The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) has rejected key provisions of the National Education and Training for Health Policy 2025, calling for its suspension over concerns about internship integration, regulatory oversight and the readiness of university curricula.
In a statement issued on June 1, PSU said it was not consulted during the formulation of the policy, which introduces internship training within the undergraduate Bachelor of Pharmacy programme.
The professional body, which oversees pharmacy practice standards in Uganda, warned that implementing the policy in its current form could undermine training quality and compromise patient safety.
“PSU was not consulted prior to the passing of the policy. Consequently, PSU does not support the policy in its current form,” said Dr Stephen Lutoti, Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda.
PSU recommended that implementation of the policy be suspended until all university curricula are reviewed, aligned and approved by relevant academic and regulatory authorities.
It stressed that internship training must remain properly structured, supervised and regulated under existing frameworks until formal reforms are completed.
“Council’s position is that implementation of the National Education and Training for Health Policy 2025 should be suspended until all university curricula are revised to embed internship and approved by the relevant authorities,” Dr Lutoti said.
The society also confirmed that pre-internship examinations will proceed as scheduled for the current academic year, with no changes to the timetable, format or eligibility criteria.
“Final year students should prepare and sit the examination as previously communicated by PSU,” he added.
PSU maintained that existing registration requirements for pharmacists remain unchanged, including completion of a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree, mandatory internship and successful completion of both pre- and post-internship qualifying examinations.
It emphasized that universities must first graduate students before forwarding them for professional assessment and internship placement under PSU procedures.
Beyond training structure, PSU warned that Uganda’s health workforce challenges stem less from training duration and more from weaknesses in admission standards, supervision and institutional capacity.
The society called for stricter national entry requirements for pharmacy and medical programmes, arguing that improved student selection would enhance workforce quality without increasing costs or extending study periods.
“Quality begins at admission. Raising entry standards will produce better health workers without increasing the financial burden on families,” Dr Lutoti said.
On intern welfare, the body expressed concern over working conditions in health facilities, noting that interns often work long hours in critical hospital departments while playing a central role in service delivery.
It urged government to ensure fair and timely remuneration for medical interns, warning that poor welfare conditions could accelerate brain drain and discourage entry into the profession.
“A nation cannot lament the loss of medical professionals while simultaneously making medical training longer, more expensive and financially unsustainable,” Dr Lutoti said.
PSU advised pharmacy students in their final year to focus on completing their studies, assuring them that qualifying examinations and internship arrangements would continue under existing procedures after graduation.
The society said it will continue engaging relevant authorities on curriculum reforms and will issue further guidance once the implementation framework for the policy is clarified.
