HSA in Islamabad and the Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA) announced on Wednesday that they had reached an agreement to strengthen their professional relationship.
Officials from the Health Services Academy (HSA) in Islamabad and the Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA) announced on Wednesday that they had reached an agreement to strengthen their professional relationship. As a result, HSA will begin offering diploma and certificate programmes for professional pharmacists employed by businesses, hospitals and regulatory bodies.
According to Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, the newly elected President of PPA, “during our recent meeting with Vice Chancellor, HSA Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan, it has been decided that health services academy will launch diploma and certificate courses for the professional pharmacists as part of Continued Professional Development (CPD) for the pharmacists.”
Sardar Shabbir Ahmed claims that he had a meeting with HSA Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan, PPA General Secretary Rao Alamgir, Vice Presidents Shifa Khan Bangash and Umair Ikram Dar, and Governing Body member Khaqan Babar to talk about the issues that young chemists in the nation, particularly those working for the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare facilities, and regulatory bodies, are facing.
“There is no mechanism in place to support the continued professional development (CPD) of young chemists employed in industry and other sectors. We have urged the health services academy to provide online professional courses for chemists so they can further their knowledge in the pharmacy field,” he said.
The PPA President insisted that HSA had agreed to start certificate and diploma programmes in a number of pharmacy-related fields, including Regulatory Sciences, Supply Chain Management, Quality Control and Documentation, Best Marketing Practices, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), at their request.
Additionally, HSA has agreed to admit chemists to their Ph.D. and Masters in Public Health Programs based on PPA recommendations. These admissions would be based on merit, but HSA would favour the PPA candidates once they became qualified for admission to these programmes, the official continued.
Health Services Academy Vice Chancellor Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan stated that the organisation works to advance the careers of all health professionals, including physicians and health managers, and that it is prepared to assist chemists in advancing their careers so they can serve their organisations and constituents in a professional capacity.
Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan continued, “We are ready to train chemists to upgrade their professional capabilities. We are already offering public health courses for doctors, paramedics, nurses, and health managers.”