INTRODUCTION
The Pharmacy Technician Department is one of the 7 departments in the Training Wing of the Nigerian Navy College of Health Sciences. The department was granted full accreditation status in 2017 and was reaccredited for another period of 5 years in October 2022. Since then, the department has been involved in the training of Pharmacy Technicians with the aim of satisfying the manpower needs of this category of healthcare workers in the Nigerian Navy Medical Services. The training is in accordance with the guidelines and curriculum for the training of this sub-cadre of the pharmacy professionals as prescribed by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN).
The department is currently located in the Echo Block which houses its classrooms and laboratory. Each classroom can comfortably accommodate students and is furnished. The department’s laboratory is furnished with equipment and stock of galenical as well as chemicals for practical training.
The mode of study for the course is full time only. Admission is open to only Nigerian Navy personnel for now.
Candidates must possess a minimum of 5 credits in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, English and Mathematics in SSCE, WASSCE, WAEC, NECO or NABTEB at not more than 2 sittings. Additionally, candidates must have successfully completed and passed the Basic Medical Qualifying Course (BMQC).
The duration for the programme is 3 years. On successful completion, the students would be awarded a Pharmacy Technician Certificate followed by induction into the profession by the PCN.
The department currently has approval to train 50 students per Academic Session. Presently, the candidates from the Nigerian Navy hardly make up to 20% of the approved quota. This therefore leaves an opportunity for expansion by considering interested members of the civil populace as well as personnel of Sister Services and Paramilitary organizations to fill up the available quota in the future.
