Leiden master's programme in Pharmacy to start September 2016
Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and Leiden University (Faculty of Science) will be offering a master's programme in Pharmacy from September 2016. The programme has been accredited by the NVAO.
Pancras Hogendoorn, dean of the LUMC, is enthusiastic about the new programme. ‘I'm very pleased with this accreditation. The Pharmacy programme is a real plus for Leiden, but even more so for the whole of the pharmaceutical world in the Netherlands. The programme responds to the developing role of the pharmacist in the treatment of patients.'
Gert de Snoo, dean of the Faculty of Science, shares this enthusiasm. 'We have worked hard on this new programme. The lecturers of the bachelor's programme in Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences are keeping a close eye on this new programme that will train future pharmacists for their changing role as care providers.'
Patient-focused pharmacists
The distinctive aspect of the Leiden programme is that it will train pharmacists to be patient-focused care professionals. The new programme combines the strong scientific basis of Leiden Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences (BPS) with the patient-focused elements of the master's programme in Medicine.
In the third year of the BPS bachelor's programme a select group of students can opt for the Pharmacy specialisation, after which they can carry on to the master's in Pharmacy or the already existing master's in Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences. In the three-year master's programme in Pharmacy students will work for two years as an intern in a pharmacy (possibly a hospital pharmacy) to gain practical experience in the same way as students of medicine during their internships. Students with a bachelor's programme in Pharmacy from another Dutch university also have access to this clinically oriented master's.
NVAO
Before a new programme can start, it has to be accredited by the Netherlands-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO). Without this accreditation, no diplomas can be awarded. The NVAO audit committee spoke with the management and lecturers of the programme and with representatives from the professional field. The committee assessed the programme on the aspects of quality, relevance and viability, before issuing a positive advice. The programme can now start in September.