Department of Pharmacy

Warm greetings from the Department of Pharmacy, Asrat Woldeyes Health Science Campus, Debre Berhan University — a distinguished center dedicated to scholarly excellence, innovative pharmacy services, compassionate education and research, and the advancement of modern pharmacy practice.

Background

The Department of Pharmacy was established in 2017 G.C. under the former College of Medicine and Health Sciences (now Asrat Woldeyes Health Science Campus) at Debre Berhan University. Since its establishment, the Department has offered comprehensive education and practical training aimed at preparing competent, ethical, and socially responsible pharmacists.

In an effort to develop a standardized national curriculum for the undergraduate Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) program, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MoSHE) organized a series of consultative workshops at various levels. As a result of these collaborative efforts, an integrated and harmonized modular curriculum for the Pharmacy program was developed with the active participation of experts from the FMoH, several universities, and other key stakeholders, under the leadership and initiative of MoSHE.

Accordingly, to train and produce competent pharmacy practitioners who can make significant contributions to the advancement of pharmacy services, pharmacy departments and schools across higher education institutions are expected to implement this new integrated and harmonized applied curriculum.

The country's demand for highly skilled and knowledgeable pharmacy professionals has been increasing significantly due to the rapid growth of private community pharmacies, wholesalers, importers, public and private health facilities, research institutes, public universities, private health colleges and universities, pharmaceutical industries and manufacturers, regulatory bodies, and pharmaceutical supply agencies, among others.

Simultaneously, with the expansion of its academic programs, the Department of Pharmacy was elevated to the status of a School of Pharmacy in 2024. In the same year, the school launched its first Master of Science (MSc) program in Pharmacology. Building on this progress, additional MSc programs in Clinical Pharmacy and in Social and Administrative Pharmacy are planned to commence in 2025, further strengthening the School’s commitment to advanced pharmaceutical education and research.

Vision

Debre Berhan University aspires to be one of nationally leading universities in practice oriented

teaching and research by 2030

Mission

Mission 1: To prepare knowledgeable, skilled and attitudinally matured graduates for the job market and entrepreneurship by providing practice-oriented education

Mission 2: To enhance and promote applied research focusing on innovation and technology transfer to create sustainable and knowledge-based industries and societies

Mission 3: To establish strategic partners to strengthen practice- oriented education, research and community engagement

Curriculum

The program is implementing an outcome-based curriculum.

Program Educational Objectives (PEOs)

PEO1: To produce pharmacists who are competent and capable of providing high quality patient care and are equipped to meet the evolving needs of patients in global context

PEO2: To cultivate pharmacists with strong fundamental concepts and high technical competence in pharmaceutical sciences and technology who are able to produce quality pharmaceutical products in pharmaceutical industries.

PEO3: To produce qualified pharmacists engaged in private pharmaceutical business that deliver quality service to the community.

PEO4: To generate pharmacists equipped with pharmaceutical knowledge to lead quality pharmaceutical supply chain in health care system.

Program Learning Outcomes ( POs)

PO1: Organize and control the manufacturing, compounding and packaging of pharmaceutical products;

PO2: Organize the selection, procurement, storage, and distribution of pharmaceutical materials and products;

PO3: Provide Pharmaceutical care and ensure the optimal use of medicines by the patient;

PO4: Apply knowledge, analytical and critical thinking for solving problems and taking decisions during pharmaceutical practice

PO5: Provide education and information on health care and medicines

PO6: Promote community health and provide medicine related information and advice

PO7: Capability to solve problems by using research-based knowledge and research method to identify, analysis and providing solutions for problems.

PO8: Demonstrate a high level of professional ethics in order to satisfy the pharmaceutical needs of the society.

PO9: Ability to Communicate effectively with scientific community, workforce and with society at large, with abilities to comprehend and write effective reports, make effective presentations and documentation.

PO10: Demonstrate an ability to create, select, and apply appropriate techniques, resources, and use various tools, apparatus, instrument, equipment, modern science or machinery pertinent to the pharmaceutical domain with practical knowledge on standard operating procedures and safety aspects.

PO11: Demonstrate a capacity for self-evaluation, moral reflection and ethical reasoning to form the basis for self-directed and lifelong learning.

Program Admission Criteria

Eligibility requirement for admission

ü  Candidate must complete secondary education and score satisfactory performance in the Ethiopian Higher Education Entrance Examination (EHEE) which accounts 20%

ü  Candidates must be physically and mentally capable of meeting the demands of pharmacy-based training. Individuals with visual impairments or physical disabilities that hinder their ability to manipulate pharmacy activities are not eligible for selection, as these capabilities are essential for safe and effective practice in the field.

ü  Candidates must first complete the university’s first year first-semester common courses with their Cumulative GPA (cGPA) which accounts for 50%.

ü  The applicants must take program entry exam which accounts for 30%.

ü  In line with DBU’s commitment to inclusive education, affirmative action is applied to support students from historically underrepresented backgrounds.  Female applicants and those from disadvantaged regions receive an additional 5 points on their final admission score, promoting equitable access and diversity within the student body.

ü  Hence, the total score = (EHEE = 20%) + (cGPA =50%) + (program entry exam =30%) = 100%

ü  A minimum combined score of 80% is typically required for admission, though this threshold may be adjusted depending on applicant performance each year.

ü  The diploma/advanced diploma in pharmacy holder applicants may enter through a bridging mechanism, provided they have passed the Certificate of Competency (COC) exam and meet the University's academic and professional standards. However, these applicants will not take department entry exam because they are already eligible for the program as they have taken programs common course during their diploma study.

Career Pathway of Pharmacy Program

After graduation, students are prepared for immediate employment in pharmacists within

ü  Health facilities

ü  Drug regulatory affairs

ü  Community Pharmacies

ü  Whole Salers and Importers

ü  Research institutions

ü  Universities and Colleges

ü  Public health programmes and NGOs.

ü  Leadership and management

ü  Pharmaceutical industries

Moreover, graduates are eligible to pursue degrees in the following specializations

Program profile

Professional Profile

ü  Pharmacy professionals are equipped with ethical communication skills, maintain patient confidentiality and privacy.

ü  Pharmacy professionals serve as faculty in higher education institutions, preparing future pharmacy and allied health professionals

ü  Pharmacy professionals perform pharmaceutical quantification, procurement, and management of medicines and related resources

ü  Pharmacy professionals work in hospital pharmacies, health centers, in pharmaceutical industrials, in pharmaceutical companies, and research programs.

ü  Pharmacy professionals participate in planning, directing, and supervising pharmacy personnel, pharmaceuticals, equipment, and financial resources required to operate pharmacy services effectively

ü  Pharmacy professionals deliver clinical pharmacy and patient care services in hospitals, health centers, and community pharmacies.

ü  Pharmacy professionals evaluate and resolve drug therapy problems to ensure safe and effective treatment.

ü  Pharmacy professionals provide dispensing medications, counseling patients, and promoting rational drug use.

ü  Pharmacy professionals participate in designing and implementation of quality enhancement plans to ensure the delivery of quality pharmacy services.

ü  Pharmacy professionals participate in the development of national policies related to pharmacy science.

ü  Pharmacy professionals ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of medicines within regulatory bodies.

ü  Pharmacy professionals contribute to scientific innovation and professional education.

Alignment with National Legislation and Policy

The department strictly adheres to:

• The DBU Legislation (2025 Revised Version)
• The Ethiopian Higher Education Proclamation No. 1152/2019
• Ministry of Education (MoE) Guidelines and Standards for Program Accreditation (ETA)
• National Health Sector Transformation Plan II (HSTP II)

Our program embodies these directives by delivering practice-based, equitable, and context-relevant education aligned with national health system goals.

      PO-PEO mapping

 Duration of study: 5 years

Teaching and Learning Methods

o   Interactive Lecture

o   Role play

o   Case study

o   Simulated practice/clinical skills lab/SDL/BSL

o   Clinical practicum/Attachment

o   Team training and community-based learning

o   Pharmacy practice

o   Whole group session

o   CBD (Case based discussion)

o   Lecture

Assessment Methods

ü  Quiz /test

ü  Objective structured practical examination (OSPE)

ü  Oral exam

ü  Written exam /formative, summative/

ü  Presentation, seminar /formative assessment

ü  Laboratory work report

ü  Direct observation procedural skills (DOPs)

Degree Nomenclature

The degree to be awarded to the students after completion of the program will bear the following name:

 English version: “Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm)

 Amharic version: “የባችለር ዲግሪ በፋርማሲ”

Quality Assurance

The school/department quality assurance committee is responsible for the management and monitoring of the program. Both formative and summative evaluations will be done to assess the realization of the curriculum‘s objectives. The following mechanisms will be employed to evaluate whether or not the courses offered in the program meet the standards:

ü  A course syllabus according to the course content indicated in this curriculum should be prepared for each course with time frame.

ü  The respective School/departments will evaluate the agreement between examination contents and the course syllabi.

ü  Recruitment of qualified staff

ü  Examination and continuous assessment (formative and summative)

ü  Periodic acquisition of up – to – date references, laboratory equipment and reagents

ü  Supervised practices in the training health facilities

ü  Periodic evaluation of the curriculum and the program in general

ü  Periodic evaluation and revision of the curriculum based on the feedback from stakeholders/employers, graduates and students.

Facilities and Educational Resources

§  Well-furnished smart classrooms

§  Well organized skill development lab

§  Access to teaching hospitals for clinical attachment

§  Resource-rich e-learning platform and medical library

§  Clean dormitory with connection

Contact Information

School office location: Admin building G⁺⁴ (F4-08)

School E-mail address = schoolofpharmacy@dbu.edu.et