King Saud University's College of Pharmacy is the third oldest college in the university and the first to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmaceutical sciences in Saudi Arabia. It is among the region's top pharmacy colleges. The Clinical Pharmacy Department, one of five in the College of Pharmacy, was founded in 1379 AH. For 30 years, it has offered a Master's program in clinical pharmacy, graduating hundreds of pharmacists who have succeeded in various pharmacy fields, including hospitals, primary care centers, government and private sectors, and more. Following the continued success of the master's program graduates, establishing a new doctoral program in "Pharmacy Practice" is the next step for the Clinical Pharmacy Department. The term "Pharmacy Practice" includes clinical pharmacy, as well as other aspects of pharmacy such as community and administrative pharmacy. Pharmacy practice is the widely used term today to describe all aspects of practicing the pharmacy profession. The Clinical Pharmacy Department has 60 faculty members (assistant professor, associate professor, and professor) distributed between the male and female student sections, who teach and conduct research in a wide range of disciplines covering all aspects of pharmacy practice, such as pharmacoeconomics, translational research, health policy, pharmacovigilance, data analysis, biostatistics, and clinical research. The National Transformation Program has identified three strategic goals for transforming healthcare: facilitating access to healthcare, improving quality and efficiency, and enhancing the prevention of health risks. Accordingly, the Saudi healthcare system is undergoing reforms in several areas, including governance, efficiency discussions, value for money, safety and security, and privatization. All of these desired reforms are closely related to the content of the doctoral program; this program aims to develop many of the necessary skills among program graduates to participate in achieving these strategic goals.

Degree Name:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacy Practice/Pharmaceutical Services, Outcomes, and Policy
• Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacy Practice/Precision Pharmacotherapy

Program Objectives:

• Train highly skilled, independent researchers to conduct high-quality research in pharmacy practice.
• Produce original, high-quality research to advance research and scientific publication locally and regionally in pharmacy practice.
• Provide expertise in designing research studies, methodologies, data collection and analysis, results presentation and interpretation in pharmacy practice.
• Generate scientific evidence to improve community health, patient care, and efficient use of financial resources in Saudi Arabia's healthcare sectors.

Admission Requirements:

• General requirements as per the unified regulations governing postgraduate studies in Saudi universities.
• A full-time master's degree in pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, or related fields (public health, health economics, health outcomes, health administration) from a recognized university with a GPA of at least 3.75 out of 5 (or equivalent).
• A bachelor's degree in pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences, or a Doctor of Pharmacy, from a recognized university with a minimum GPA of 2.75 out of 5 (or equivalent), and a GPA of at least 3.75 in specialized courses (or equivalent).
• An IELTS score of at least 5 (or equivalent).
• Passing the department's written exam with a minimum score of 50%.
• A minimum score of 65 on the General Aptitude Test for University Graduates.
• Equivalence of certificates issued by non-Saudi universities.

Program Tracks:

• Pharmaceutical Services, Outcomes, and Policy
• Precision Pharmacotherapy

Required Units (36 credit hours + 12 credit hours for the dissertation):

Curriculum:

Level 1 (All Tracks)

Level 2 (All Tracks)

Level 3 (Pharmaceutical Services, Outcomes, and Policy Track)

Level 3 (Precision Pharmacotherapy Track)

Level 4 (All Tracks)