The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) says graduates of Mbarara University of Science and Technology’s (MUST) Bachelor of Pharmacy programme will not be eligible for registration and licensing as pharmacists, despite the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) insisting the programme is fully accredited.
In a new public notice dated Tuesday, October 27, PSU Secretary Dr Stephen Lutoti said the programme “remains unrecognized by PSU” until its concerns are addressed to the satisfaction of the PSU Council.
The notice goes further than PSU’s first one. PSU now says any period of study on an unrecognised programme does not count towards pharmacy training. It says students on such programmes are deemed to be only “pre-testing” BPharm curriculum content, and that their time of study is not recognised.
PSU also revealed that a consultative meeting between the two bodies, set for 10am on Tuesday to discuss concerns about pharmacy training including the MUST programme, had been postponed by NCHE.
According to PSU, NCHE Executive Director Prof Mary J. N. Okwakol postponed the meeting in a letter dated October 26, saying a new date would be communicated.
Two regulators, two mandates
PSU said it was acting under Sections 8(1) and 22(2) of the Pharmacy and Drugs Act, Cap 309, and its bylaws on recognising pharmacy qualifications and training institutions.
It argued that its Council has a separate legal mandate to recognise or de-recognise pharmacy programmes for the purposes of PSU membership and registration as a pharmacist, and that NCHE accreditation does not automatically mean PSU recognition.
PSU also turned its fire on NCHE. It accused the higher education regulator of failing to control admission numbers and to monitor whether pharmacy schools still have adequate teaching facilities, staff and clinical placement sites. “As the professional body, PSU cannot watch this happen,” the notice says.
Last week, NCHE said the MUST programme was re-accredited in January 2025 to run until 2036, that its accreditation had not been withdrawn, and that teaching should continue. It said it had not been consulted on PSU’s decision and that withdrawing recognition of graduates’ qualifications is NCHE’s responsibility alone. NCHE also said MUST’s pharmacy department is currently headed in an acting capacity by a pharmacist who is PSU’s own President.
What students and parents are being told
PSU has advised parents, prospective students and the public to get written confirmation from it before enrolling on any pharmacy programme, to avoid regrets later.
For MUST’s current pharmacy students, the dispute has real consequences. NCHE’s accreditation means the university can keep teaching and award degrees. But practising as a pharmacist in Uganda requires registration and licensing, which PSU controls, and PSU says MUST graduates will not qualify for either until the issues are resolved.
No new date has been set for the meeting between the two bodies. CampusBee has contacted NCHE, PSU and MUST for comment and will update this story.
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