The Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) Council has officially withdrawn its recognition of the Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) program at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) with immediate effect, advising current students to seek transfers to recognized institutions or wait until the university remedies compliance breaches.
The professional body, established under Section 22(2) of the Pharmacy and Drugs Act (PDA) Cap 280, holds the statutory mandate to enforce standard practices, ethical conduct, and training benchmarks for pharmacists across the country.
In an official statement released on October 19, 2026, the PSU Council revealed that the drastic measure followed repeated failure by MUST to address critical administrative and staffing deficiencies within its Department of Pharmacy.
According to PSU, the university failed to comply with an earlier notice issued on April 16, which highlighted that the Department of Pharmacy was being led in an acting capacity by a non-pharmacist who is a nurse by profession. The regulatory body further cited an inadequate number of qualified teaching staff and pointed out that MUST had not issued any internal or external advertisements to substantively fill the position of Head of Department.
Detailing the sequence of regulatory actions, PSU Secretary Dr. Stephen Lutoti stated that the council issued a formal Show Cause Notice on September 10, 2026, granting MUST a 30-day window to justify why its recognition should not be revoked and its students transferred.
Dr. Lutoti explained that MUST failed to respond to the notice within the stipulated timeframe. Consequently, during its 61st Emergency Council Meeting at Pharmacy House in Kyambogo, the PSU Council deliberated and resolved to withdraw recognition of the university's Bachelor of Pharmacy program with immediate effect.
The withdrawal of recognition carries severe regulatory implications for both current students and prospective graduates. Dr. Lutoti warned that the PSU Council will not recognize any qualification where courses were taught or assessed during the de-recognition period.
Additionally, the council has suspended the issuance of PSU Pharmacy Student Numbers, the recognition of internship placements, and eligibility to sit for both the PSU pre-internship and pre-registration qualifying examinations for new graduates of MUST until full compliance is restored.
Addressing the plight of affected learners, the society advised current pharmacy students at MUST to either seek transfers to other PSU-recognized universities or await the institution's resolution of the highlighted grievances.
The council noted that if MUST complies with the inspection findings previously submitted to the University Vice Chancellor and addresses the issues raised in the Show Cause Notice, a follow-up inspection will be conducted to assess compliance and guide further action.
Dr. Lutoti reaffirmed that the council remains fully committed to fulfilling its legal duty under the Pharmacy and Drugs Act to safeguard the quality and standards of pharmacy training in Uganda.