Portugal Pharmacy StudiesHow does one become a pharmacist in Portugal? It requires a Masters Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences (MPharm), which is a degree compliant with the Bologna Accords used throughout Europe. The Accords (signed in Bologna, Italy in 1999) create the European Higher Education Area, in which the standards set for academic degrees are rationalized. The Lisbon Recognition Convention (LRC) is an important instrument of the Accords. The LRC specifies that a degree conferred by an institution (college, university, etc.) is to be generally accepted by another institution within a signatory's country unless the other institution can prove that there are substantial differences between itself and the original issuer of the degree. The Convention ensures equitable procedures for students and graduates. The MPharm degree requires a 5-year study period including a semester of in-service training. This training has two components: a 4-month stint at a community pharmacy and 2 months at a hospital's pharmaceutical department. There are currently nine Portuguese institutions that grant the MPharm. Graduates who are awarded the MPharm degree are required to join the Order of Pharmacists (OOP), Portugal's regulatory and licensing organization. By joining OOP, a MPharm graduate can legally register and work in his/her profession. The OOP specifies four areas of specialization:
Pharmacists, in Portugal and everywhere else, play an important role in assisting patients who have been prescribed drugs. For instance, patients participating in a pain management program are typically prescribed one or more powerful medicines to alleviate pain and treat its side effects, such as agitation or depression. Of course, some sufferers, such as acupuncture pain patients, may have chosen to avoid medicines. However, most pain patients do receive medication and rely on registered pharmacists to fill their prescriptions correctly, to check for drug interactions when the patient has multiple prescribing doctors, and to reinforce the patients understanding of when and how to take their medications. Pharmacist must provide their customers with an understanding of foods to avoid, frequency of dosing, time(s) of day that are best for taking a dose, warnings regarding side-effects, and activities to be avoided. Many pain doctors are anesthesiologists. At a treatment facility, like a hospital or anesthesia pain clinic, they inject powerful compounds into patients to treat acute and chronic pain, especially back pain. These dedicated physicians may rely on registered pharmacists to prepare the injections carefully and correctly. The training these pharmacists receive, typified by the MPharm course of study in Portugal, is the basis of the bonds of trust that are required between doctors and pharmacists. |
|