The Law 44/2003 on the Organization of Health Professions, in its Article 2.2.a), recognizes Pharmacy as a healthcare profession at the graduate level, encompassing activities related to the production, preservation, and dispensation of medications, as well as collaboration in analytical, pharmacotherapeutic, and public health surveillance processes (Article 6.2b). The current Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, dated September 7, 2005, regarding the recognition of professional qualifications, in Section 7, establishes the existence of a pharmaceutical training degree and the minimum requirements it must meet, as well as the provisions regarding the exercise of pharmaceutical professional activities. The pharmacist is an expert in medications, both in their chemical and biological aspects and in their healthcare application. Furthermore, their multidisciplinary training has led many pharmacists to contribute to scientific development in various fields such as botany, chemistry, biochemistry, bromatology, edaphology, parasitology, microbiology, and more. Their extensive participation in the development of universities and the Superior Council for Scientific Research is also noteworthy. The current training as a Pharmacy graduate enables professionals to work in pharmacies, the pharmaceutical industry, hospital and non-hospital specializations, sanitary analysis laboratories, healthcare management, and educational and research activities.
Regarding Pharmacy studies, Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, dated September 7, 2005, establishes the framework for pharmacy education in the European Union, specifying the necessary conditions for obtaining the diploma, university degree, or certificate as a pharmacist in terms of knowledge and the duration of the training cycle. It also identifies the activities that can be carried out by holders of the diploma, university degree, or certificate as a pharmacist, promotes mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates, and other pharmacy-related titles, and contains provisions aimed at facilitating the effective exercise of the right of establishment.
Pharmacy studies are established for a minimum of five years. At least four years of theoretical and practical education and at least six months of internships must be completed. Directive 2005/36/EC includes the recognized titles as follows, indicating the country and the reference date:
Los estudios de farmacia se establecen en un mínimo de cinco años. Al menos deberán cursarse cuatro años de enseñanzas teórico-prácticas y al menos seis meses de prácticas. En la Directiva 2005/36/CE se recogen los títulos reconocidos que se relacionan a continuación, con el país a que corresponden y la fecha de referencia:
- Germany: Zeugnis uber die Staatliche Pharmazeutische Prüfung. October 1, 1987
- Austria: Staatliches Apothekerdiplom. October 1, 1994
- Belgium: Diploma van apoteker/Diplôme de pharmacien. October 1, 1987
- Cyprus: May 1, 2004
- Denmark: Bevis for bestået farmaceutisk kandidateksamen. October 1, 1987
- Spain: Título de Licenciado en Farmacia. October 1, 1987
- Slovenia: Diploma, s katero se podeljuje strokovni naziv «magister farmacije/ magistra farmacije. May 1, 2004
- Slovakia: Vysokoskolsky diplom o udelení akademického titulu «magister farmácie» («Mgr.»). May 1, 2004
- Estonia: Diplom proviisori õppekava läbimisest. May 1, 2004
- Finland: Proviisorin tutkinto/Provisorexamen. October 1, 1994
- France: Diplôme d’Etat de pharmacien y Diplôme d’Etat de docteur en pharmacie. October 1, 1987
- Greece: Άδεια άζκηζης θαρμακεσηικού επαγγέλμαηος ―Certificado para ejercer la actividad de Farmacéutico‖. October 1, 1987
- Netherlands: Getuigschrift van met roed gevoldg afgelegd apothekersexamen. October 1, 1987
- Hungary: Okleveles gyógyszerész oklevél (magister pharmaciae,röv:mag. Pharm). May 1, 2004
- Ireland: Certificate of Registered Pharmaceutical Chemist
- Italy: Diploma o certificato di abilitazione all’esercizio della professione di farmacista ottenuto in seguito ad un esame di Stato. November 1, 1993
- Latvia: Farmaceita diploms. May 1, 2004
- Lithuania: Aukstojo mokslo diplomas, nurodantis suteikta vaistininko profesine kvalifikacija. May 1, 2004
- Luxembourg: Diplôme d`Etat de Pharmacien. October 1, 1987
- Malta: Lawrja fil-farmacija. May 1, 2004
- Portugal: Carta de curso de licenciatura en Ciências Farmacêuticas. October 1, 1987
- Poland: Dyplom ukonczenia studiów wyzszych na kierunku farmacja z tytulem magistra. May 1, 2004
- United Kingdom: Certificate of Registered Pharmaceutical Chemist. October 1, 1987
- Czech Republic: Diplom o ukoncení studia ve studijním programu farmacie. May 1, 2004
- Sweden: Apotekarexamen. October 1, 1994
The current legislation regulates the profession of pharmacist as a regulated profession, and according to Article 12.9 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, which establishes the organization of official university education (currently replaced by Royal Decree 822/2021, dated September 28, 2021, which establishes the organization of university education and the quality assurance procedure), it requires the possession of the corresponding official undergraduate degree.
Order CIN/2137/2008, dated July 3, establishes the requirements for the verification of university degrees that qualify for the exercise of the pharmacist profession.
The Pharmacy degree is one of the set of degrees approved by the Governing Council of UCLM on April 7, 2008, for implementation at the various campuses of the Regional University. As with other degrees, it is based on an initiative by the Government of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha (requested by UCLM on April 1, 2008), which considers the short-term implementation of these degrees strategic. In the case of the Pharmacy program, both institutions have taken into account significant facts, such as the yearly departure of more than one-third of young people in the region to neighboring autonomous communities to start their studies in fields like Pharmacy, which are not offered by the Regional University. Additionally, the presence of already established biosanitary programs such as Medicine (Albacete) and Nursing (Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, and Toledo), as well as the existence of the Biomedical Research Center (CRIB) and the Botanical Institute with headquarters in Albacete, both with regional dimensions, enables the creation of a biosanitary research and teaching hub on this campus. This fact is also considered strategic for both institutions. Therefore, although it is important to justify the social demand for the implementation of Pharmacy at UCLM (Albacete Campus), it should be noted that the existence of other Pharmacy Faculties in neighboring regions facilitates the implementation of the degree at UCLM, as the experience of those centers will be applied in the development of the curriculum. If necessary, teaching and research positions can be filled by staff from these faculties.
Lastly, the excellent relationship with the Official College of Pharmacists of Albacete, as well as with the Council of Colleges of the Region, enables the signing of corresponding agreements to address the mandatory Supervised Internship Programs. UCLM will develop a protocol for the accreditation of pharmacies interested in participating in these programs, just as protocols have already been signed by the Regional Council of Pharmacists with other universities (Alcalá de Henares, Granada, Valencia, etc.). Additionally, the Regional Government, through the Health Service of Castilla-La Mancha, expresses its interest in promoting the annual offering of over 80 positions in Hospital Pharmacy at the teaching hospitals in the region. With the involvement of the University Hospital Complex of Albacete, filling that number of positions would not pose a challenge. In this regard, the University Hospital Complex of Albacete is currently undergoing a complex expansion and renovation process (Master Plan of the University Hospital Complex of Albacete), which will soon increase its capacity to offer internships not only for Medicine and Nursing but also for the Pharmacy degree.
The social demand for the Pharmacy degree was previously studied by UCLM before its implementation. The studies conducted by the Office of the Rector of UCLM, presented at the Governing Council on April 17, 2008, show that in the academic years 2006/07, 2005/06, and 2004/05, a total of 292 students from the region of Castilla-La Mancha, where UCLM has university campuses (provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, and Toledo), had to pursue their Pharmacy studies in nearby areas due to the lack of a Pharmacy Faculty in the region. This number of students was sufficient to justify the number of places offered for new admissions in the Pharmacy degree. It is also worth noting the catalytic effect of implementing a university degree in the region that did not previously exist, which increases the demand from students, as has happened with other degrees in the Biosanitary field, such as Medicine or various Engineering disciplines. The White Paper for the Pharmacy degree (ANECA, 2004) shows the very high degree of social demand for this degree nationally and specifically at the University of Castilla-La Mancha due to its high prospects for employment given its multidisciplinary nature that combines training in various scientific subjects.
Once the initially proposed objectives have been achieved and the favorable resolution from the Council of Universities has been obtained (March 21, 2017) regarding the renewal of the accreditation for the official degree of Bachelor in Pharmacy at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, an increase of 40 new students for the academic year 2018/2019 is proposed. This increase takes into account that the Pharmacy degree at UCLM has implemented the curriculum according to the verified report and has incorporated all the modifications indicated by ANECA in the corresponding follow-up reports. Furthermore, the demand from students to pursue their Pharmacy studies in the region has been increasing throughout its implementation, reaching a number of applications exceeding 400 per academic year. Lastly, but not least, since the academic year 2017-2018, the Pharmacy degree has been operating in a new building with sufficient space to accommodate an increased number of new students. The increase in students will be accompanied by an appropriate increase in teaching and administrative staff required to maintain the quality of the program.
For the development of the curriculum, the opinions of graduates from the Pharmacy degree who are currently practicing in Castilla-La Mancha, particularly in the province of Albacete, have been taken into special consideration. The prospecting work involving this group has been made possible through the collaboration of the Official College of Pharmacists and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha. The opinions of former students from the Pharmacy Faculties of the following universities have been compared:
- University of Valencia
- Complutense University of Madrid
- Miguel Hernández University
- University of Salamanca
- University of Alcalá de Henares
- University of Barcelona