Pharmacists Council (Vocational Trainees) Regulations, 2025

Made by the Pharmacists Council of Zimbabwe with the Minister of Health's approval under section 145 of the Health Professions Act, these regulations govern vocational training for holders of a Zimbabwean Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) or Bachelor of Science (Honours) Optometry degree, or an equivalent qualification, who are entered on the Register of Vocational Trainees.

Training runs for a continuous period of one year, which may include up to 21 days of vacation or sick leave and six days of occasional leave; the Council may allow more leave in special circumstances but extends the training period by the same amount.

A trainee must begin within six months of obtaining the degree, unless the Council permits a later start on written application for good reason. All training must take place at approved premises under an approved supervising member — a registered pharmacist or optometrist with at least three years' experience since registration — and the Council may withdraw approval of premises that are no longer suitable or that have no supervising member.

Training is either wholly in one branch — public practice, private practice, regulatory practice, academic practice or manufacturing — or split half in academic or regulatory practice and half in private or public practice. The Council may authorise a transfer between approved premises, and where a transfer leaves less than half the required period in a branch it may extend training by up to the shortfall, capped at 26 weeks.

Supervising members must report to the Council as required, trainees must sit any examinations the Council prescribes in writing, and on completing a period of training the supervising member issues a certificate to that effect.