In the recent past, there was a heated debate regarding the implementation of Pharmacist Initiated Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (PIMART) which clearly depicts a change in the healthcare landscape. The mainstay question of the debates was on the skills of pharmacists in initiating ART.

At the 67th conference of the South African Pharmaceutical Students Federation (SAPSF) under the theme, "Pharming the future beyond the counter", we had a strong view that our profession must be able to produce pharmacists that can go beyond the counter to meet the needs of the patients.

The institutions offering pharmacy education in the country produce different breeds of pharmacists. Of the nine universities in total, three universities offer pharmacy education through a problem-based learning method of learning which unarguably allows for critical thinking and problem solving. While the other six universities produce pharmacists through traditional learning, they have also produced the best pharmacists in the industry today. These methods of learning can enable incorporation of clinical training, such as rotations in hospitals or primary healthcare settings, to enhance clinical decision-making skills and patient care abilities.

Some universities are responding to the demand for change by introducing interprofessional collaborative education. Collaboration with other healthcare professionals during pharmacy education can play a significant role in producing a pharmacist that will quickly adapt to the working environment. These are some of the programmes that must be made compulsory for pharmacy students. It is impossible to meet the modern health requirements using the learning methods which were developed with reference to the then existing health conditions. Pharmacy education and training must relate to the trends of the healthcare landscape.