All programmes offered in the various universities in Ghana and around the world have their own entry requirements that must be met before one’s application can be considered.
Most of the time, these entry requirements are updated as often as every academic year in most government and private tertiary institutions. However, some basic requirements remain the same.
The various Pharmacy programmes in Ghana are no exception and have their entry requirements. These entry requirements, sometimes, are based on whether one is enrolling on the programme as a regular student or a fee-paying student.
Below are the basic minimum entry requirements for pharmacy and pharmacy-related programmes/courses offered in Ghana.
NB: Cut-off grades for each programme may be different for the various institutions and also changes almost every academic year.
Cut-off grades are different from the entry requirements. You may have the basic entry requirements but not meet the cut-off grades for that particular academic year and as such denied admission.
Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)- 6 years
– WASSCE or SSSCE results with credit passes (at least Grade C6 for WASSCE applicants and Grade D for SSSCE applicants) in three core subjects (English, Mathematics and Integrated Science), and three elective subjects (Biology, Chemistry and either Elective Mathematics or Physics) and a pass in core Social studies.
– A’ Level applicants must show five credits at the O’ Level including English and Mathematics plus three passes at the A’ Level in Biology, Chemistry and either Physics or Mathematics and a pass in general paper
– Mature Applicants must be at least 25 years at the time of submitting the application and must show either five credits at the O’ Level including English and Mathematics or credit passes in three elective subjects (Biology, Chemistry and Elective Mathematics or Physics) if using WASSCE or SSSCE results.
Doctor of Pharmacy Top Up (PharmD Top Up)- 2 years
– Applicants must have a pharmacy degree
– Applicants must have at least three years post-registration experience
– Applicants must attend an interview conducted by the pharmacy school and pass it.
Dispensing Technology (HND)
– WASSCE and SSSCE applicants must have six passes (A1 to D7) or (A to D) in all subjects, including English Language and Mathematics; and at least three (3) of the passes must be relevant to the area of specialization. WASSCE applicants must possess a minimum of C6 in any three of the passes.
– A’ Level applicants must have five GBCE credits or five G.C.E. Ordinary Level credits including English Language and Mathematics plus at least two G.C.E. ‘A’ Level/ABCE passes.
– Mature students should be at least 25 years old and show proof of age with a birth certificate or any legitimate documentary proof of birth date which is at least 5 years old at the time of application. Applicants must have at least two years of working experience (letter from the employer is required) and pass a written examination conducted by the Technical University.
Mature applicants applying for HND Dispensing Technology should have relative hospital/industrial experience with ‘O’ Level/WASSCE/SSSCE pure science background (Chemistry and Biology) as well as credits in English and Mathematics (core).
– Technical School applicants must show passes in English Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science plus any three (3) relevant trade courses.
Dispensing Technology (Diploma)
– WASSCE and SSSCE applicants must have six passes (A1 to D7) or (A to D) in all subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. Applicants may or may not have a science background
– A’ Level applicants must have five GBCE credits or five G.C.E. Ordinary Level credits including English Language and Mathematics plus at least two G.C.E. ‘A’ Level/ABCE passes.
Medicine Counter Assistantship- 6 months
– SSCE/WASSCE with six passes (SSSCE: A-E WASSCE: A1-E8)
– Mature applicants with working experience in pharmacy shop / Dispensing workers can apply.
Health Facility/Healthcare Assistantship- 6 months
– SSCE/WASSCE with four passes (SSSCE: A-E WASSCE: A1-E8) including Mathematics and English Language, Or
– O’ Level Certificate (GCE) with four passes including Mathematics and English Language.
– Students who don’t have any knowledge in the healthcare sector are admitted into the certificate programme after which they progress to the diploma and specialist diploma with a total duration of two years.
Pharma Marketing and Salesmanship- 6 months
– SSSCE/WASSCE with four passes (SSSCE: A-E WASSCE: A1-E8) including Mathematics and English Language, Or
– O’ Level Certificate (GCE) with four passes including Mathematics and English Language
WRITTEN AND EDITED RESPECTIVELY BY:
MPSGH, MRPharmS, MPhil.
Isaiah Amoo is a practicing community pharmacist in good standing with the Pharmacy Council of Ghana who has meaningful experience in academia and industrial pharmacy. He is a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, England, UK and currently pursuing his overseas pharmacy assessment programme (MSc) at Aston University, UK. He had his MPhil degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He has about 5 years’ experience as a community Pharmacist and has also taught in academic institutions like KNUST, Kumasi Technical University, Royal Ann College of Health, and G-Health Consult. He likes to spend time reading medical research articles and loves sharing his knowledge with others.
Please I’m a community health nurse working currently. I want to know if there are distance pharmacy courses and the requirements for admission.
Currently, all pharmacy courses in Ghana are offered as full-time on-campus courses with no distance learning options.
Please when you study HND in dispensary can you proceed to study pharmacy at the University
Yes please, you can
My name is Hamidu Bukari and I’m interested to have a short term of pharmacy courses like 3 mouth’s courses and I need help.
You can try the Medicine counter assistant certificate course
Please Dr I am an MCA and I want to further and study pharmacy instead my grades in chemistry,physics and elective maths is not good and please I want to avoid rewriting and waste more money so please is it possible that I can go through the mature students root
You can try the matured student application
Dr. Please, my sister works working at a hospital with counter medicine Assistant certificate for 10years now. Can she apply for any of the related courses with her certificate? She went do to topup.
I don’t know of any top-up course made specifically for Medicine Counter Assistant certificate holders but she can try upgrading to a Pharmacy Technician
Pls Dr. am a teacher and am going on retirement 2025, I want to open a chemical shop with my age Sixty Do I Qualify? I want the six months course.
Yes, you can apply
Dr.please I am a diploma holder in psychology and foundations of education . please can I use that to apply for the technician or pharmD course.And also can they accept an E in core maths and a D in chemistry into the above mentioned courses by consideration? Please thanks
With a D in Chemistry and E in Maths, its unlikely to be admitted for PharmD. However, it may be possible to be admitted in any of the Technical Universities as a Matured student for Pharmacy Technology
Dr please I’m shs graduate but I had d7 in science and English please can I be a pharmacist with that grade, please what is the best course I can do and which school please.thanks
What of your performance in the electives (biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics)? Those are very important. You can, however, apply for HND in Pharmacy Technology, I guess
Please, Dr. I am I base in Nigeria and still like to read one of the six (6) month course through online.
Is any of the listed institutions in Ghana offering online the short courses?
If yes, please, link me into them.
Thanks for your help.
Emmanuel.
For now, I don’t know of any such offering such
Dr please I’m 30 yrs old, can I still apply for pharmacy?
As a foreign student.
Yes you can
Dr please am having General Business Certificate(Gbce)can i apply for Pharmacy?
You need a background in biology, chemistry, and physics to study pharmacy. Without these or another pharmacy related degree, it’s unlikely
Good morning Doctor, I am currently in school for Pharmacy Technician, so Please after the HND, is there any grade criteria that will be considered before i get accepted to study PharmD if i should apply.
Not really. For now, UDS offers an option for admission to 2nd year if you have an HND. However, you will take their access course and also go through an interview to qualify for it
Please Dr am a graduate nurse at home but I want to divert into pharmacy, my shs grades are from B3 to E8 and I passed my licencing exams too please which course will it be best for me to apply
You may qualify to study Doctor of Pharmacy if you apply as a graduate study (I am not totally sure though) but you may still have to start from the first year. With all the other programs like Medicine counter assistant and Pharmacy Technician, you will qualify for them.
After medicine counter assistant, can I do health facility assistant?
Certainly, you can
Hi
Good morning
Pls from what i read , it’s seems there is no bsc pharmacy agn in the various universities
But if there is as a Pharmacy Technician
What requirement do i need to do th BSc in Pharmacy and for how many years
Yes, there is no BSc Pharmacy in Ghana now. As a technician, you can apply to study Doctor of Pharmacy. Currently, UDS has a program to accept Pharmacy Technicians from 2nd year. Check out their website to get more information about that