MUPSA

The Faculty of Health Sciences (FoHS) at @MbararaUST, under which the Department of Pharmacy falls, is the oldest and largest Faculty in the University. It currently comprises 25 academic departments offering over 40 accredited programs at Bachelor's, Master's and PhD levels. The Faculty is in the process of transitioning into a College. The Faculty is headed by a Dean, assisted by a Deputy Dean which are statutory offices prescribed by UoTIA. For the past five years, I have been privileged to serve as Deputy Dean of the FoHS. In this role, I am primarily responsible for all undergraduate programs across the Faculty, including the Bachelor of Pharmacy program. Yesterday evening, following communication from @PharmacistsUg's Council, the Vice Chancellor requested me to take interim charge of the Department of Pharmacy as Acting Head of Department. I accepted the assignment in addition to my responsibilities as Deputy Dean and Senior Lecturer in the Department. I am taking over from my colleague and friend, Dr Esther Atukunda, with whom I have served in the Department since around 2009. At the time, she was coordinating the Accessing Medicines in Africa and South Asia (AMASA) project. She subsequently joined the academic staff of the Department as a Senior Lecturer after completing her PhD in Pharmacoepidemiology. In addition to her doctorate, Dr Atukunda holds a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree from Makerere University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Leeds. Although she is not a pharmacist by professional qualification, Dr Atukunda has contributed to the training of several cohorts of pharmacists at MUST for well over a decade. She is also one of the University's most prominent researchers. Her contribution to the Department, the University and the training of pharmacists deserves recognition and respect. @PharmacistsUg, where I serve as President, may well have been acting within its mandate in taking the measures it considered necessary, guided by the statutory provisions governing its responsibilities and the prevailing minimum standards for pharmacy education in Uganda. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to reflect on whether a different approach might have served both institutions, and the wider public, better. As PSU President, I am bound by the decisions of Council, irrespective of my personal views. Equally, as a member of MUST's academic staff, I am bound by the University's policies, guidelines and administrative decisions. My responsibility in these circumstances is to provide information, guidance and support to help institutional processes function as they should, while respecting the distinct mandates of both institutions. Where a conflict of interest arises, I declare it and recuse myself from the relevant decision-making process, leaving decisions to those best placed to exercise independent and objective judgement. I wish to make it clear that neither MUST nor PSU can attribute the decisions taken by either institution in this matter to any influence or interference on my part. I have respected the decision-making processes of both institutions, and I can confirm that the issues are being addressed through official channels. I therefore urge students, staff and the public to remain calm, patient and supportive as the two institutions work towards a resolution. In the meantime, I remain confident in MUST's capacity to provide excellent pharmacy education. The University is committed to complying with applicable national requirements & international best practices & standards, with the ultimate goal of producing competent pharmacists who can meet the country's healthcare needs. Equally, PSU remains committed to promoting the highest practicable standards of pharmacy education & professional practice in Uganda. Ultimately, MUST & PSU share a common purpose: advancing pharmacy education, strengthening the pharmaceutical workforce & contributing meaningfully to national development.