BS in Pharmacy in the Philippines

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Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy is a four-year college degree designed for people who want to have a career in the various fields of the pharmaceutical industry. The program focuses on the identification, discovery, isolation, synthesis, and formulation of biologically active compounds for clinical use. Students are also able to have a wider understanding of the different factors affecting drug behavior in the body.

Recommended Senior High School Strand

Students who want to pursue a degree in Pharmacy are encouraged to take the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand under the Academic Track. The strand provides the basics of applied mathematics and sciences that will be useful in their college life.

Subjects and Curriculum

Human Anatomy and Physiology
Drug Delivery Systems
Drug Testing and Analysis
Dispensing and Medication Analysis
Clinical Toxicology
Pharmacology-Therapeutics
Pharmacognosy and Plant Chemistry
Pharmaceutical Calculation
Pharmaceutical Biochemistry

Admission Requirements

Qualifications

The student must be a high school graduate.

However, if they were not able to graduate high school, they may opt to take the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and pass the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) to qualify for college; the availability of courses for PEPT passers depend on the university.

The students must pass the College Admissions Test of the university.

Basic Requirements

Form 138 - High School Report Card (Original and Photocopy)
Recommendation letter from High school principal and guidance counselor
Most recent medical and dental health record
Copy of NSO Certified birth certificate
Certificate of Good moral character
Copy of honorable dismissal
Copy of high school diploma
(1) Latest 2”x2” ID Picture

Program Outcome

Graduates of BS in Pharmacy are expected to be able to:

Define terminologies related to pharmacokinetics
Present raw data and derive pharmacokinetic models and parameters that explain the pharmacokinetic behavior of drugs in the body
Understand how the changes in the physiologic state and disease states affect one’s drug behavior
Apply biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics knowledge in the design of rational drug therapy and monitoring

On-The-Job Training/Internship

During the fourth year of the program, students are required to attend an On the Job Training (OJT) in the various field of pharmacy; drugstores for retail, hospitals for clinical, and for pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing. Students are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in an actual work setting. Usually, universities require them to submit a written report on their tasks, learning experiences, and hours rendered. Their work performance will also be evaluated by their immediate managers and will be submitted to their respective OJT coordinator. The number of hours required may differ in each university.

Board Exam

To become a Registered Pharmacist in the Philippines, a graduate of BS in Pharmacy needs to pass the Pharmacist Licensure Examination. The examination is conducted by the Board of Pharmacy under the supervision of the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).

Career Opportunities

Graduates of BS in Pharmacy may pursue a career path in higher education institutions, community drug stores, hospitals, government agencies, research establishments, public health and in the pharmaceutical industry. They may apply as a pharmaceutical sales representative, community pharmacist, hospital pharmacist, regulatory affairs officer, process development pharmacist, clinical research associate, and a medical research scientist.

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Reviews of BS in Pharmacy graduates:

W. C.

◈ Studied B.S. Pharmacy
◈ At University of the Philippines Manila
◈ Graduated 2009

About my college education: If you like chemistry mixed with health science, then this is the course for you.
It is interesting because you get to synthesize all sorts of drugs and chemicals! You spend a lot of time in the lab mixing chemicals and looking at what visible reactions occur, test different substances to analyze their purity and content, and even formulate pharmaceutical products such as suspensions, elixirs, creams, etc. In this aspect, you get to unleash your inner child who dreamed of being like scientists you see on TV whenever you do experiments.

Apart from the chemistry part of the course, there is also the health sciences, where you learn about diseases and the different drugs used to treat them. This is where memorization comes into play, because there are a lot of drugs out there! Not often do you get to have the education of a chemical engineer and that of a doctor (when it comes to drugs) , but pharmacy is the perfect blend of these two fields.

Pharmacy forms the transition from the lab (where the drug is made) all the way towards the clinics (where the final intended use of the drug is given to the patient) . Thus it is both enjoyable and challenging.

However, all these cool things about the course do come with a price. Compared to others, pharmacy is a difficult course in general. There's a lot of chemistry and analysis, hard work, dedication, math, and memorization as well.
For my alma mater specifically, the pharmaceutical chemistry subjects are notorious in failing a lot of students. The attrition rate (percentage of students being irregular/delayed bec of failing 1 or more subjects) is quite high. I am not exaggerating, so before choosing UP college of pharmacy as your education, consider it very carefully. Many people had difficulty in the early math subjects, many of the chemistry subjects, and some of the clinical subjects. Failing just one major seasonal subject (offered only once a year) , will get you delayed for 1 year.
This isn't to scare or discourage you from taking this course, but to give you a realistic view.

Nevertheless, after all the struggles and difficulties faced in UP college of pharmacy- if you persevered despite all setbacks and trials- you will come out as an excellent graduate with a high competitive advantage over pharmacy graduates of other college graduates. We've continually had a 100% passing rate in the board exam, with many topnotchers as well. Also, many pharmaceutical companies you apply to would put you in the top of their list because you are a graduate of UP. This is speaking from experience.

My current job: Regulatory associate in a pharmaceutical company

Am I using what I learned in college: Definitely! As I mentioned, the environment fosters resourcefulness, to think outside the box (to be an independent thinker) . This is very much needed in the working world, as there are no simple answers to the problems you face in your profession. The education is definitely being applied in terms of drug manufacture and drug information. But I believe the values and skills you learned from the college have a more important contribution. As the course is very difficult in our school, graduating from it will give you perseverance and confidence to face whatever obstacles at work, because you know you already endured "hell" from school and survived.

How long did it take to find a job: After the board exam, I got a job 2-3 months after the results.

Do I recommend studying Pharmacy: Contrary to popular beliefs, pharmacists aren't just sales people behind counters in drug stores. There are many career opportunities - you can work in the lab, company, or hospital. The growth and number of jobs are increasing around the world, not to mention with high compensation such as in the US or Canada.

Pharmacists are enjoying lucrative careers within our country and abroad. There is no shortage of job opportunities, as they are very much in demand. You also get to have a wide variety of career options-being able to apply in manufacturing plants and labs just like a chemist or chemical engineer, but also being able to apply in hospitals in the healthcare profession, and also work in companies such as in sales and regulations.

The salary is high when you work in companies locally, but the salary in drug stores and hospitals locally aren't that high. Abroad is a different story - it is one of the high-paying jobs, comparable to nursing.

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