The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has reaffirmed the accreditation of the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), saying the programme remains fully accredited and should continue despite a decision by the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda to withdraw its recognition.

In a clarification statement, NCHE said the programme’s accreditation had not been withdrawn by the council, which is legally mandated to accredit higher education programmes and recognise academic qualifications in Uganda.

The council said MUST’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme was first accredited in 2010 and has since undergone several re-accreditations, with the latest granted on January 30, 2025, allowing the programme to operate until 2036.

NCHE added that all the re-accreditations were conducted in consultation with the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda, as required by the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act.

The council said it was neither involved in nor consulted about the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda’s decision to withdraw recognition of the programme.

“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 reads.

The clarification follows a public notice by the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda announcing the withdrawal of recognition of MUST’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme.

NCHE cited provisions of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act that mandate it to process applications for accreditation of academic and professional programmes in consultation with professional associations and regulatory bodies, investigate complaints against higher education institutions and recognise academic qualifications.

The council also addressed concerns about the leadership of MUST’s Department of Pharmacy following the departure of its former head in July 2026.

According to NCHE, the university’s former head, an associate professor of pharmacy, 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.

NCHE said the current acting head of the Department of Pharmacy is a pharmacist who also serves as president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda.

The council maintained that the staffing changes and the Pharmaceutical Society’s decision had not resulted in the withdrawal of the programme’s accreditation.

It therefore confirmed that the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at MUST remains fully accredited and that teaching and learning should continue.

NCHE also reiterated its commitment to receiving and investigating complaints concerning higher education institutions in Uganda, in line with its statutory mandate.