Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) graduates from the College of Pharmacy (CPH) at Qatar University are likely to be licensed by the Ministry of Public Health to prescribe medicines for some diseases.
“We are working with the Ministry of Public Health in this regard and expect to get the permission sometime next year for the graduates to prescribe medicines,” Dr Ayman El-Kadi, dean of CPH, told Gulf Times.
“This will reduce the burden on the doctors as PharmD graduates can prescribe and dispense medicines for some chronic illnesses or very simple illnesses,” he said, pointing out that in the UK, the US and Canada, some pharmacists are allowed to prescribe medicines for certain ailments.
Dr El-Kadi noted that CPH is the only college that has been accredited by the Canadian accreditation body outside Canada.
“Two of our programmes, the bachelor degree of pharmacy and the doctor degree of pharmacy are accredited by the Canadian accreditation council.”
The dean said 23 students have passed out from  the college with PharmD so far and this year, an additional six more will be graduated.
“We have two programmes for PharmD at present. The pharmacists who are already working in Hamad Medical Corporation as pharmacists are completing PharmD as part time. Then, we have our own regular students who pursue the programme at the college on a regular basis. After they complete the BSc pharmacy, they are eligible to pursue the PharmD programme.”
According to the dean, the PharmD graduates are working in hospitals at an advanced level and are taking part in some of the clinical procedures.
“They have advanced level of education and clinical care. They are known as clinical pharmacists. They interact directly with patients and go along with doctors in rounds to see the patients and take part in such practices. Along with the doctors, they also take part and decide the treatment protocol.”
“The only other countries, they can do this, are Canada and the US. Our PharmD graduates have been practising as clinical pharmacists for the last  four years,” Dr El-Kadi added.