The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has invited the leadership of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) to a consultative meeting to discuss the regulation and quality of pharmacy training programmes in the country. The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 10 a.m. at the NCHE Secretariat, is expected to bring together representatives of the two regulatory bodies to deliberate on matters of mutual interest.
In a letter dated October 21, 2026, and addressed to Dr. Jonans Tusiimire, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda, NCHE Executive Director Professor Mary J. N. Okwakol said the engagement would focus on accreditation, professional training requirements and institutional compliance with applicable standards. “National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) invites the leadership of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) to a consultative meeting to discuss matters relating to pharmacy training in Uganda,” Professor Okwakol said. She said the meeting would provide an opportunity for NCHE and PSU to address regulatory issues affecting pharmacy education and strengthen coordination between the two bodies.
“The meeting is intended to provide an opportunity for NCHE and PSU to deliberate on matters of mutual regulatory interest, particularly the accreditation of pharmacy training programmes, professional training requirements, institutional compliance with applicable standards, and coordination between the two regulatory bodies in safeguarding the quality of pharmacy education in Uganda,” she said.
NCHE requested Dr. Tusiimire to attend the meeting together with members of the PSU Council and other relevant officials who could contribute to the discussions. The planned engagement comes as the institutions seek to maintain standards in pharmacy education and ensure that training programmes comply with the requirements governing higher education and professional practice. The National Council for Higher Education is responsible for regulating and coordinating higher education institutions and programmes in Uganda, while the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda represents professionals in the pharmaceutical sector.
The letter was copied to the secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda.
Days ago, the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has challenged the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda’s withdrawal of recognition of Mbarara University of Science and Technology’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme, saying the course remains fully accredited and teaching should continue.
In a clarification responding to PSU’s October 19 public notice, NCHE said it had neither been involved nor consulted in the decision, which had advised students to seek transfers to other recognised universities or await compliance by MUST.
“The Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at Mbarara University of Science and Technology is fully accredited,” NCHE said. “The accreditation has not been withdrawn by the National Council for Higher Education.”
The council said the programme was first accredited in 2010 and had subsequently received several re-accreditations, all undertaken in consultation with PSU. The latest was granted on January 30, 2025, allowing the programme to run until 2036.
“The teaching and learning of the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at Mbarara University of Science and Technology should continue,” it said.
The clarification exposes a disagreement between the two bodies over authority to recognise academic qualifications and oversee professional pharmacy training.
NCHE cited Section 4(d)(ii) of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262, which mandates it to process applications for accreditation of academic and professional programmes in consultation with professional associations and regulatory bodies.
It also cited provisions empowering it to investigate complaints against higher education institutions and recognise academic qualifications.
“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 council said.
PSU had cited staffing deficiencies, the appointment of a non-pharmacist as acting head of MUST’s pharmacy department and the university’s alleged failure to respond within 30 days to a September 10 show-cause notice.
Its decision suspended the issuance of PSU pharmacy student numbers, recognition of internship placements and eligibility for new MUST graduates to sit its pre-internship and pre-registration qualifying examinations until compliance was restored.
NCHE offered additional details about the department’s leadership, saying an associate professor of pharmacy had headed it until July 2026, when he resigned to take up a full professorship at another institution.
The university temporarily appointed a senior lecturer with a nursing background who holds a PhD in Pharmacology from Ghent University in Belgium, NCHE said.
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