THE MODERN SYSTEM OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF PHARMACISTS IN UKRAINE: EDUCATIONAL TRAJECTORY, QUALIFICATION CATEGORIES AND CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52914/apmp.v7i2.84Keywords:
pharmacist, professional training, master's degree, internship, specialization, qualification categories, continuous professional development, competencies, pharmaceutical education, Directive 2005/36/ECAbstract
The transformation of the pharmaceutical healthcare sector of Ukraine, European integration, digitalization, and expansion of professional functions of pharmacists necessitate the improvement of the professional training system, which covers all stages of a specialist's professional development – from obtaining a master's degree to continuous professional development.
The aim of the work was to conduct a comprehensive regulatory and comparative analysis of the modern system of professional training of pharmacists in Ukraine, to investigate the features of master's education, internship, specialization, assignment of qualification categories and continuous professional development, to determine their relationship in the formation of a pharmacist's professional competence, and to assess the compliance of the national model with modern European requirements and international recommendations.
The materials of the study were the regulatory and legal acts of Ukraine regulating the professional training and professional development of pharmacists, in particular the laws of Ukraine, the Standard of Higher Education in the specialty "Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy", the Handbook of Qualification Characteristics of Occupations of Employees (Issue 78 "Health Care"), regulatory acts of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on internships, certification and continuous professional development, as well as Directive 2005/36/EC, recommendations of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The regulatory and legal, content-analytical, comparative-legal, system-structural, professioniographic methods and the generalization method were used. It was established that the modern system of professional training of pharmacists in Ukraine is multi-level and continuous and includes master's education, internship, specialization, assignment of qualification categories and continuous professional development. An analysis of the regulatory and legal support for each stage of professional development was conducted, a competency-based approach to the training of masters of pharmacy was characterized, the role of internship in the formation of practical competencies was determined, the importance of specialization and the system of qualification categories for professional differentiation and career growth was substantiated. It was shown that the system of continuous professional development ensures constant updating of professional knowledge in accordance with modern scientific achievements and legislative requirements. The results of the comparative analysis established a high level of harmonization of the Ukrainian model of professional training with the requirements of Directive 2005/36/EC and FIP recommendations, and promising areas for its further improvement were also identified. Thus, the system of professional training of pharmacists in Ukraine corresponds to the modern concept of lifelong learning and ensures the consistent formation of professional competencies at all stages of a professional career. Further development of the national model should be directed towards deepening harmonization with European standards, developing a competency-based approach, improving practice-oriented training, introducing digital educational technologies, and strengthening the system of continuous professional development as the basis for ensuring high quality pharmaceutical care.
References
Положення про систему безперервного професійного розвитку працівників сфери охорони здоров'я. Постанова Кабінету Міністрів України від 14.07.2021 № 725. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/725-2021-%D0%BF.
Довідник кваліфікаційних характеристик професій працівників. Випуск 78 «Охорона здоров'я». Наказ Міністерства охорони здоров'я України. URL: https://moz.gov.ua.
Закон України «Про освіту» від 05.09.2017 №2145-VIII. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2145-19.
Закон України «Про вищу освіту» від 01.07.2014 №1556-VII. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1556-18.
Закон України «Про лікарські засоби» від 04.04.1996 №123/96-ВР. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/123/96-%D0%B2%D1%80.
Закон України «Про систему громадського здоров'я» від 06.09.2022 2573-IX. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2573-20.
Стандарт вищої освіти України другого (магістерського) рівня за спеціальністю 226 «Фармація, промислова фармація», галузь знань 22 «Охорона здоров'я». Міністерство освіти і науки України. URL: https://mon.gov.ua.
Положення про інтернатуру та вторинну лікарську (фармацевтичну) спеціалізацію. Наказ Міністерства охорони здоров'я України. URL: https://moz.gov.ua.
Порядок проведення атестації працівників сфери охорони здоров'я. Міністерство охорони здоров'я України. URL: https://moz.gov.ua.
Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications. Official Journal of the European Union. 2005. L255. P. 22–142. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32005L0036.
International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Development Goals. The Hague: FIP; 2020. URL: https://www.fip.org/development-goals.
International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). FIP Global Competency Framework (GbCF v2). The Hague: FIP; 2020. URL: https://www.fip.org.
International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Workforce Development Goals. The Hague: FIP; 2020. URL: https://www.fip.org.
International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Continuing Professional Development/Continuing Education in Pharmacy: Global Report. The Hague: FIP. URL: https://www.fip.org.
World Health Organization. Global Competency and Outcomes Framework for Universal Health Coverage. Geneva: WHO; 2022. URL: https://www.who.int.
World Health Organization. Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030. Geneva: WHO. 2016. URL: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241511131.
Anderson C., Bates I., Beck D. et al. The WHO UNESCO FIP Pharmacy Education Taskforce. Human Resources for Health. 2009. Vol. 7. Art. 45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-7-45.
Bates I., John C., Bruno A. et al. An Analysis of the Global Pharmacy Workforce Capacity. Human Resources for Health. 2006. Vol. 4. Art. 13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-4-13.
Anderson C., Bates I., Futter B. The WHO UNESCO FIP Pharmacy Education Taskforce: Enabling Concerted and Collective Global Action. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. 2008. Vol. 72. Iss. 6. Art. 127.
Atkinson J., Rombaut B. The 2011 PHARMINE Report on Pharmacy and Pharmacy Education in the European Union. Pharmacy. 2014. Vol. 2. Iss. 4. P. 231–243. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy2040231.
Atkinson J., Rombaut B., Peeters M. et al. Education and Training of Pharmacists in the European Union. Pharmacy. 2021. Vol. 9. Iss. 1. Art. 9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy9010009.
Toklu H.Z., Hussain A. The Changing Face of Pharmacy Practice and the Need for a New Model of Pharmacy Education. Journal of Young Pharmacists. 2013. Vol. 5. Iss. 2. P. 38–40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jyp.2012.09.001.
Desselle S.P., Zgarrick D.P., Alston G.L. Pharmacy Management: Essentials for All Practice Settings. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2020.
Hepler C.D., Strand L.M. Opportunities and Responsibilities in Pharmaceutical Care. American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy. 1990. Vol. 47. Iss. 3. P. 533–543.
International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Pharmacy Workforce Support Personnel: Global Review. The Hague: FIP; 2023. URL: https://www.fip.org.
European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy (EAFP). Position Statements on Pharmacy Education. Brussels: EAFP. URL: https://www.eafponline.eu.
Council of Europe. The Pharmacist's Role in the Health Care System. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. URL: https://www.coe.int.
World Health Organization. Transforming and Scaling up Health Professionals' Education and Training. Geneva: WHO. 2013. URL: https://www.who.int/publications.
Nevzghoda O., Osyntseva A., Shapovalova V., Titarenko I., Shapovalov V., Dovzhuk V. Optimization of pharmacotherapy for chronic pancreatitis: use of ABC/VED analysis in marketing and pharmacoeconomic studies. Proceedings of Shevchenko Scientific Society Medical Sciences. 2025. Vol. 77. Iss. 1. P. n/a. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25040/ntsh2025.01.16. URL: https://mspsss.org.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/1125
Nevzghoda O.A., Shapovalov V.V., Shapovalova V.O., Osyntseva A.O., Protsiuk R.H. Optimisation of antibiotic selection: ABC and VED analysis of medicines against intracellular microorganisms. Tuberculosis, Pulmonary Diseases, HIV-infection. 2025. No. 3 (62). P. 68–79. DOI: http://doi.org/10.30978/TB2025-3-68. URL: http://tubvil.com.ua/article/view/336295
Shapovalov V., Shapovalova V., Titarenko I., Osyntseva A., Shapovalov V. Chronic pancreatitis: pharmacotherapy, prescription of drugs, meta-analysis, latest digital medical technologies of quantum medicine. Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Químico-Farmacéuticas. 2025. Vol. 54. No. 2. P. 475–489. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15446/rcciquifa.v54n2.117235. URL: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/rccquifa/article/view/117235
Shapovalova V., Nevzghoda O., Shapovalov V., Osyntseva A., Lavoshnyk O. Antibiotic pharmacotherapy of pleurisy, pleural empyema, infections of various genesis: ABC and VED analysis. Revista Colombiana de Ciencias Químico-Farmacéuticas. 2026. Vol. 55. No. 1. P. 88–108. https://doi.org/10.15446/rcciquifa.v55n1.125038 URL: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/rccquifa/article/view/125038
Shapovalov V., Nevzghoda O., Shapovalova V., Osyntseva A. Legal and bioethical foundations of human cell and tissue cryobanks in Ukraine: regulatory framework, challenges and prospects. Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine. 2025. Vol. 35. No. 4. P. 167–180. URL: https://cryo.org.ua/journal/index.php/probl-cryobiol-cryomed/article/view/2109 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/cryo35.04.167
Shapovalova V.O., Nevzghoda O.A., Shapovalov V.V., Osyntseva A.O. Tuberculous pleural disease (pleuritis, empyema): clinical perspective on first-line antituberculosis medicines and manufacturer-based content analysis. Tuberculosis, Lung Diseases, HIV Infection. 2026. No. 1. P. 36–40. URL: https://tubvil.com.ua/article/view/355442
Shapovalova V., Osyntseva A., Shapovalov V., Shapovalov V. Objective structured practical examination (OSPE) in pharmacognosy: Students' feedback from a cross-sectional survey. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 2026. Vol. 18. Iss.8. P. 102668. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2026.102668. URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/currents-in-pharmacy-teaching-and-learning/vol/18/issue/8
Shapovalova V.O., Nevzhoda O.A., Osyntseva A.O., Shapovalov V.V., Shapovalov V.V. Pharmaceutical care in self-medication: ABC/VED analysis of over-the-counter antiallergic medicines. Čes. slov. farm. 2026. Vol. 75. No. 2. P. E9–E15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36290/csf.2026.024. URL: http://csfarmacie.cz/artkey/csf-202602-0012_pharmaceutical-care-in-self-medication-abc-ved-analysis-of-over-the-counter-antiallergic-medicines.php
Shapovalova, V., Osyntseva, A., Shapovalov, V., & Shapovalov, V. Psychoactive substance co-use, non-medical drug use and polypharmacy among Ukrainian outpatients: a brief report. Journal of Substance Use. 2026. Vol.31. Iss.4. Р. 1-5. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/14659891.2026.2711689
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Viktoriia Shapovalova, Alina Osyntseva, Anatolii Derkach
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
