DOHA: Qatar University's undergraduate pharmacy degree programme has been officially recognised by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC), highlighting the programme's growing international reputation. The course was previously accredited by the Canadian Council of Pharmacy Programs – CCAPP (Canada) – in 2009. The move by PEBC recognises that QU's four-year BSc (Pharm) degree programme meets the stringent standards of CCAPP (Canada). In practice, this means that QU graduates will be permitted direct entry to the PEBC Pharmacist Qualifying Examination, which is typically reserved for pharmacy graduates in Canada and the USA only. The pharmacy programme at QU is the first international course to be awarded accreditation status by the CCAPP (Canada). The PEBC has also agreed to the delivery of the PEBC Pharmacist Qualifying Examination (Part 1) on a pilot basis on Qatar soil. This is expected to take place this November, allowing QU students to sit the exam in Doha rather than having to fly to Canada. This is the first time this examination will be delivered outside of North America. Dr Peter Jewesson, past-Dean of the College of Pharmacy at QU, heralded the recognition. He said: “This is a very important milestone for our new program, the university and for Qatar – Canada relations. “Under the new National Health Strategy, Qatar seeks to improve health care outcomes for its citizens by improving services and research aimed at improving the effectiveness and quality of health care. Our college plays an important role in this initiative. “Benchmarking our programme against Canadian standards through the CCAPP programme accreditation and the PEBC competency standards is an important component of our strategic planning and reflects our commitment to continuous quality improvement. It also reflects the significant value that this country places on the Canadian educational and health care systems." Dr. Shaikha Bint Jabor Al-Thani, Qatar University Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, has praised the College efforts in developing its position and continued pursuit for quality and excellence. She said: “This is a significant step forward, not only for the college and the university but for health education and health care services in Qatar. It recognizes all the hard work undertaken by the College of Pharmacy to establish itself as a centre of excellence operating according to the very best practices worldwide." The College of Pharmacy, one of seven colleges at Qatar University, was established in 2007 to help meet the country's growing demand for medication experts. It is the first and only pharmacy degree programme in Qatar. It currently offers three degree programmes – an undergraduate BSc (Pharm) degree, from which the first students graduated last year, as well as a full-time post-baccalaureate Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree with its first students expected to graduate in July (first part-time students will graduate in 2014), and a research-based Masters program (MSc), from which the first students will graduate in 2013.
