Applicants with a qualification obtained outside South Africa
The Office of the Registrar receives applications from foreign-qualified candidates who wish to be registered as pharmacists or pharmacy support personnel in South Africa. Council has previously approved Guidelines for persons who hold qualifications in pharmacy obtained outside the Republic, as well as criteria to be used in the evaluation of these applications.
In July 2016, Council resolved that pharmacists with foreign qualifications be granted four attempts in each paper and a maximum of four years from the date of approval to pass the professional examinations. In July 2017, Council resolved that pharmacy support personnel with foreign qualifications, who apply to be registered, be granted two years to complete registration as pharmacist’s assistants in the category learner post-basic from the date of approval by Council.
After evaluation of the application form and all the supporting documents, applicants requiring registration as pharmacists who meet the criteria must write the professional examination; once successful in the examination, the applicant may apply to register as a pharmacist intern subject to conditions determined by Council.
Foreign qualified candidates who meet the criteria to write the professional examination but request registration in a lower category can register as pharmacist’s assistant (learner post-basic) and be required to complete a module on Pharmacy Law and Ethics with an accredited provider. These candidates must successfully complete a minimum of six (6) months in-service training at a facility approved for training under the supervision of an approved tutor and submit a 4-months’ progress report prior to registration as a pharmacist’s assistant (post-basic).
It was also added that following approval of applications by Council and successful completion of the professional examinations by applicants, employment and/or placement for internship and community service in South Africa is not guaranteed.
During its sitting in July 2020, Council resolved that:
- Ms K Ndayi be granted an opportunity to write the calculation section of the examination when the supplementary examination is conducted in July/August 2020, and then write the general section in the October 2020 examination. Should Ms Ndayi fail, then she be registered as a pharmacy technician and be required to take a two (2) year cooling off period before attempting the pre-registration examination again.
Application for recognition of prior learning – Mr Jean Claude Habimana
Following receipt of an application, the verification of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for Mr Jean Claude Habimana, who completed the first three levels of a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree with the University of the Western Cape, from Health Sciences Academy (HSA), Council appointed Dr N Geyer to verify the RPL undertaken by HSA. Council approved favourable verifier’s report deeming Mr Habimana competent for the role of pharmacist’s assistant (basic) in June 2020.
At its July 2020 meeting, Council approved Mr Habimana’s application for RPL and resolved that Mr Habimana be registered as a pharmacist’s assistant (basic) on submission of the relevant application for such registration.
Accreditation of a short course: Dispensing course from Public Health Institute of South Africa
Following the submission of an application for accreditation of the short course “Compounding and dispensing course for Allied Health Professionals” by the Public Health Institute of South Africa in October 2019 and the finalisation of the course evaluation process in April 2020, Council approved the application for accreditation.
