SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Bachelor of Pharmacy 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
9303  Bachelor of Pharmacy 
ORIGINATOR
University of Witwatersrand 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
National First Degree(Min 480)  Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services  Curative Health 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  480  Level 7  NQF Level 08  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered  EXCO 0733/25  2024-06-30  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2033-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
The purpose of the Bachelor of Pharmacy is to train pharmacy qualified learners according to the requirements of the South African Pharmacy Council. The graduate is professionally competent at internationally recognisable standards to serve the health care needs of South Africa.

The purpose of the qualification is to produce qualified learners who are competent as the:
  • Custodians of medicines;
  • Formulators, manufacturers, distributors and controllers of safe, effective and quality medicine;
  • Advisors on the safe, rational and appropriate use of medicine;
  • Providers of essential clinical services including screening and referral services;
  • Providers of health care education and information;
  • Providers of pharmaceutical care by taking responsibility for the outcome of therapy and by being actively involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of pharmaceutical plans;
  • Providers of pharmaceutical care by managing effective drug supply systems including the selection, procurement and distribution of medicines;
  • By taking responsibility for the outcome of therapy and by being actively involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of pharmaceutical plans;
  • Providers of cost-effective and efficient pharmaceutical services, based on the principles of Pharmacoeconomics and managed health care.

    On completion of the qualification, qualifying learners will be able to:
  • Form an integral part of the multi-disciplinary healthcare team and make focused therapeutic interventions in the delivery of healthcare.
  • Apply general management skills, whether in the context of pharmacy or in any other field of practice, including the ability to handle contingencies as well as routine work.
  • Control the quality and effectiveness in the preparation and packaging of pharmaceutical and related products in community, hospital, and industrial settings.
  • Manage the acquisition, storage, and movement of pharmaceutical materials and products in industrial, wholesale, hospital, and community pharmacy settings.
  • Receive and assess prescriptions to ensure quality use of medicines and communicate with stakeholders.
  • Consult with the patient, with due regard to cultural differences between patients, to devise an appropriate care plan.

    Rationale:
    This qualification in the South African context addresses the diverse healthcare requirements of a partly first-world and predominantly third-world population. This embraces primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare.

    Pharmacists ensure safe and quality use of medicines and optimise health outcomes by contributing to selecting, prescribing, monitoring, and evaluating medicine therapy, and researching, testing, and developing pharmaceuticals and medical products. As such, they form an essential part of the Health Care System serving South African Society.

    The qualification enables the graduate to seek employment in the areas of:
  • Community Pharmacy.
  • Hospital Pharmacy.
  • Industrial Pharmacy.
  • Managed Health Care
  • Academia and Research. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
    The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy, which is applicable to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advancement within qualifications. RPL may be applied for access, credits from modules, and credits for or towards the qualification.

    RPL for access:
  • Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification that is at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
  • To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal, and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations, should they be allowed entrance into the qualification.

    RPL for exemption from modules
  • Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted from modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.

    RPL for credit:
  • Learners may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification.
  • Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

    Entry Requirements:
    The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 with endorsement.
    Or
  • National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4, granting access to Bachelor's degree studies.
    Or
  • National Certificate (Vocational), NQF Level 4, granting access to Bachelor's degree studies. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification comprises compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 5, 6, 7, and 8, totalling 576 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, Level 5, 126 Credits:
  • Introduction to Medical Science 18 credits
  • Chemistry l 36 credits
  • Physics l 18 credits
  • Pharmaceutical Practice 36 credits
  • Health Systems Sciences I 18 credits
  • First Aid 0 credits
  • Computer Literacy 0 credits

    Compulsory Modules, Level 6, 186 Credits:
  • Anatomy for Pharmacy Students 24 credits
  • Physiology and Medical Biochemistry I 48 credits
  • Pharmaceutical Chemistry I 36 credits
  • Pharmaceutics I 36 credits
  • Pharmacy Practice I 18 credits
  • Pathology 12 credits
  • Medical Microbiology 12 credits

    Compulsory Modules, Level 7, 114 Credits:
  • Pharmaceutical Chemistry II 18 credits
  • Clinical Pharmacy I 36 credits
  • Pharmacy Practice II 18 credits
  • Pharmaceutics II 18 credits
  • Pharmacology I 24 credits

    Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 150 Credits:
  • Pharmaceutics III 36 credits
  • Pharmaceutical Chemistry III 18 credits
  • Special Project 30 credits
  • Clinical Pharmacy II 18 credits
  • Pharmacy Practice III 36 credits
  • Pharmacology II 12 credits
  • Emergency Medical Assistance* 0 credits 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Form an integral part of the multi-disciplinary healthcare team and make focused therapeutic interventions in the delivery of healthcare.
    2. Apply general management skills, whether in the context of pharmacy or in any other field of practice, including the ability to do contingencies as well as routine work.
    3. Control the quality and effectiveness in the preparation and packaging of pharmaceutical and related products in community, hospital, and industrial settings.
    4. Manage the acquisition, storage, and movement of pharmaceutical materials and products in industrial, wholesale, hospital, and community pharmacy settings.
    5. Receive and assess prescriptions to ensure quality use of medicines and communicate with stakeholders.
    6. Consult with the patient, with due regard to cultural differences between patients, to devise an appropriate care plan.
    7. Assess health and pharmaceutical information on request, as well as initiate and/or participate in the provision of health care education and information to the public and other health care professionals.
    8. Evaluate promotive and preventative health education, and both initiate and participate in community health projects.
    9. Initiate and participate in research and development of medicines and health care strategies and keep up to date with research findings in the discipline. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1:
  • Assess the diversity of clinical problems in South African hospitals, plan and implement therapeutic interventions, and evaluate the outcomes thereof.
  • Provide accessible, cost-effective pharmaceutical healthcare (in the context of managed healthcare), taking cognisance of the escalating costs of healthcare in our current society.
  • Act professionally, ethically, and responsibly towards the environment and the health of others.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2:
  • Take responsibility for managing activities, resources, people, and information in a pharmaceutical environment in accordance with professional and legal requirements.
  • Apply knowledge innovatively and skills in the provision of optimal healthcare in the face of economic realities.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3:
  • Authorise and control materials, plant, and processes in the manufacturing and packaging of pharmaceutical products, and control the quality of these.
  • Manage the resources within the budgets required for the process; and
  • Audit pharmaceutical systems internally and externally for compliance with the relevant requirements.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 4:
  • Order, receive, sample, release, store and prepare for dispatch,
  • Control transport and keep records of pharmaceutical materials and products in compliance with legal and technical requirements.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 5:
  • Gather all information required to assess a person's health care and drug-related needs.
  • Devise, document, and implement an appropriate care plan and monitor its outcomes.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 6:
  • Consult, examine, and perform the required investigations to assess a person's health care status.
  • Devise, document, and implement an appropriate care plan.
    ¿ Monitor the care plan outcomes, reviewing them and revising future care plans accordingly.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 7:
  • Retrieve, interpret, evaluate, and supply information on the use of drugs, disease states, and health care to the public, other health care providers, and patients.
  • Establish databases and interpret scientific information to provide bases for rational drug use. > Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of managed health care, health, and Pharmacoeconomics.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 8:
  • Identify and respond to the community's health needs and educate the community on how to manage and be proactively involved in their healthcare.
  • Identify community health needs.
  • Plan and implement appropriate, promotive and preventative programs to address community health needs, including screening, directly observed therapy (DOT) and immunisation.
  • Provide the community with Primary Healthcare strategies, education, and information.
  • Identify which are essential drugs to achieve health for all.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 9:
  • Conduct research and apply research findings to health care, specifically in the South African context
  • Fulfill the needs of the pharmaceutical industry, which entail researching, developing, clinically evaluating, producing, marketing, and managing pharmaceuticals.
  • Initiate and direct research, teach and foster community outreach for the betterment of society and the advancement of the pharmacy profession.

    INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT:
    Integrated assessment is achieved through cumulative and summative evaluations. Accumulative assessment comprises tutorials, laboratory practicals, and case presentations. The summative assessments across the degree are achieved by means of tests and examinations.

    To promote, monitor, and measure student learning throughout a course, no single assessment may count for more than 40% of the final mark unless there are special circumstances, in which case the permission of the Dean is required. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    This qualification compares with the following international qualifications in terms of the range of competencies in the learning content offered.

    Country: New Zealand
    Institution: University of Auckland
    Qualification: Bachelor of Pharmacy

    Similarities:
    The programme is a four-year, full-time degree of 480 points. Both programmes include courses in pharmaceutical practice from the second year of study as well as a research component.
    Graduates enter a supervised internship before registering with the relevant professional body.

    Differences:
    Applicants apply after successfully completing the first year of a Bachelor of Health Sciences or Bachelor of Science programme and must complete courses in biological sciences, medical science, and population health in addition to relevant courses for their initial degree. The fourth year of the programme requires completion of a dissertation, whereas the programme at the University of the Witwatersrand includes a smaller research report.

    Country: United Kingdom
    Institution: University of Leicester
    Qualification: Master of Pharmacy

    Similarities:
    Both programmes are four years in duration. Both programmes include clinical placements as well as a research component.
    Graduates enter a supervised internship before registering with the professional body.

    Differences:
    The Master of Pharmacy has a larger research component than the Bachelor of Pharmacy. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification offers both possibilities of horizontal and vertical articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Medical Science Honours in Pharmacology, NQF Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine, NQF Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmaceutical Sciences, NQF Level 8.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Master of Pharmacy, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Health Sciences Education, NQF Level 9
  • Master of Public Health, NQF Level 9
  • Master of Science in Medicine in a cognate field, NQF Level 9.

    Diagonal Articulation:
    There is no registered qualification for diagonal articulation. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015. 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. University of Witwatersrand 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.