SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
Welcome to School of Pharmacy
The school provides services in drug quality control, clinical and community pharmacy, and advice on drug manufacture in industries. Members of staff in the school have been assisting the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare as well as its various agencies in various areas of pharmaceutical service policy formulation and implementation. Some members sit in various government bodies as consultants, e.g., the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), Pharmacy Council, and Tanzania Food and Drug Authority (TFDA).
About School
Background about the school
The School of Pharmacy was established in July 1974 as the Department of Pharmacy in the Faculty of Medicine with the assistance of a grant from the British Council. The first intake of 16 students had to take most of their first-year basic science courses at the main campus of the University of Dar es Salaam, together with B.Sc. General, B.Sc. Education, and B.Sc. Geology students. Fifteen of these students graduated three years later, in 1977. Most lecturers who started the course were expatriates from Britain, Kenya, and Malawi. Since then, we have been producing quality pharmacists, who are now the backbone of the healthcare system in Tanzania and neighboring countries.
The Faculty of Pharmacy was established in 1991 under the constituent College of the University of Dar es Salaam, which became the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences (MUCHS) in 2000. In 2003, in line with the drive for MUCHS to become a full-fledged university, the Faculty of Pharmacy was accorded school status in preparation for the expansion of its functions. The school continues to exist after the establishment of a full-fledged university, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS).
The school provides services in drug quality control, clinical and community pharmacy, and advice on drug manufacture in industries. Members of staff in the school have been assisting the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare as well as its various agencies in various areas of pharmaceutical service policy formulation and implementation. Some members sit in various government bodies as consultants, e.g., the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), Pharmacy Council, and Tanzania Food and Drug Authority (TFDA).
Our Programmes
Undergraduate programs offered by the School
Bachelor of Pharmacy
What is the BPharm Degree program?
The Bachelor of Pharmacy Program aims to equip the graduate pharmacist with practical skills and theoretical knowledge that enable the graduate to function as an expert in pharmaceutical care and pharmaceutical sciences. Therefore, the BPharm program embraces the search, development, formulation, analysis, storage, and distribution of products for the maintenance and restoration of good health, as well as the provision of information and guidance on the proper use of medicines. Successful applicants admitted to this program are expected to attend clinical/hospital rotations and field attachments in pharmaceutical industries, regulatory authorities, medicine chain supply entities, and herbaria. They should pass both the theoretical and practical examinations and submit independent research projects that culminate in the degree award.
Who is eligible to apply for the program?
Applicants who enter directly from school (direct entrants) must have three principal passes in the disciplines of Chemistry, Biology, and Physics/Mathematics at a minimum of a “C” grade or higher at a “A” level. Candidates with a B or above in Biology or Chemistry, in that order, will be given preference. Applicants with a D in Mathematics or Physics at the “A” level must have at least a B in Biology and/or Chemistry. Candidates with equivalent qualifications who possess an Advanced Diploma or appropriate Diploma accredited by a relevant authority and approved by the University Senate with an overall minimum performance grade of “B” or a GPA of ≥3.5, should possess O-level passes in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English.
(Masters programmes are to be listed under the specific department offering them – see below)
Attractive and market-oriented postgraduate programs offered by the School of Pharmacy include:
- MSc Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology.
2.MSc Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
3.MPharm Clinical Pharmacy.
4.*MSc Bioinformatics.
5.*MSc Phytopharmaceutical and Natural Medicines Sciences.
6.*MSc in Drug Regulation
7.MPharm Pharmaceutical Microbiology.
8.MSc Pharmaceutical Management.
9.MPharm Quality Assurance and Quality Control.
10.MSc by Research (in the field of choice/interest)
(*) underway for accreditation
Our Departments
Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology
The Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology started as the Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in 2008 at the School of Pharmacy of Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). The Unit was housed in the Department of Pharmacognosy in the School of Pharmacy during this period. As a result of the increased number of faculty and postgraduate students, the Unit was upgraded to a Department in 2015. This is a clinical department whereby the members of the departments and students participate in multidisciplinary ward rounds at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), and Ocean Road Cancer Institute.
Teaching and Capacity Building
The department aims to provide excellence in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in basic and clinical pharmacology, therapeutics, clinical pharmacy, and pharmacovigilance. Teaching aims at imparting graduates with skills in providing direct patient care in collaboration with other clinical care team members in the health facilities. The focus is for trained pharmacists to be able to participate in the planning and monitoring of patient therapy, including the detection and reporting of adverse events and medication errors. The competency-based curriculum for undergraduates in the department covers three years of study, i.e., second, third, and fourth year. In semesters 3 and 5, students are taught basic pharmacology. In the second year, students cover basic principles of pharmacology, and in the third year, they cover therapeutics. In the fourth year, students spend much time in the wards in which they participate in ward rounds, review files and make presentations.
List all short courses under the department
- Clinical Pharmacy Services
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism
- Bioanalysis short course
Pharmaceutical Microbiology
The aim of the Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology is to equip undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy students with adequate theoretical and practical knowledge in pharmaceutical microbiology.
The subject covered include but not limited to
- Infection control
- Antimicrobial resistance and sensitivity testing
- Antimicrobial stewardship
- HIV drug resistance
- Environmental microorganisms monitoring
- Sterility and pyrogen testing
- Immunology and vaccinology
- Microbial aspects of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
- Modern molecular biotechnology techniques
- Genetic engineering of medicines, cloning, and sequencing
- Hybridoma technology
- Bioinformatics, including Genome wide studies, microbiomes and metagenomics analyses
- Vacciniology and biotechnology
These concepts are encapsulated in the undergraduate and postgraduate programs
List all short courses under the department
- Antimicrobial Stewardship For Human Health Professionals
- Interpretation of genotypic HIV drug resistance
Medicinal chemistry
The Department of Medicinal Chemistry is one among the five departments under the school of Pharmacy. This department is focusing on teaching Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Research activities under this department focus on drug discovery from natural and synthetic sources, quality control and assurance of Pharmaceuticals. The department teach courses both in undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
In undergraduate programme, medicinal chemistry (PC) is taught in even semesters covering year I –III. Topics include Basic Chemistry (Aliphatic, Aromatic and Inorganic), Advanced Chemistry (Heterocyclic Chemistry, Stereochemistry, Organic Spectroscopy), Chemotherapeutics agents (sulfonamides, antibiotics, anticancer etc), Pharmacodynamic agents (analgesics, CNS and ANS drugs), quality assurance of medical products (Regulatory affairs, QA and QC techniques). Practical sessions are also arranged based on the themes. There are two laboratories; Wet chemistry and Instrumental laboratory.
Masters provided by this department are of two years duration. Masters of Medicinal of Chemistry which is focusing on drug design and discovery from both natural and synthetic sources. Masters of quality control and quality assurance focuses on detection, responding and reporting of substandard and falsified medical products. Different analytical equipment are available for practical learning and consultancy services.
List all short courses under the department
- Good Manufacturing Practice
- Comprehensive Quality and Equipment Qualification
- Good Clinical Practice Oversight
- Analytical Method Development and Validation
Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy practice
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practices MUHAS is the biggest department in the School of Pharmacy by harboring two examinable core courses in Undergraduate which are Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practices.
Also, the Department is offering two postgraduate programs which are Masters of Pharmacy in Industrial Pharmacy and Masters of Science in Pharmaceutical management.
The department have number of experts ranging from Industrial Pharmacists, Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical pharmacokinetics, Bioequivalence studies, Human resource management, financial management, Pharmacoeconomics, Supply chain experts and Experts in Quality Assurance and Quality Control.
The pharmaceutics course in Bpharm program is all about drug development and formulation, processes in pharmaceutical industrial pharmaceutical technology, quality assurance and control, good manufacturing practices, drug absorption and disposition, fundamental mathematical relationships blood concentration-time profiles and the spectrum of pharmacological effects (pharmacokinetics), bioequivalence and bioavailability and radio pharmaceutics. Likewise, the pharmacy practice course covers pharmaceutical calculation and compounding of various pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products, good laboratory practice, and good dispensing practice, communication skills, entrepreneurship and general management, community and hospital pharmacy, Pharmacoeconomics, supply chain management, pharmacovigilance and pharmacy law and regulatory affairs. In this regard, the department holds the great potential to conduct researches in the aforementioned areas and prepare pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical product which meets good manufacturing and laboratory practice
List all short courses under the department
- Pharmacovigilance and Vigilance for Healthcare Professionals
- Supply Chain Management of Healthcare Commoditiies
Pharmacognosy
Pharmacognosy is the oldest medical science that involves the study of physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of natural drugs. The name pharmacognosy is derived from the Greek “pharmakon” = drug & “gnosis”= knowledge. It is the key subject that deals with Drug Discovery from natural products, i.e., the search for new drugs from natural sources. Thus, the subject is one of the core branches in the pharmacy curriculum and therefore found an important niche as a coveted department in the School of Pharmacy at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) since its establishment in 1974. The department holds a prestigious reputation as a crucial field, given that natural products continue to serve as vital sources of drugs or lead compounds in the prophylaxis and treatment of diseases. For instance, around 50% of pharmaceuticals are derived from molecules first identified or isolated from natural products, including herbs/plants, animals, microorganisms, marine organisms and insects, as active ingredients. Additionally, they contribute to functional foods like nutraceuticals and probiotics, playing a significant role in preventing chronic diseases.
Developing excellent appreciation of drug discovery and development from natural sources and Phytotherapy are fundamental to the training of pharmacists. The department aims to ensure that all students are competently trained in the theory and practice of Pharmacognosy and Natural Medicine to better equip them to explore the folkloric use of phytomedicines and other natural medicines. In the future, the department aims to teach students appreciate Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) practices.
The department has successfully graduated over 10 postgraduates and 1 PhD scholar, all of them have secured prominent positions in the pharma industry and academia. For the past 20 years, the department has published more than 100 articles in prestigious national and international journals, showcasing its commitment to high-quality research.
Our Services
1.Quality Control
With the growing number of manufacturers and importers of pharmaceuticals, the quality of medicines supplied to patients can no longer be taken for granted. The school, therefore, has an important role in ensuring drug quality, a service it has been offering since 1984. This role has been strengthened with the recent acquisition of key analytical instruments, including High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Densitomer, Ultraviolet Spectrophotometers, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer and Near-Infrared Spectrophotometer. The school has been able to attract consultancies in quality assurance from USAID and Management Sciences for Health.
2. Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
In order to cater for the needs of the pharmaceutical industry, the school is obliged to have a functional drug manufacturing unit in order to train industrial pharmacists to assist local industries in improving the quality of pharmaceutical products. Commensurate with this objective, the school has managed to acquire a modern Research and Development Unit for solid dosage forms. This unit is not only used for training undergraduate and postgraduate students but has also attracted consultancies in new antiretroviral drug combination formulations. Likewise, the students seeking to acquire these new skills come from as far as Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, and the DRC Congo.
3. Clinical and Community Pharmaceutical Services
In hospital settings, the pharmacist is an important team member and is expected not only to provide pharmaceuticals but also to give advice on their use. This latter aspect is not well developed in this country, despite the obvious need. Such services as adverse drug reactions, monitoring, and therapeutic drug monitoring are, to a large extent, lacking. The school, therefore, plans to establish a custom-built hospital pharmacy outlet and a therapeutic drug monitoring unit. The growing number of hospital and clinical pharmacy graduates (3 so far and very soon to be 5) the school produces will act as ambassadors in advocating the need for these services.
4. Continuing Education
Technological advancement in the field of pharmacy is so rapid that there is a constant need to bring practicing pharmacists up to date. The school, therefore, plans to continue offering continuing education programs for pharmacists in the field to keep them abreast of recent developments in pharmaceutical services and new products for the management of diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria, and TB. Continuing education will also update trainees on product innovation and enable them to render appropriate services to the public.
5. Consultancies
Areas in which the school has offered consultancy services include: part-time teaching to other universities; short-listing of candidates for recruitment of human resources in medicine quality assurance; rational use of medicines; medicine pricing; new medicinal product development; and medicine quality assurance.
Head of Departments
Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology
Dr. Ritah Francis Mutagonda-Head
Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology
Dr. Liberata Alexander Mwita - Head
Department of Medicinal chemistry
Dr. Vicky manyanga - Head
Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy practice
Dr. Betty Allen Maganda - Head
Department of Pharmacognosy
Dr. Rogers Mwakalukwa - Head