dan ke atas termasuk sekurang-kurangnya B dalam subjek Kimia
i) Pemohon warganegara Malaysia wajib lulus Bahasa Malaysia dan Bahasa Inggeris dengan sekurang-kurangnya mendapat gred C dalam Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) atau yang setara

ii) Wajib lulus minimum band 3 dalam Malaysian University English Test (MUET) sebelum pelajar bergraduat



A - LEVEL
3B ATAU 2A1C ATAU 1A1B1C dalam Biologi DAN Kimia DAN Fizik ATAU Matematik dengan sekurang-kurangnya B dalam subjek Kimia

(Dengan merujuk Sistem Skor Universities and Colleges Admission Service

(UCAS) yang dilaksanakan di United Kingdom bagi keputusan A-Level iaitu dengan ketetapan skor A+ = 140, A=120, B= 100 dan C=80)

* Keperluan 3B yang dicadangkan oleh LFM adalah menyamai jumlah skor 300 dengan B untuk matapelajaran Kimia

i) Pemohon warganegara Malaysia wajib lulus Bahasa Malaysia dan Bahasa Inggeris dengan sekurang-kurangnya mendapat gred C dalam Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) atau yang setara



ii) Wajib lulus minimum band 3 dalam Malaysian University English Test (MUET) sebelum pelajar bergraduat


MATRIKULASI ATAU PRA-PENGAJIAN PERUBATAN DAN FARMASI ATAU FOUNDATION DALAM SAINS

Matrikulasi ATAU Pra-Pengajian Farmasi/ Perubatan dengan GPA 3.0 ke atas dengan sekurang - kurangnya B bagi Kimia


ATAU

Foundation dalam Sains dengan GPA 3.5 ke atas dengan sekurang - kurangnya B bagi Kimia

DAN

Program perlu di jalankan dalam tempoh sekurang-kurangnya 1 tahun

i) Pemohon warganegara Malaysia wajib lulus Bahasa Malaysia dan Bahasa Inggeris dengan sekurang-kurangnya mendapat gred C dalam Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) atau yang setara

ii) Wajib lulus minimum band 3 dalam Malaysian University English Test (MUET) sebelum pelajar bergraduat

iii) Lulus Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) dengan sekurang-kurangnya 5 B dalam Biologi DAN Kimia DAN Fizik DAN Matematik (ATAU Matematik Tambahan) DAN satu subjek lain di peringkat Sijil Persekolahan atau yang setara


DIPLOMA


Diploma Sains (Kimia atau Biologi atau Fizik) CGPA 3.75 dan ke atas termasuk B dalam subjek Kimia

ATAU

Diploma Farmasi CGPA 3.5 dan ke atas


i) Pemohon warganegara Malaysia wajib lulus Bahasa Malaysia dan Bahasa Inggeris dengan sekurang-kurangnya mendapat gred C dalam Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) atau yang setara

ii) Wajib lulus minimum band 3 dalam Malaysian University English Test (MUET) sebelum pelajar bergraduat

iii) Lulus Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) dengan sekurang-kurangnya 5 B dalam Biologi DAN Kimia DAN Fizik DAN Matematik (ATAU Matematik Tambahan) DAN satu subjek lain di peringkat Sijil Persekolahan atau yang setara


IJAZAH PERTAMA DALAM SAINS

Ijazah Pertama dalam Sains CGPA 2.75 dan ke atas

(CGPA 2.75 = Gred C+)

NOTA:

Setiap pelajar perlu mematuhi syarat baru (A) dan syarat tambahan baru (B) (jika ada) seperti di atas sebelum meneruskan pengajian di peringkat ijazah farmasi.

This post has been edited by zstan: Jan 16 2013, 02:07 PM

A prelude to the revision of the minimum requirements in med, I presume.

Sign of the times; too many students and too few places available.

Will result in some consolidation of colleges and universities.

i think you meant too many under qualified students smaller and upstart universities will have problems filling in their places now but I guess most will make it up by making their foundation courses even easier to get 3.5 and above?

is taking ausmat not advisable for those who will be studying for pharmacy? i have an acquaintance who had just graduated from pharmacy by taking ausmat.. he said ausmat will make you prepare for university life such as presentation, social skills etc.. but i read somewhere in lyn suggesting that A-level would be a better idea..

both are decent for a pharmacy degree. if you take ausmat you may struggle a bit with the syllabus but you will probably excel in other departments. at the end of 1st year it doesn't really matter anymore.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...am-not-nemesis/

check out this article regarding dispensing seperation!

good read indeed.

I think it's time they seperate the roles

Is it possible to study PHarm in Japan ?

if your japanese is up to the mark why not?

thanks for the reply. btw what did you took when you're in pre-u?

I read from the pharmacy board's website and I found out that only a few universities are recognised..

i did a levels.

that guy asked whether its possible to study in japan. not whether is it possible to study and then work in malaysia.

Well I want to live in Japan/............ I know it sounds immature but yeah, I would love to become a pharmacist or a pharmacologist in Japan if POSSIBLE. But I'm still 17 and focusing on my SPM....

well then its entirely possible. but your japanese has to be really really strong. and the course over there is 6 years and you will have to sit for a major public exam at the end of it which is really hard. if you think you are gear for it then go ahead.

Just do ur pharmacy in uk or aus la. More common

Hi, i am asking on behalf of my sister.

Does Curtin University graduate recognised by MOH pharmacy Malaysia?

My sister got an offer from them. Is Curtin University better than Monash university (malaysia) for pharmacy course?
It should be better since the course is similar to monash aus, right?

She wants to go aus study and looking for uni that can do credit transfer to australia uni. She tried IMU but the entry requirement is too high. Any other options to for credit transfer. Last resort is study fully local monash university.

Yes it is recognised. The monash university in malaysia follows the syllabus from australia so the level is the same. in terms of advantage, if your sister successfully graduates from curtin she might be able to stay back at work in australia.

there's no credit transfer for a pharmacy program. although the entry requirements in monash sunway may not seem that high but the syllabus is no joke. if you are not academically well prepared you might just fail the course.

ABB in A level and ATAR 90 not considered that high......these results will get you into any pharmacy schools in UK/Aus.

it was AAB last time but times are bad. there's an interview now though. how sure are you that ABB can get into any pharmacy school? i'm quite sure that LSP and King's won't look at anything less than 3As.

Anyone of you need pharmacology text book, I have Rang and Dales Pharmacology 6th Edition for sale at RM40 only. Please visit:
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=2692000&hl=

Hi, I am a Pharmacist qualifed for some years and looking to get into ownership. I am guessing that someone here knows the answer to my questions:

Can anyone with some experience tell me what the average turnover and NET profit for an owner-operated Pharmacy in KL / Malaysia is these days (ie you are the owner and single pharmacist working)?

Also how much cash does one need to start a Pharmacy from scratch (ie stock + shop-fit)?

Cheers,
Alex

Hello, anyone applying to Nottingham in UK for 2013 intake?

I received an email from them asking me to go for an interview in their teaching centre in KL, so I was wondering if it was normal, because I never knew they conducted interviews for international students.

Much help appreciated here, thank you!

maybe you can post your questions here https://www.facebook.com/mpsypc?fref=ts

however in my limited knowledge, the net profit nowadays is getting less due to heavy competition from the big chains and discrimination from pharma companies in terms of stock price to private pharmacies compared to GPs. you can still make a decent profit but definitely won't be mega rich.

starting a shop may cost 50-100k depending on location, renovation fees, stock fees etc.

Thanks for your reply Zstan. Seems to be very cheap to setup a Pharmacy including stock....doesn't seem right? I have heard of figures ranging from RM15k to 30k thrown around or approx. 10% net.

again, that depends on where your location is. in any urban township that you look around now there's bound to have one pharmacy set up, be it a chain or an individual pharmacy. setting up may seem easy & relatively cheap (though i don't think 50k is cheap to me ) but maintaining it may be a challenge.

I get 3b(che,bio and math) in my a-level result.
I get C+ for bio in spm.
taylor and ucsi reject me just because my bio get c+ in spm. they say is set by pharmacy board so no excuse.
But finally imu is accept me and send me offer letter for bpharm.
Did I able to register as pharmacist after finish the degree of pharmacy but get bio c+ in spm?
I already call imu but imu answer is I am eligible to study pharmacy course but register for pharmacist is depend on government.

Is that mean a-level no need 5b in spm?

still need. can calll the pharmacy board to double confirm.

just now I call for pharmacy board 603-7841 3200
the worker tell me that a-level is no need 5Bs in spm and once finish a degree of pharmacy that recognised by Malaysia then sure can register as pharmacist.
But still many forum user pm me and say sure need the 5Bs in spm
Don't know who is the true one?
If anyone know something please reply me or pm me
I am very worry about this issue,please help

well if the pharmacy board says so you are safe i guess. good luck.

To set up a proper pharmacy in KL, we are looking at RM200k and above. That means your pharmacy is adequately stocked with the right med and products. Profit margin can be as low as 5% due to stiff competition. Be prepared!

To all those who are taking MPharm/BPharm, can you please tell me how your class schedule is like at your uni?
I heard that in Segi, the lectures are from 9 to 5pm from Mon to Fri. Is that true?
I just want to find out because I can't concentrate for long hours and I want to be prepared.
Or is the pharmacy course that intensive in general?

i dont't think any pharmacist with a right mind would dare to start up a new pharmacy in KL

well for monash the maximum amount of lectures per day is 4 hours... if you have labs its other 3 hours extra... but usually quite manageable..

http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/minis...-scope-1.224323

I don't think this is a good idea

it's a good thing actually. those who don't plan to serve at hospitals don't have to force themselves to go to work everyday. the pharmaceutical industry is also in need of pharmacy fresh grads.

Hello all ! I am Erwin. I'm a qualified Pharmacist working in Western Australia. Graduated from Curtin University in December 2011. Usually not very active in Education threads but suddenly came across this thread. Awesome stuff here.

I would be glad to help/answer any questions regarding Pharmacy in Australia. But I still love Malaysia, the best place to live =)

I'm a Curtin Pharmacy graduate. It is recognised by MOH Malaysia. If you have any questions regarding Curtin Pharmacy. Do not hesitate to ask me =D

welcome aboard. good to have more qualified people here replying

Hello you handsome/beautiful people!

I'm extremely new here but anyway... I graduated from Monash Parkville with my degree in pharmacy 2 years ago. I completed a research honours degree in pharmaceutical science last year and will be doing a PhD this year relating to cardiovascular pharmacology - also with Monash Parkville.

Happy to help answer science/pharmacy related questions (if I can) and also to convince undergraduates contemplating postgraduate research .

@Farmer_C

what is the landscape of community pharmacy currently in the eastern states (including full time position as a pharmacist)?

warehouse pharmacies are driving independents out of business - affecting the margins. it is happening everywhere but would you say that the competition is worse in the eastern states?

what is the starting pay over in eastern states assuming you managed to secure a full-time position as a pharmacist (newly grad)?

Hi,

It is true that Chemist Warehouses are dominating in the eastern states, especially in Melbourne, and that independent pharmacies and even some chains are struggling. I believe this problem is much worse in the eastern states compared to say Western Australia. Note that Chemist warehouse has a gross revenue of over a billion dollars. Academics, hospital pharmacists and other community pharmacists despise Chemist Warehouse and are blaming them for ruining and shaming the profession by over-commercialising it and making the pharmacy profession 'cheap' and 'classless'. I have to admit that I once worked in a Chemist Warehouse as a student but I don't agree with the way they run things.

These days it is much harder to find a position as an intern or a pharmacist in Melbourne. Pharmacies often have an excess of resumes from pharmacists to choose from. This is probably due in part to the massive number of pharmacy graduates being pumped out in Victoria every year.

Generally, the starting pay for pharmacists have declined but it still very much depends on how nice your employer is to you (ranging from low/mid $2x to low $3x/hr). I am not a pharmacist as I chose to pursue further study but this I heard from friends who are now registered pharmacists. Yes, you can probably tell that I'm one of the few rare ones in my class to have gone into postgraduate research .

Welcome to LYN!! interesting PhD topic. So i guess you must be pretty in strong in pharmacology eh?