Compulsory training program (internship)

Program name: Compulsory training (internship) for pharmacists

Program duration: 36 weeks

The unit responsible for the program: The compulsory training unit (internship) for pharmacists at the college

– Definition of the program: A group of applied practical courses implemented in work sites that include pharmaceutical facilities and institutions applied to the actual practice of the profession, as well as governmental and private therapeutic institutions and bodies. The program provides training and includes six rotational training courses in various fields of pharmaceutical work, the duration of each course is six weeks. The program begins after the student passes the number of hours stipulated in the academic regulations for the Bachelor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program or Bachelor of Pharmacy (PharmD) – Clinical Pharmacy, as well as passing the field training (one hundred hours).

Passing the compulsory training (internship) program qualifies graduates of colleges of pharmacy to work after obtaining the accredited compulsory training (internship) certificate.

 

The compulsory training program aims to develop the capabilities and skills of graduates of colleges of pharmacy to meet the needs of the labor market in terms of competencies and quality of performance and to prepare pharmacists qualified with the latest concepts in the field of health care and the field of drug discovery and development, through:

  1. Preparing a pharmacist capable of competing in the labor market locally, regionally, and internationally.
  2. 2. The connection between pharmaceutical work sites (pharmaceutical facilities and institutions, therapeutic institutions and bodies) and universities.
  3. Providing applied training that develops the graduate’s competencies as a learner and professional capable of improving health care.
  4. 4. Preparing a pharmacist capable of contributing to the development and localization of pharmaceutical industries in Egypt and familiar with drug regulatory affairs.
  5. Preparing innovative and developed leadership pharmacy cadres capable of solving problems and working in a team spirit.
  6. Practicing the profession in light of the governing ethics and values, while adhering to the rights, duties, and responsibilities required by the profession.
  7. Explaining and highlighting the different specializations to graduates of colleges of pharmacy and equipping them with sufficient training to identify their interests.
  8. Providing pharmaceutical facilities and institutions, therapeutic institutions and bodies, research centers, and universities with professionally qualified pharmacists to work.
  1. Bodies organizing training

The Supreme Council of University Hospitals coordinates and participates with the Egyptian Medicines Authority to organize compulsory training (internships) for pharmacists under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Universities as follows:

A- Training courses in the field of organizing, manufacturing, controlling, and trading medical preparations and supplies:

Training takes place in pharmaceutical facilities and institutions subject to the supervision of the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Authority. The Authority is responsible for inventorying and determining the available training locations and the numbers of trainees required according to the actual needs of each training site, and the number of intern pharmacists from various colleges of pharmacy across the country, and organizing and coordinating the training of intern pharmacists in these courses.

 B- Training courses in hospitals

Training takes place in university, government, private, and other hospitals accredited by the Supreme Council of University Hospitals. As well as in the hospitals of the armed forces that are designated by a decision from the competent minister as accredited hospitals (the Supreme Council of University Hospitals is responsible for organizing and coordinating the training of intern pharmacists in these courses in coordination with the Egyptian Medicines Authority).

The distribution of trainees to training sites can be coordinated through an electronic platform designed specifically for this matter.

  1. The Supreme Committee for Supervising Compulsory Training (Internship) for Pharmacists

In accordance with what was stated in Article (6) of the unified regulations for compulsory training (internship) for pharmacists issued by Minister of Higher Education Resolution No. 967 dated 5/29/2023.

  1. Compulsory training unit (internship) for pharmacists at the college

A training unit shall be established in each college to manage the compulsory training program (internship) for pharmacists, and a board of directors shall be formed for it, headed by the dean of the college and membership of:

  • Unit Director (appointed by the College Council)
  • College Vice Dean for Education and Student Affairs.
  • College Vice Dean for Community Service and Environmental Development Affairs.
  • The Executive Director of the University Hospitals at the University or his delegate.
  • A representative of the Egyptian Medicine Authority (nominated by the head of the Egyptian Medicine Authority)
  • At least three college faculty members with experience in the field of training.
  • Director of the college’s quality assurance unit or his representative.
  • A representative of the college’s administrative body determined by the college dean
  • The Board of Directors meets at least once every three months or whenever necessary to discuss training issues. The duties of the unit’s board of directors are:
  1. Identify the supervisory person from among the college’s faculty members for each training course of the compulsory training program.
  2. 2. Preparing lists of the names of those who passed the fifth level, indicating the cumulative total, and sending them to the Egyptian Medicine Authority and the Supreme Council of University Hospitals to distribute the trainees to the various training sites.

The various training courses for intern pharmacists are implemented in places that meet the conditions and standards that must be met in training sites (hospitals, companies, etc.) and approved by the Supreme Council of Universities at its session on 3/29/2022 as follows:

First: The Egyptian Drug Authority and the pharmaceutical facilities and institutions subject to its supervision as follows:

  1. Pharmaceutical companies and factories.
  2. Medical supplies companies and factories.
  3. Public pharmacies.
  4. 4. Distribution companies and stores.
  5. 5. Warehouses of drug intermediaries.
  6. Laboratories and centers to conduct the necessary studies to ensure the quality, effectiveness, and safety of the preparations, medical supplies, and raw materials used in their manufacture.

  Second: University hospitals, hospitals of the Ministry of Health and Health Insurance, hospitals affiliated with the Ministry of Interior, and educational institutes accredited by the Supreme Council of University Hospitals.

Training may be carried out in private hospitals accredited by the Supreme Council of University Hospitals if university hospitals are not available in the university to which the trainee is affiliated, and hospitals of the Armed Forces. Which is issued by a decision of the competent minister

• Training can take place in other places, for example:

  1. 1. Cosmetics companies and factories
  2. 2. Dietary Supplements & Nutraceuticals Companies and factories
  3. 3. Herbal products and medicinal plants Companies and factories of
  4. 4. Disinfectant and Pesticide companies and factories
  5. 5. Forensic Medicine Institutions
  6. Research centers

The duration of the training program for the internship year is thirty-six (36) weeks, provided that each course is not less than 180 hours. The training program includes six (6) rotating training courses, each course lasting six (6) weeks, including (4) compulsory training courses. And (2) optional training courses as follows:

  First: Compulsory courses:

It includes four (4) training courses for all trainees as follows:

  1. 1. Training course in hospital pharmacies and public and private pharmacies.
  2. Training course in clinical pharmacy.
  3. Training course in manufacturing and registration of pharmaceutical preparations.
  4. 4. Applied research project course

  Second: Elective courses:

It includes two training courses as follows:

  1. The Bachelor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program has two courses in the fields of drug manufacturing and regulation, selected from the programs offered.
  2. 2. Bachelor of Pharmacy Program (PharmD) Clinical Pharmacy: Two courses in the field of clinical pharmacy, selected from the programs offered.

Examples of courses in the fields of manufacturing and organizing drug circulation:

₋ Pharmaceutical development

₋ Quality management course in the pharmaceutical industry

₋ Pharmacovigilance

₋ Pharmaceutical regulatory inspection

₋ Drug discovery and development course

– Pharmaceutical sales and marketing

₋ Pharmaceutical manufacturing

₋ Quality by Design and Process Analytical Technology (QbD & PAT)

Examples of courses in the fields of clinical pharmacy:

₋ Disease treatments: (heart and chest, internal medicine, surgery, kidney and urinary tract, psychological and neurological, women’s health… etc.)

₋ Oncology treatments

₋ Pediatric treatments

₋ Critical care treatments

₋ Clinical pharmacy in supporting clinical nutrition

₋ Clinical studies

Universities may add other training courses to accommodate continuous development and modernization in the pharmaceutical fields, and they will not be implemented except after the approval of the Pharmaceutical Studies Sector Committee and their approval by the Supreme Council of Universities.

Applied research project cycle:

The training unit at the college, in coordination with the scientific departments, is responsible for determining an applied research project for each group of trainees, and forming committees for supervision and evaluation of the projects from faculty members at the college, and a member of the training body may be assisted.

1 – Conditions for joining the compulsory training program (internship) for pharmacists

  1. The student must pass the number of academic hours during the academic years stipulated in the academic regulations for the Bachelor of Pharmacy (PharmD) or Bachelor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program – Clinical Pharmacy.
  2. Passing field training (one hundred hours).

2– Dates for joining the compulsory training program (internship) for pharmacists

The training program begins on the following dates:

  1. The first week of October of each year, for all graduates of the June semester (spring semester) and summer semester, and ends at the end of June of the following year.
  2. The first week of March of each year, for graduates of the January semester (fall semester), and ends at the end of November of the same year.

3- Documentary session

  1. The internship pharmacists training unit is responsible for notifying all college graduates of the start date of the internship program for the internship year immediately after announcing the results of the five-year academic stage.
  2. Each college prepares and designs a training logbook for students, trainers, supervisors, and evaluation forms.
  3. The training unit delivers the training booklet to each trainee (internship pharmacist) at the beginning of each course, and he in turn delivers his training booklet in each course to the training official at the training site.
  4. At the end of each training course, the training officer delivers the training booklet to the intern pharmacist for approval by the training unit at the college, and then the intern pharmacist delivers it to the training officer at the training site for the next course.
  5. At the end of the entire training program, the trainee submits the training booklet to the college’s training unit for approval.

Any deletion or modification in the evaluation forms in the training booklet must be signed and approved by the training authority, stating the reason for the modification. Otherwise, the internship pharmacist is responsible for this and will be held accountable.

  1. Colleges can prepare electronic forms of the training booklet for circulation via email to save time and facilitate procedures.

The training booklet should include a list of training courses for each trainee, the targeted skills and outcomes for each training course, the training supervision committee in each course, a form to evaluate the trainee’s performance in each training course, and the applied research project (description, supervision committee, evaluation form).

4- Supervising training

A joint committee is formed from a faculty member (determined by the college training unit) and a member from the training body (determined by the training body).

The committee supervises and continuously monitors the training, evaluates the performance of the internship pharmacist during the training period in each course, and signs his training booklet.

– The college training supervisor conducts field visits to the training entity to ensure attendance and commitment to the training content of the course.

 5-Pharmacist rights during the compulsory training program

During the compulsory training (internship) program, the internship pharmacist enjoys all the rights stipulated in Article No. (9) of the unified regulations for the compulsory training (internship) year for pharmacists.

6- Duties and performance controls for pharmacists:

  1. Respect the laws and regulations of the training body, and maintain the ethics and morals of the pharmacy profession.
  2. Adherence to the instructions and guidelines of the college training officer and the training supervisor at the training agency, and the trainee’s performance is continuously evaluated and guided during the training period.
  3. A commitment to attend and leave during the official working hours of the training agency in accordance with the regulations governing work at training sites.
  4. Dealing with the work team and colleagues in the workplace with good manners and respect reflects the image of the university and college to which he belongs.
  5. Maintaining the confidentiality of information related to the various training bodies and not disclosing it, in accordance with the rules established at the training body.
  6. Submit the evaluation forms approved by the training authority to the college’s training unit immediately after the end of the training course.
  7. If the internship pharmacist exhibits any inappropriate behavior, the training official must notify the college of this so that the college administration can take appropriate action.

7- Evaluation

  1. A training booklet (book log) is created for each trainee since the beginning of the training year so that it contains all the evaluation forms and also all his papers during the training course to monitor the degree of progress of the trainee’s performance during the training.
  2. The performance of the internship pharmacist in each training course is evaluated according to the evaluation models described in the training manual.
  3. The result obtained by the trainee in the internship year is not counted within his cumulative total upon graduation.

8– General controls for implementing the compulsory training program (internship) for pharmacists

  1. Replacing training locations: The training unit at the college coordinates with the entity responsible for training to consider approving requests to change training locations for the same training course.
  2. Replacement of training courses: If a trainee does not pass one or more training courses, the trainee may be permitted to replace it in repeating with another course in the same training group after the approval of the training unit at the college and the entity responsible for the training.
  3. Postponing training: The intern pharmacist may be authorized to postpone training in one or more training courses in the training program based on a request submitted to the college’s training unit, supporting his request with reasons and documents, and accepted by the college council, provided that medical conditions are considered compelling excuses and must be accepted on the condition that a medical report is submitted. Approved by the competent authority, provided that it is returned on the date decided by the College Council in coordination with the authority responsible for training.
  4. After the approval of the training unit and the College Council, expatriate or Egyptian internship pharmacists may spend a year of compulsory training (internship) or several training courses outside the Arab Republic of Egypt, provided that they submit official documents proving that they have passed all the training courses prescribed in the College Council’s training program.
  5. The Internship Pharmacists Training Unit is responsible for determining the supervision committees for the training courses, determining the applied research project for each group of trainees, and forming supervision and evaluation committees.

9- Licenses for internship pharmacists

The leave application is submitted to the college’s training unit, approved by the college council, and the training body is notified of it immediately upon acceptance. During the training year, the internship pharmacist may be granted the following leaves:

  1. 1. Casual leave for five (5) days during the internship year for an emergency reason that makes it impossible to obtain another leave.
  2. 2. Ordinary leave for fifteen (15) days during the internship year, with a maximum of three days per training course and not exceeding the prescribed percentage of absence.
  3. Sick leave, maternity leave, and child care leave, provided that it is compensated for by a similar period before granting the certificate of excellence. If the leave exceeds the percentage set for passing the training course, it is necessary to repeat that training course in its entirety, without the rest of the courses that have been passed, provided that a maximum of two years has not passed. Upon passing the last training course.