A brighter future ahead for School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

By Ernest.A.Mwanzi

Prof. Njeri Wamae assured students, faculty and staff from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences of good times ahead during her inaugural Dean’s Convocation for 2018/19 academic year, on Monday, January 28.

In her speech, she noted that in line with the University’s strategic goals of providing globally competitive and innovative academic programs, student numbers have drastically increased in the two programs offered in the School - Bachelor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Science, Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She noted that this year the school was preparing the cohort for hospital and industry as well as research attachments. Additionally, the school has already reached out to their networks to expand the choices for students’ research which includes institutions such as the Institute of Primate Research (IPR), International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). “We have identified public hospitals that will provide hospital round opportunities for our students in a public environment” Said Prof. Wamae.

In her address, Prof. Wamae revealed that the school is working on launching four new programs namely; Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, Bachelor of Science in Clinical Medicine, Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

In a bid to expand and efficiently manage the University’s financial resources, the school has seen an improvement in the number publication rising from 5 the previous year to 24 in 2017/18 academic year. “We are also busy in developing impactful innovations such as improvement of water quality and environmental management through solar treatment and nanotechnology as well malaria transmission blocking,” added Prof. Wamae.

The school has also seen significant growth for both teaching and non-teaching staff with 14 full-time Faculty members who are engaged in delivery of both pre-clinical and clinical courses and 11 technologists.

Come next month the school will be launching a Pharmacy Skills Laboratory a one of its kind in both Eastern and Central Africa. Plans are at an advanced stage to acquire of a software known as ‘My dispense’ that will be used in the Pharmacy Skills Laboratory to help students understand the intricacies of dispensing medications in an interactive way.

Students should also expect a facility expansion of the Botanical Garden- for teaching advanced Pharmacy courses and research, where In the 201718 academic year, over 300 medicinal plants were planted and construction of an Animal house, for housing experimental animals. The school is committed to ensure that students get quality education with readily available top class facilities.

Moving on to the priorities for the current academic year, Prof. Wamae confirmed that the school will also be implementing the new and contextualized grading system for health and allied sciences, two STEM Programs in B Tech. Analytical Chemistry and BSc. Applied Biochemistry, initiate the Epibio online program as well as sustain progress with the development of the other programs mentioned earlier, launch a short course on Pharmacovigillence in partnership with Pharmacovigillence Competence Center, improve administration of the Pharmacy Mock Board Exams and administer them periodically and enhance research productivity by capitalizing on the expansion of our widening partnerships with the academia.

Lastly with the support of FHI 360, the school’s laboratories will be enhanced to international standards by having them ISO 17025 Certified by KENAS (Pharmaceutics Analysis) and WHO Accreditation (Medical Diagnostics).

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