New college to enhance training needs of pharmacy professionals

It will help boost knowledge in areas such as population health, illness prevention

- Zhaki Abdullah

A new institution here aims to meet the training needs of pharmacy professionals in Singapore, amid the country's rapidly ageing population and an ever-evolving healthcare sector.

Launched on Sept 27, the College of Clinical Pharmacy will provide pharmacists here with knowledge in population health, as well as areas such as illness prevention, encouraging wellness and active ageing, in line with the greater emphasis on community-based care.

It is the seventh such institute under the SingHealth Academy, the health cluster's education arm. The academy - which also includes the College of Allied Health and the College of Clinical Nursing - provides education pathways for those in the healthcare sector, from undergraduates to professionals seeking continuing education in healthcare.

The College of Clinical Pharmacy will enhance the training and education needs of SingHealth's pharmacy staff - which includes more than 1,400 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants.

Pharmacy professionals not under SingHealth, both in Singapore and abroad, will also be eligible for training at the college.

It will enable SingHealth to almost double its current pharmacy training capacity to 400 pharmacists and pharmacy support staff annually.