The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) has clarified that accreditation of Mbarara University of Science and Technology’s (MUST) Bachelor of Pharmacy programme by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) does not automatically guarantee professional recognition for graduates seeking to enter the pharmacy profession.
The clarification follows criticism of PSU’s October 19 decision to withdraw professional recognition of the programme, with questions raised about whether the professional body had overstepped its mandate and interfered with NCHE’s regulatory authority.
In a statement issued on October 21, PSU Secretary Dr. Stephen Lutoti said the two institutions have distinct but complementary responsibilities under the law.
“Accreditation of a university programme and professional eligibility to enter a regulated health profession are distinct questions. The two statutory mandates are complementary, not mutually exclusive,” Lutoti said.
According to PSU, NCHE is responsible for accrediting university programmes and ensuring compliance with higher education standards, while the Pharmaceutical Society has statutory responsibilities relating to professional training, qualifications and pathways into the pharmacy profession.
Lutoti emphasised that PSU does not claim the authority to revoke NCHE’s accreditation, stop MUST from teaching, close the university or invalidate degrees awarded by the institution.
“PSU neither claims nor purports to exercise the power to cancel NCHE accreditation, close a university, stop teaching, or invalidate a degree awarded by MUST,” he said.
He added that an academic qualification alone does not confer the legal authority to practise pharmacy.
“An academic award is therefore not, by itself, a licence to practise pharmacy,” Lutoti said.
PSU said its October 19 decision followed concerns about leadership and staffing in MUST’s Department of Pharmacy, a show-cause process and the response available to the Council at the time.
The Society said it had since taken note of a letter dated October 20 from MUST Vice Chancellor to NCHE, indicating that pharmacist Dr. Jonans Tusiimire had been appointed Acting Head of the Department of Pharmacy, effective October 19.
MUST also reportedly indicated that recruitment and other corrective measures were underway.
PSU welcomed these developments but called for verification of the university’s staffing levels, teaching arrangements, appointment documents and compliance with applicable professional and NCHE standards.
The Society also sought to reassure students affected by the dispute, stressing that its decision should not be interpreted as a cancellation of their degrees or a withdrawal of NCHE accreditation.
“Students must not be made casualties of institutional disagreement,” Lutoti said.
However, PSU maintained that graduates must still satisfy the relevant statutory requirements for professional recognition, qualifying processes and registration with the Pharmacy Board before they can practise independently as pharmacists.
The Society has proposed urgent technical discussions involving PSU, NCHE and MUST to establish whether any deficiencies remain, agree on corrective measures and determine the appropriate professional recognition status of the programme and the students affected.
“PSU remains ready to review its decision promptly when sufficient evidence establishes that the applicable requirements are met,” Lutoti said.
He emphasised that the dispute should not be viewed as a contest between institutions.
“This is not a contest for institutional supremacy; it is a shared duty to safeguard pharmacy education, students and the Ugandan public,” he said.
PSU reiterated that it does not challenge NCHE’s accreditation of MUST’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme. Instead, it maintains that its statutory responsibility concerning entry into the pharmacy profession is separate from the academic accreditation process.
The dispute highlights the distinction between the accreditation of academic programmes and the professional requirements graduates must meet before they can legally practise in a regulated health profession.
