Head of School's Message

Dr. Janet Campbell-Shelly
Head, School of Pharmacy

It has been said that, 'the only thing that is constant is change'. Indeed the School of Pharmacy has not only undergone changes but has evolved into a new entity. The academic year 2009/10 saw the establishment of the School of Pharmacy for the first time in the history of the university. This brings a sense of joy and pride as it has indeed 'come of age'.

In 1962 the then Science Department opened its doors to the first batch of pharmacy diploma students. Changes in pharmacy practice fuelled an upgrade of the programme to the Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) and in 2000 the university had its first batch of degree graduates from the pharmacy programme. For almost fifty years the university has produced graduates that have significantly affected the delivery of health care not only in Jamaica but the wider Caribbean. To date the programme has produced over 400 degree graduates.

The School offers a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) in Pharmaceutics and produced its first graduate in 2009.

The 2009/10 academic year also saw the delivery of another programme from the School - the Pharmacy Technician programme. This programme is housed at the Lionel Town Hospital and there are presently two cohorts of students in the programme.

But pharmacy education at the University of Technology is characterized by dynamism and so in 2010 there was advancement in the level of pharmacy education - the commencement of the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) programme. Graduates of the bachelors programme will now be able to enjoy the benefits of perusing doctoral studies at home without the need to travel overseas.

The Pharmacy team is committed to fulfilling its mandate of producing professionals that are current, highly skilled and are prepared to meet societal needs.
Excellence is the hall mark and for this we strive continually. Best wishes for the academic year.
Team Work makes the Dream Work