A group of fed up Nelson Mandela University (NMU) students say they have spent R65,000 and two years of their lives studying towards a diploma – only to find out they are no more qualified than those who paid R12,000 and studied for a year.
Graduates of the pharmacy technician course are bitterly disappointed that their diploma course – the first of its kind in the country –has not had a scope of practice document gazetted, a document that would allow them to put their course work into practice.
As it stands, they can only work as post-basic pharmacy assistants. The post-basic pharmacy courses are one-year long and cost R12,000.
While the university has laid the blame at the feet of the national health department for not publishing a scope of practice document, the students say they should have been informed before enrolling, something the university says it started to do in 2016.
Almost 250 students have graduated from the course, which was offered from 2013.
The course will be put on hold as of next year, the university said.
While university spokeswoman Zandile Mbabela was at pains to point out that the course was accredited, the students said that meant absolutely nothing when they could not access the work they wanted to do.
Megan Felix, 35, of Bridgemeade, who paid about R70,000 for the two-year course in 2013 and 2014, said: “The course was to train us in different sectors, mostly for primary healthcare centres, and everyone told us that it would not be difficult for us to find jobs, that this course was better than being a post-basic, which would also mean more money for us.
“We are now stuck in a position where we are basically a post-basic.
“We were sold a dream back then which has now completely become most people’s worst nightmare. A lot of students, who have completed over the years, are sitting without employment or are doing something completely unintended. I am really upset,” Felix said.
The students are supposed to obtain a higher certificate after year one and an advanced certificate after year two.
They are then required to complete a six-month internship.
Department of health spokesman Foster Mohale said: “We are aware of the ongoing process to accredit [NMU’s] pharmacy technician programme, which is a brand new programme.
“The [South African] Pharmacy Council (SAPC) has submitted draft practice regulations for approval to the department which by nature is a complex process given the number of regulations that needed to be changed/ amended for alignment.
“It has proven technically easier said than done, hence the process is ongoing, which includes consultation with other stakeholders.
“It is likely that the draft regulations will be published for public comment in the near future.”
Mohale urged all graduates to register with the council as pharmacy assistants post-basics while the accreditation process is in progress.
SAPC spokesman Madimetja Mashishi said: “As a contingency in the interim, the SAPC registers qualified pharmacy technicians to practise the scope of pharmacist’s assistants (post-basic).
“As soon as the regulations are gazetted by the Department of Health, qualified pharmacy technicians will be automatically correctly registered in that category and will practise the scope of practice of a pharmacy technician.