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Counselling On Sunburn Becoming Repetitive? What About Frostbite?

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Counselling on sunburn becoming repetitive? What about Frostbite?

Comparing and contrasting registration as a pharmacist in Australia and Canada

Introduction

“The history of pharmacy is almost as long as the history of humanity.”
- Stephen G. Greenwood

Man has walked this Earth for a long time and, during that time, they have suffered from ailments. It may not be common practice now to make offerings to the Gods in an attempt to seek a cure but, there are still aspects from ancient times evident within modern pharmacy practice. Albeit refined and better understood now, the medicines and practices established all those years ago have trickled down and firmly found a place to call home all over the world.

This trickle down can be …show more content…

The extra year taken in Canada can be attributed to the remarkable extended offerings of experiential placements. Spread over the last 3 years of the program, pharmacy students in Canada undertake, on average, 28 weeks of placement compared to the 4 weeks in Australia undertaken in one semester.

Table 1 Comparison of Australian and Canadian Universities and Internships Australia Canada
Number of universities offering pharmacy program 181 102
Average program length 4 years 5 years3
Average placement length 4 weeks 28 weeks3
Duration of internship 1824 hours4 Completed in program

The purpose of undertaking placements within a degree enables students to practice in a controlled learning environment with a supervisor to develop an appreciation of the role of pharmacists in the health care system. The extra 24 weeks of placement in Canadian programs is attributed to the supervised hours required during an internship. This allows a Canadian and Australian student to begin a pharmacy undergraduate program and enter the workforce as a professional at relatively similar times.

Internship

To ensure a high standard of pharmacy professionals are entering the work force, upon completion of an accredited degree and the internship hours, the student is then tasked with completing a written and oral examination.

The written multiple choice section of the Australian internship exam focuses on domains 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the National

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