Pharmacy Practice and Education in Estonia

Abstract

The Pharmacy Education in Europe (PHARMINE) project studied pharmacy practice and education in the European Union (EU) member states. The work was carried out using an electronic survey forwarded to selected pharmacy representatives at community and hospital pharmacies, in the pharmacy industry and at drug authorities. The surveys of the individual member states are now being published as reference documents for students and staff interested in research on pharmacy education in the EU, and in mobility. This paper presents the results of the PHARMINE project on pharmacy practice and education in Estonia. In this paper, we examine the harmonisation of practice and education in Estonia with EU norms. Community pharmacies in Estonia provide traditional and extended services, of which influenza vaccination, the evaluation of the risk of diabetes, and medication use review have been introduced recently. Pharmacists (in Estonian proviisor) study at the University of Tartu for five years and graduate with a Master of Pharmacy (MSc Pharm) degree. A pharmacist can be the owner of a pharmacy, or work as a pharmacy manager or chief pharmacist in either a community or a hospital pharmacy. Assistant pharmacists (in Estonian farmatseut) study at the Tallinn Health Care College for 3 years; after graduation, they are mainly employed in community pharmacies. The University of Tartu is the only university in Estonia providing higher education in pharmacy at university level. The pharmacy curriculum is an integrated (bachelor followed by master), pharmaceutical product-oriented study programme. It was last updated in 2019. On that occasion, several changes were made such as the introduction of competency-based modules; novel methods in education and training based on the constructive alignment and the restructuring of the six-month traineeship. Several new courses focus on the concepts of clinical pharmacy and on patient-centred communication. In the current pharmacy curriculum, there is a balance between chemical and medical subjects. The traineeship is provided for six months at a community and/or hospital pharmacy in the 5th year. Currently, the pharmacy curriculum at the University of Tartu does not offer specialization in subjects such as hospital or industrial pharmacy.