The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has clarified that Mbarara University of Science and Technology’s (MUST) Bachelor of Pharmacy programme remains fully accredited and that teaching should continue, following a decision by the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) to withdraw its recognition of the programme.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, NCHE said the programme was last re-accredited on January 30, 2025, allowing it to run until 2036.
The council said it was neither involved nor consulted in the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda’s decision, which it described as unilateral.
“Withdrawal of recognition of qualifications of graduates of a given programme or academic institution is the preserve of the National Council for Higher Education,” the statement said.
NCHE said the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme was first accredited in 2010 and had since received several renewals, all granted in consultation with the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda.
The clarification follows a public notice by the professional body announcing the withdrawal of its recognition of the programme at MUST.
NCHE cited the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, which gives it the mandate to process applications for accreditation of academic and professional programmes in consultation with professional associations and regulatory bodies.
The law also empowers the council to investigate complaints relating to higher education institutions and take appropriate action, while responsibility for recognition of academic qualifications rests with the council.
NCHE further addressed concerns surrounding the leadership of MUST’s Department of Pharmacy.
It said the department was headed by an associate professor of pharmacy until July 2026, when he resigned to join another academic institution after being promoted to full professor.
The university subsequently engaged a senior lecturer with a nursing background and a PhD in pharmacology from Ghent University in Belgium to temporarily head the department, according to the council.
NCHE said the current acting head of the department is a pharmacist who also serves as president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda.
The council maintained that the programme’s accreditation status remained unchanged despite the professional body’s announcement.
“The Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at Mbarara University of Science and Technology is fully accredited,” NCHE said, adding that its accreditation “has not been withdrawn by the National Council for Higher Education.”
It directed that teaching and learning under the programme should continue.
The council said it remained open to receiving and investigating complaints relating to higher education institutions in Uganda.
The clarification distinguishes the programme’s academic accreditation by NCHE from the professional body’s recognition, amid questions over the implications of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda’s decision for pharmacy students and graduates at MUST.
