Many practicing pharmacists in Hong Kong were first licensed overseas and decided to reside in Hong Kong afterwards. Most of them were came from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada. It is interesting that most of the first pioneer group of practicing pharmacist in Hong Kong did obtain their degrees from Taiwan since the pharmacy certification system was not mature in Hong Kong during the early 60’s. Since I was graduated in the UK, I have especially written a study guide for those who are planning to or interested to study in the UK. Visit the Study in the UK page for more information.
The mandatory board exam in Hong Kong
It is important to take note that any graduate from overseas who intends to practise as pharmacist in Hong Kong should first be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong. In order to be eligible for registration, the applicant has to pass the Board’s registration examination. This will take you roughly a year time to obtain your registration license in Hong Kong, given that you are smart enough to revise the whole exam syllabus in 1 month and pass all the exam papers in one attempt. (Don’t worry! there are exam tips and study kits to help you out.)
Education systems in other countries
The education system in overseas countries varies between one and another. In the UK and Australia, you have to complete a 4-year pharmacy course to obtain the Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) and Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) respectively, with a year of practicing experience and board examination afterwards. In the US, you will have to complete a 3-4 years of pre-requisite course, followed by a 4-year professional program in order to earn the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD).
Some other considerations
As the economical and political environment of the world changes every day, the academic admission rate and industry employment rate could change rapidly and influence your decision making on where to study. Movements such as the opening of more pharmacy schools, the saturation of overseas talent pool in the country, the reformation of immigration policies could limit the number of study and working visa issuance from the local governments. Remember, you must be licensed as pharmacist overseas in order to be eligible for the pharmacist registration in Hong Kong.