The pharmacy program in Lebanon is one of the most prestigious programs the country has to offer. Pharmacy is offered by multiple universities, and the quality of education is almost always top-tier. Throughout the program's duration, a wide range of subjects are covered, and as the program progresses, the complexity of the topics gradually intensifies.
Curriculum
In the first professional year, students are asked to take courses such as Medicinal Chemistry 1 and 2 which discuss the medicinal properties as well as the chemical structure of a drug and how it affects the human body. In addition, the students take the first pharmacology course which discusses the different systems in the body such as the adrenergic system, the cholinergic system, and so on, as well as how to affect them using different types of medication.
Now as the students move to their second professional year, the courses become more condensed with a focus on pharmacotherapeutics. To elaborate, there are 6 different courses about therapeutics and each one discusses a group of diseases related in nature; for example, therapeutics 2 deals with the diseases related to the digestive system, therapeutics 3 deals with the most common diseases present in society (diabetes, obesity, …), therapeutics 4 tackles the diseases found in the cardiovascular system (Hypertension, Heart failure, Stroke,...), therapeutics 5 discusses infection in all its facets, and finally therapeutics 6 discusses chemotherapy treatment.
Naturally, other courses such as ethics, pharmacy management, and multiple laboratory courses are also part of the curriculum that help make the student well-rounded in most areas.
When it comes to this particular major, there are 3 leading universities that most students choose from Lebanese American University (LAU), Lebanese International University (LIU), and Lebanese University (LU). Usually, the financial situation of the student plays an important role in the decision-making process, with LAU being the most expensive of the three and the LU being the least expensive. LIU’s tuition lies somewhere in the middle of both. There are other universities with a School of Pharmacy, however, since most are relatively new and their pharmacy degrees do not hold a lot of cachet, most students choose from the above three.
When discussing eligibility, most universities might have a few minor requirements that differ from each other, but overall, they all share the same major requirements. The most important ones are passing the final national exams (Lebanese Baccalaureate) in the Life Science category (The Lebanese schooling system is still based on the French education system), and the SAT score. Should the student have a Lebanese Baccalaureate in any of the other 3 categories, or is a foreigner, then the alternative is applying as a freshman in which the student will take a few extra courses. In addition to that, paperwork such as a copy of the personal identification card, passport-sized photos, and more is required.
As for the entrance exams, usually, universities will not require entrance exams if the student took the SAT exams, with the exception being LU, where an entrance exam is mandatory. Furthermore, an English Entrance Exam/TOEFL/IELTS is required to assess the student's English level which dictates what English courses need to be taken if the SAT exam was not taken.
LAU has set a limit of 75 students per year who are allowed into the pharmacy program, hence the selection process is dictated by the student’s scholastic aptitude, as well as a personal interview by the School of Pharmacy faculty members. In regards to LIU, it shares a similar set of standards to LAU in terms of requirements and capacity. Overall, about 300 students per year graduate as pharmacists, which adds to an already oversaturated pool of pharmacists. In 2019, a study showed that for every 10,000 patients, there are 20.3 pharmacists, and that number has probably risen in the past years, which makes competition in Lebanon very high and the salaries relatively low.
That being said, the Lebanese American University (LAU) offers its students the best opportunity when it comes to opening doors for them in terms of work opportunities. The reason is that LAU’s PharmD program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). This accreditation presents an opportunity to work in the United States assuming that the students pass the NAPLEX and the State Board exam. In addition, having a Pharm D degree gives the students a competitive edge when applying to any position related to the field over other students with work experience. Such fields can include community pharmacists, hospital pharmacists, military pharmacists, nuclear pharmacists, and clinical pharmacists.