The North-West University (NWU) continues to shine in academic excellence as Prof Jacques Petzer, professor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the Faculty of Health Sciences, has been recognised as the Best Examiner in professional exams for 2024 by the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC).
This prestigious honour celebrates Prof Petzer’s dedication, expertise and years of contributing to ensuring high standards in professional pharmacy examinations. Having served as an examiner since 2012, Prof Petzer has played a key role in evaluating foreign-qualified pharmacists, ensuring they meet the standards required to practise in South Africa.
“It has always been the goal to set a high-quality examination that evaluates the candidate’s ability to apply pharmaceutical knowledge rather than reproduce specific knowledge,” Prof Petzer said.
“The main challenge is to set an exam that assesses the core concepts of pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry – of which a candidate should have a deep understanding, rather than specific textbook knowledge. Many candidates are practising pharmacists and have been exposed to pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry only during their undergraduate training.”
Prof Petzer shared his surprise and gratitude at receiving the recognition, emphasising that it serves as motivation to continue his commitment to the field. “The accolade gives recognition for the numerous years that I have been involved with the professional examination, while also representing the privilege of being part of the task team,” he stated.
Beyond assessing examinations, Prof Petzer works with a task team that is dedicated to maintaining and upholding professional pharmacy norms and standards. His expertise ensures that future pharmacists are well-prepared to serve communities with excellence.
“The aim of the professional examination is to uphold acceptable norms and standards of pharmacy practice by evaluating the ability of pharmacists with foreign qualifications to apply pharmaceutical knowledge in the practice environment.”
In accepting this honour, Prof Petzer says he is privileged to be a member of the NWU community. “The NWU has provided me with the opportunity to follow an academic career path and has greatly supported my research activities,” he concluded.
As the NWU celebrates this outstanding achievement, the Faculty of Health Sciences continues to produce innovators in the field of pharmacy. With his award-winning contributions, Prof Petzer remains a pillar of academic excellence.
Prof Jacques Petzer is an active researcher in the Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacen ™) and his research interest focuses on the design of small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
