BS in Pharmacy in the Philippines

 

 

 The Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy is a four-year college degree intended for people who wants to have a career in the various fields of the pharmaceutical industry. The study of pharmacy focuses on the identification, discovery, isolation, synthesis, and formulation of biologically active compounds for clinical use.

The BS Pharmacy curriculum comprises of 72-units of CHED-mandated general education courses, 30-units essential core subjects, and 90-units professional pharmacy courses presented thru lectures and laboratory classes. The program requires Thesis and Research Project in addition to the Practicum in the three major pharmaceutical areas of internship, namely the community, hospital and manufacturing.

Graduates of BS in Pharmacy are provided with a broad spectrum of training that may lead to employment in a wide range of scientific fields, principally in higher education institutions, community drug stores, hospitals, government agencies, research establishments, public health and in the pharmaceutical industry. They may also choose to continue with Medical education.

Is Pharmacy a profession?

Pharmacy is a profession.

A graduate of BS in Pharmacy who passed the Pharmacist Licensure Examination is called a Pharmacist. Pharmacists are trained healthcare professionals who perform various roles in the healthcare industry. They are competent in managing drug stores; in identifying, developing, manufacturing and dispensing of drugs; and in providing pharmaceutical care as well as counseling clients in the proper use of both prescribed and patient chosen medications.

What are the admission requirements for BS Pharmacy?

Requirements at each school may differ, but these are the common requirements:

• Must be a high school graduate.

What skills will help you succeed in this course?

• Ability to carry out basic mathematical and statistical computations
• Critical, analytical and problem solving skills
• Adequate technical writing skills
• Being able to make observations and distinguish small differences between samples and events
• Objective viewpoint for discerning information and analyzing biases of other people
• Ability to perform various laboratory tasks independently or as part of a team
• Effective oral communication abilities

How difficult is this course?

Generally, Pharmacy is a difficult college course. There are a lot of chemistry and pharmaceutical subjects that necessitate hard work, comprehension and memorization. Laboratory discussions and thesis defense require patience, dedication and proficiency in communication. Learning about doses and several clinical procedures involve problem solving and mathematical competencies.

How long does it take to complete BS in Pharmacy in the Philippines?

The BS in Pharmacy program takes 4 years to complete. Some schools who apply the trimesteral system complete the program in shorter time.

On the Job training / Internship

CHED mandated a practicum or on-the-job training (OJT) for BS Pharmacy students as a requirement for graduation (see source - section 10). Students will undergo a total of 960 hours of hands-on training to provide them with actual experience in the various fields of pharmacy. 200 hours will be spent for each area of pharmacy, namely the retail (drugstore), clinical (hospital), and manufacturing (pharmaceutical company). The final 360 hours will be allocated to a major internship. This will help the students decide the particular specialization they will pursue and provide them the necessary competencies and skills.

Specializations of BS in Pharmacy:

• Clinical Pharmacy – focuses with the clinical or hospital aspects of pharmacology, such as giving patient accurate drug information and advising physicians in possible pharmaceutical treatments in specialized areas of practice such as psychiatry, ambulatory care, cardiology, pediatrics, critical care, neurology, etc.
• Community / Retail Pharmacy – deals with concepts, theories, and principles of marketing pharmaceutical products and entrepreneurship of pharmacy business. Aside from health care administration, the course includes pharmaceutical management, business planning, feasibility studies as well as product information, price, promotion and distribution.
• Manufacturing Pharmacy – concentrates on the study of principles, methods and technology involved in the research, development and production of various pharmaceutical products, including the requirements for packaging, equipments and manufacturing facilities.

Career opportunities for BS Pharmacy graduates

• Jobs for licensed Pharmacists (board exam passers)

  • Entry Level jobs
    Jobs requiring no prior to minimal level of experience:
    • Pharmaceutical Sales Representative (Med Rep) – are sales people employed by pharmaceutical companies to persuade doctors to prescribe their drugs to patients.
    • Community Pharmacist – works to ensure the correct and safe supply of medical products to the general public while abiding by legal and ethical guidelines; involved in maintaining and improving people's health by providing advice and information and supplying prescription medicines.
    • Hospital Pharmacist – works in a hospital pharmacy service primarily within the public sector; uses specialist knowledge to dispense drugs and advice patients about the medicines they have been prescribed; works collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to devise the most appropriate drug treatment for patients.
    • Regulatory Affairs Officer – ensures the appropriate licensing, marketing and legal compliance of pharmaceutical and medical products such as medicines, chemicals, pesticides, therapeutic devices and other products.
  • Mid-Level Positions
    Require trainings and prior job experience of a few years:
    • Pharmacy Manager – responsible for daily operational functions of the Pharmacy, training and scheduling staff, ensuring compliance with expectations; and developing and monitoring quality improvement processes
    • Process Development Pharmacist – responsible for identifying and developing new procedures for drug and medicine manufacture, as well as implementing process controls to ensure that quality products are manufactured in a reproducible manner.
    • Clinical Research Associate – employed by pharmaceutical companies to run clinical trials to test new or existing drugs for their effectiveness, risks, benefits, and to ensure they are safe to allowed on to the market.
    • Medical Research Scientist – work to develop new, or improve existing drugs, treatments or other medically related products to increase scientific knowledge on topics related to medicine through the use of experiments.
    • Pharmacologist – investigates how drugs and chemicals interact with biological systems; aims to understand how drugs work so they can be used effectively and safely; carries out research to aid drug discovery and development.
  • Advanced Positions
    Require years of extensive experience and practice:
    • Chief Pharmacist – manages and supervise the overall operations of a pharmaceutical company, be it in retail, hospital or in manufacture
    • Higher Education Professors – facilitate learning and carry out research activities in universities and some colleges of further education. They teach academic subjects to undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
    • Environmental Health Practitioners – act as advisers, educators, consultants, managers and enforcement officers, ensuring people are able to live, work and play in safe, healthy environments.

• Jobs for Non Board Passers:

  • Pharmacy Assistant – helps the Pharmacist in dispensing medicines in community, hospital or in industrial setting
  • Pharmacy Technician – help licensed Pharmacists in performing routine tasks such as counting tablets and labeling bottles to help prepare prescribed medication.

BS in Nursing in the Philippines

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a four year degree program that teaches students the necessary skills and knowledge to care for the sick and injured. The program revolves around four main components; health promotion, disease prevention, risk reduction and health restoration. The course consists of subjects in General Education (English, Mathematics, Filipino) and Professional Nursing (Theoretical Foundations in Nursing, Nursing Care Management). 

As a student you will be trained to use the most important concept in the program which is the Nursing Process (Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation). The program will also prepare you to be able to accurately perform health assessment, important nursing interventions, perioperative care, emergency and disaster response and medical documentation. You will learn how to deal with patients having special needs such as those who are suffering from mental illnesses (Bipolar Disorder, Multiple Identity Disorder) , developmental disorders (Autism), degenerative disorders (Parkinsons Disease), physical disabilities (comatose patient) and those who need palliative care (terminally ill/dying patients). 

The teaching methods used are classroom discussions, return demonstrations (an educational technique in which a student demonstrates what they have just been taught infront of a clinical instructor) and clinical exposures in different healthcare settings. 

Is Nursing a Profession?

Nursing is a profession.
A graduate of BS in Nursing who passed the board examination is called a Registered Nurse (RN). A Nurses job includes the assessment of patient health problems, developing and implementing nursing care plans, and maintaining medical records. They also administer nursing care to the ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. In addition, they may also advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management.

What are the admission requirements for BSN?

Requirements at each school may differ, 

Must be a high school graduate. 

What skills and attitude are required to succeed in this course?

The following are the most important ones:

• Service Orientation – being happy with helping and serving other people
• Social Perceptiveness - being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do
• Being cool headed – being calm and relaxed under pressure
• Communication skills – the ability to effectively relay information both orally and in written form
• Collaborative skills – the ability to coordinate with different health professionals in the care of patients
• Judgement and Decision making skills – being able to decide and prioritize problems according to importance and urgency
• Critical Thinking Skills – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems
• Mathematical skills – on a basic level. The ability to compute and use different computational methods to solve medication dosage, consumption etc.

How difficult is this course?

BSN is quite a difficult course. It needs accuracy at all times, there is no room for mistakes during clinical duty because the patients life is at stake. A right mindset is also needed most especially during clinical exposures because the situation in the hospital is very unpredictable.

How long does it take to complete the Nursing program in the Philippines?

The BSN program takes 4 years to complete. The program may also be completed in less than 4 years for schools who follow a trimesteral curriculum.

Related Learning Experience (RLE)

During Related Learning Experience (also known as clinical duty/clinical exposure) student nurses are distributed in different hospital settings and community clinics. Supervised by an experienced clinical instructor, you will perform nursing interventions on his assigned patient.

The total number of RLE hours in Nursing is 2,346 hours.

Specializations

• Hospital Nursing – field of nursing situated in a medical facility known as a hospital
• Community Health Nursing – a field of nursing that is a blend of primary health care and nursing practice with public health nursing
• School Nursing – scope of practice includes taking care of employees and students' health in schools
• Psychiatric Nursing – a specialized field of nursing that cares for patients with mental illness or mental distress, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis, depression or dementia
• Private Duty Nursing – a field of nursing that involves one on one patient care; usually done in the clients home, or an institution such as a nursing home or home for the elderly
• Clinic Nursing – a specialization of nursing where nurses are responsible in managing patients, schedule, and setting up referrals 

Career Opportunities for BSN graduates

• Jobs for Registered Nurses (Board Passers)

  • Staff Nurse – employed in both public and private hospitals, staff nurses provide professional nursing care in accordance with physicians' orders; they are assigned in different areas with primary duties of administering medications, performing nursing interventions, transcribing doctors orders, health education and medical documentation.
    
    You can be assigned as a staff nurse in the following areas:
    • Intensive Care Unit
    • Pediatric Ward
    • Oncology Department (treatment unit for cancer patients)
    • Delivery Room/Obstetric and Gynecology Unit
    • Operating Room/Surgical Unit
    • Out Patient Department
    • Dialysis Department (treatment unit for patients with kidney failure)
    • Medical Ward
    • Opthalmology Department (treatment unit for patients with eye disorder)
    • Emergency Department
    • Diagnostics Unit
  • Community Health Nurse – employed by the government and are deployed in different localities; they perform visits to home bound patients
  • Hospice Nurse – provide end-of-life care at a hospice facility or the patients home
  • Geriatric Nurse – registered nurses who specialize in caring for elderly individuals; they can work in clinics, hospitals or the home of the elderly individual who needs care or assistance
  • Clinical Nurse Specialist – licensed registered nurse who has either a master's or doctorate degree in a specialized area of nursing; they can work as nurse researchers, nurse anesthesist, nurse midwives, nurse consultants, senior nurse supervisors etc.
  • Private Nurse – a registered nurse who takes care of one patient in a home setting
  • School nurse – employed in a school with the primary task of monitoring students health conditions
  • Nurse Educator – an RN who teaches nursings at a university or college
  • Nurse Practitioner – a registered nurse educated to a masters degree level and authorized to function autonomously and collaboratively in an advanced and extended clinical role 
  
  
  

  • Career Opportunities Abroad

    The demand for Filipino Nurses abroad is quite low at present (2013). According to one report, Filipino Nurses will have difficulty entering into particular countries such as the United States and Arab nations until 2020 (See source 1 and source 2).
    
    Although there are other countries who accept Filipino Nurses, the method by which you can enter these countries is through student visa. You have to raise a show money ranging from 500,000php to 1.5 million (See source).
    
    Different countries also require you to take their own licensure examination. National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) , Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are a few examples. In addition, they also require 2 to 3 years of hospital experience and several trainings and seminars (Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) before you can work as a Nurse.

  • Salary Levels

    In the Philippines, Registered Nurses with entry level to mid level positions receive a monthly salary ranging from P5,000 to P9,000 per month (See source).
    
    Those who have more advanced positions such as Nurse Supervisors and those working in specialized fields receive salaries ranging from P10,000 to P14,000 per month. (See source).
    
    Abroad: The salary of Nurses in the United States ranges from $40,000 to $95,000 per year (See source). 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Reviews of BS in Nursing graduates:

   

  R. E.

  Studied BS in Nursing
  at San Pedro College , Davao City
  Graduated: 2011
  
  Why did I choose this course:
  I wanted to have a job which is both rewarding and stable, hearing from many people who graduated nursing and already started working abroad I find this course right for me.
  
  About my college education:
  About the subject difficulty it was manageable since the professors considerate, but on clinical subjects they were kind of strict and instructors were really hands-on while lecturing. What I learned importantly was that by keeping asking questions from them I get to learn more things that are sometimes cannot be learned by just reading books. What makes nursing difficult at SPC was that if you happened to fail even just two subjects you cannot continue B.S. in Nursing anymore. Most of us didn’t pass due to that condition.
  
  My current job:
  I am a staff nurse at Davao Doctor’s Hospital, as a nurse I Asses patient health problems and needs, I implement quality nursing care, and maintain medical records. We nurses take care of ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients.
  
  Am I using what I learned in college:
  As nurses we need to be honest, kind, diligent, professional and open-minded. We must be always very careful and responsible in everything that we do. What I learned is that these traits are not only important in Nursing but as to any career as well, and someday these traits can surely guide me to success.
  
  How long did it take to find a job after graduation:
  After passing the Nursing Licensure Exam last 2012 I tried applying at Brokenshire hospital and Southern Philippines Medical Center, but there were no vacancies. Then I tried to apply at Davao doctor’s Hospital and luckily they hired me a month after submitting my bio-data.
  
  Do I recommend studying B.S. in Nursing:
  As a staff nurse I am currently earning P12,000/month, this may go higher depending on my work schedule. I have a friend in manila who also works as a staff nurse also and she earns P6,000/month but has an allowance of P300/shift. If you are interested in helping others and also wanted to be financially stable, I recommend you to take nursing as well.
  
  Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course:
  Get the right amount of sleep because being healthy is essential for nurses. Develop good studying and reading habits. Also form a study group. After graduating, before taking the licensure exam be sure to have a NCLEX reviewer. And lastly remember to treat yourself sometimes, relax if there is a free time. 
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  M. F.

  Studied BS in Nursing
  at Iloilo Doctor's College , Iloilo City
  Graduated: 2011
  
  Why did I choose this course:
  Because I like science, I'm very much interested on Human body parts and functions. The signs and symptoms of the disease. And I know I can make it because I am very much interested and willing to learn.
  
  About my college education:
  I learned in this course the nursing process, the need to focus in order to passed the subjects. I found difficult on my Physics, Pharmaology and Chemistry assignments.. I learned useful thing like child development, the hierarchy of needs and the defense mechanisms that we use everyday
  
  My current job:
  I'm a staff nurse.
  
  Am I using what I learned in college:
  The harmonious relationships with my co workers, the nursing process, proper computations of medications, the correct intravenous rate, signs and symptoms of the disease.to be organized and time management.
  
  How long did it take to find a job after graduation:
  It took a year because I needed to review for the board exams, I needed also to undergo some training in order for me to practice my profession effectively.
  
  Do I recommend studying BS Nursing:
  For employment opportunities there is a lot of openings abroad. Salary level is high.. Fresh graduate sad to say you need to volunteer first in order for you to be hired, but you can do private duty nurse which you can earn enough. More experienced employee have a higher salary offered in abroad.
  
  Advice to people who are thinking of studying this course:
  First you analyse yourself if you really love the course, if you think so then it's for you, you need to focus, have patience and you should eager to learn more. you need also to study hard in order to pass. Every day is new learning and you be amazed to discover something in our self and to our environment as well. 

Source: http://www.finduniversity.ph/testimonials.aspx?maj=150&p=3