The School of Pharmacy is currently one of three Schools in the Faculty of Health Sciences. The creation of Namibia's first School of Pharmacy has not been accidental nor has it occurred spontaneously. In reality, a huge amount of preparatory work, thought and investment has gone into the School of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Pharm (Honours) degree (BPharm). This has involved direct governmental attention, as well as international assistance and support. A summary of these activities is provided as follows:
- 2009: Initial scoping of the needs-base and case for tertiary pharmacy education in Namibia (Brock, T, Wuliji, T, Sagwa, E, Mabirizi, D. 2009. Technical Report: Exploring the Establishment of a Pharmacy Course at the University of Namibia, March 12–27, 2009)
- 2010: Articulation and approval of the BPharm curriculum by the University of Namibia (Rennie, T.W., et al. 2011. Sustaining Namibia. Improving the Nation's health through sustainable pharmacy competency. International Pharmacy Journal, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 21-24)
- 2011: First ever intake of BPharm students and launch of the BPharm programme
- 2011: Accreditation of the BPharm curriculum by the HPCNA
- 2011: Creation of the Department of Pharmacy
- 2012: Accreditation of the Department of Pharmacy by the HPCNA and by the Namibia Qualification Authority
- 2012: Placements in the rural setting and community pharmacies takes place for the first time with great success [New Era newspaper. First pharmacy students on field attachments 6th Jun 2012
- 2012: Approval by UNAM of the creation of a School of Pharmacy UNAM Forum, November 2012
- 2013: Inauguration of the School of Pharmacy by the Prime Minister
- 2014: UNAM approval for the implementation of the Diploma in Pharmacy programme
- 2015: UNAM approval of the post-graduate Master of Pharmacy (Clinical Pharmacy) programme
The University has so far successfully created 20 staff positions to serve the School of Pharmacy covering the disciplines of pharmacology, pharmacy practice, pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacognosy. In addition, the School partners with renowned international institutions in the SADC region, UK, USA and Australia to provide assistance with external moderation, development and implementation of teaching resources, and training of faculty in the UNAM School of Pharmacy to build capacity for the future.
The UNAM pharmacy programme has attracted 170 students in its first five years of operation, including students from the wider SADC region. It is anticipated that the School of Pharmacy will continue to enrol between 50 and 80 new students per year to resolve the shortage of pharmacists and pharmaceutical technicians in Namibia in a sustainable approach.
The School is under a continuous accreditation process involving the Health Professions Councils of Namibia/Pharmacy Council of Namibia, the Namibia Qualifications Authority, and the National Council for Higher Education. The Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is a registered programme on the Namibia Qualifications Framework.
