PRP Assessment

Introduction

Under the Malaysian Registration of Pharmacists Act 1951, to apply for full registration, pharmacy graduates must complete provisional registration training to the satisfaction of the Pharmacy Board for a period of not less than 1 year.

Specifically, they have to complete the PRP Log Book with a minimum passing mark of 60%.



Training in Progress

No matter which rotation a provisional registered pharmacist starts with in a hospital, their preceptors will assess their individual knowledge and skills before they are confident in allowing them to do anything unsupervised.

  • Supervisors have to take responsibility for what a provisional registered pharmacist is doing under their supervision.

In community pharmacy, preceptors will often work side by side on a daily basis to observe what the provisional registered pharmacist is doing.



Dilemma At Government Facilities

For many preceptors, it is often a difficult decision to give a justifying mark in provisional registered pharmacist logbook.

  • Should the mark be solely based on knowledge assessment or attitude to learn and sense of responsibility?
  • The situation is further complicated by the fact that the provisional registered pharmacist is someone that you know and the future of him affected by the PRP Log Book marks.

In terms of knowledge-oriented assessment, one may argue that it is illogical to expect new pharmacists to know everything in one year of training.

  • Moreover, apart from knowledge, lots of important values and soft skills are equally important.



Intern Examination

In contrast, intern programs in some developed countries (e.g., Australia, United Kingdom, United States) include an intern examination from the pharmacy board to ensure a minimum satisfying knowledge and quality.

  • While passion is essential in long-term continuous professional development, pharmacist competency remains the key.
  • I still remember, years ago, lecturer used to say if you already failed the intern exam 3 times, you should consider giving up on pharmacy profession, regardless how passionate you are.



Summary

To guarantee the highest quality of future pharmacists, standardized national pharmacist licensing exam should be in place on top of the PRP logbook requirements.

  • Afterall, increasing the number of healthcare professionals without rigorous quality control will not only cast blame on the profession, but also endanger the public.



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