The Faculty of Pharmacy began its journey from the interim campus of Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology at Amanjaya, Sungai Petani, Kedah in 2004. The faculty was started with the appointment of two staff assigned to prepare B. Pharm (Hons) curriculum and LAN document for LAN/Pharmacy Board of Malaysia (PBM) approval. Subsequently, the School of Pharmacy obtained approval from Kementarian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT) in July, 2005. Few more staff was appointed in 2005 for the school which offered the programme with eight semesters, two special semesters and three training sessions. Dr. Sureshwar Pandey was appointed as Acting Dean.
The programme was started with the first intake of 39 students in December 2005 and staff strength was subsequently raised as per the needs. The school had the first monitoring visit by PBM in May 2006. Thereafter, the school acquired the infrastructure in terms of equipment and well-designed laboratories. The school was shifted to the new green ultra-modern campus in Semeling (April, 2007). In July, 2007, Diploma in Pharmacy programme was started. The second monitoring visit by PBM was held in 2007. Prof. S.A. Dhanaraj was appointed as the Acting Dean in 2008 and promoted to Dean in July, 2009 .
The first full accreditation visit by PBM/MQA was held in January, 2009. The school attained faculty status in the same year and few more staff joined the faculty including two locally registered pharmacists.
The progress of faculty is narrated in the chronological order as follows:
- 2007 – MOU signed with four hospitals for clerkship and training
- 2008 – Faculty student society (PHARMSA) was constituted
- 2009 – First full accreditation visit of PBM
- 2009 – Full accreditation awarded to faculty for 3 years (2010-2013)
- 2009 – Conferment of degree to first batch students
- 2010 – National Gathering of Pharmacy Students (NoGAPS) conducted by PHARMSA
- 2012 – Faculty student emerged as Champion in National Pharmacy Quiz
- 2012 – National Pharmacy Quiz was organized by Faculty of Pharmacy, AIMST University
- 2013 – MOU signed with JSS University, Mysore, India
- 2013 – Faculty was awarded with ISO 9001:2008 certification and IQNet certificate for Quality Management System
- 2013 – Obtained approval to conduct Master of Pharmacy (Clinical Pharmacy)
- 2013 – Prof. Mohammed Baidi Bahari was appointed as DVC, Student Affairs
- 2014 – Obtained approval to conduct Master of Science (Pharmacy) by Research and Ph.D. in Pharmacy
- 2014 – Prof. S.A. Dhanaraj was appointed as DVC, Research and Innovation
- 2014 – MOU with NTTT University to offer franchise programme
- 2014 – Prof. Mohammed Baidi Bahari was appointed as the Faculty Dean
- 2015 – National Gathering of Pharmacy Students (NoGAPS) was conducted for the second time by PHARMSA
Contributed by: Dr. Kaveti Balaji & Dr. K. M. Sundram, AIMST University, Malaysia.
(To be continued: the journey of another School / Faculty in next issue)
Source: AIMST E-Bulletin Volume I Issue II (january 2016)