Pharmaceutical Technology

1. General Information
2. Entrance Examination
3. Framework Study Plan
4. Human Resources
5. Research Groups

1. General Information

Study Program Characteristics

Study program Pharmaceutical Technology fully employs recent scientific knowledge in the development and manufacturing of dosage forms, is based on the actual theoretical and application knowledge in formulation of dosage forms and drug delivery systems, and allows to acquire the study program aims and the required profile of the study program graduate.     

Information on Graduate Employment

Graduates in the doctoral program of Pharmaceutical Technology will have a complete and unique view on general and special methods of the formulation of dosage forms, their structure, physical and chemical properties, and the use of mathematical models targeted to optimize biopharmaceutical properties of the pharmaceutical preparations, including local and time profile of the drug release.

To acquire this profile, graduates need detailed knowledge about the properties of pharmaceutical excipients, particularly the polymer ones, the lipidic substances, surfactants and the other substances which can modify the drug release. Moreover, the knowledge of the methods of technological processing of these substances in production of dosage forms, including pharmaceutical nanotechnologies, the mathematical and statistical modelling of individual phases of formulation and manufacturing of pharmaceutical preparations and drug delivery systems is presented. The knowledge of the methods for evaluation of the final product properties and biopharmaceutical characteristics is expected, particularly for novel advanced delivery systems with modified drug release or targeted effect.      

2. Entrance Examination

Framework Content of the Entrance Examination

Oral exam from the knowledge of the general and special pharmaceutical technology.

English language exam for English language knowledge assessment (C1 at least).

Conditions of Admission

1. Admission to Doctoral studies is conditioned by successful completion of a Master's study programme.
2. Successful passed the entrance exam.

Additional Conditions for Bonus Points (e.g. Practice)

• Successfully completed university studies in pharmacy, medicine or natural sciences (rated 2 points).
• Diploma thesis similar with respect to the proposed Ph.D. studies of the candidate (rated 3 points).
• Indication of the supposed training center and the approval of a specific supervisor with the management of the planned doctoral project (rated max. 5 points).

Criteria for the Evaluation Exams

1. Professional knowledge level – reviewed on answers to questions stated in General content of entrance exam (max. up to 10 points)
2. Submitted doctoral project – evaluation of project complexity, modern methodological approaches to solution, and the continuity of the project on topics already discussed by the Subject Area Board (max. up to 10 points)

The minimum admission limit is 20 points.

The Dean decides to accept the applicant(s) who have fulfilled the conditions of the admission procedure and, according to the number of points achieved, ranked in the order corresponding to the predetermined number of accepted applicants for the particular program.

Dates

• deadlines and detailed information about the admission procedure
• currently announced dissertation themes

3. Framework Study Plan

Study obligations

The specific content of the doctoral study of each student is set by an individual study plan. It has to contain at least three exams from the following list:

1. Physical principles of dosage forms formulation 
2. Pharmaceutical excipients
3. Pharmaceutical technological processes in production of pharmaceutical preparations 
4. Test methods of pharmaceutical technology
5. Biopharmaceutical aspects of formulation pharmaceutical preparations
6. Dosage forms
7. Dosage forms with modified drug release

Students who have not read basic pharmaceutical subjects during their Master´s degrees will find these subjects incorporated into their individual study plans.

The student may as well enroll subjects offered in other fields according to the specific focus of their work.

An exam in English is a part of the study programme. This exam is not counted as one of the compulsory exams mentioned above.

Publication activity requirements

In accordance with the research project the student must demonstrate within the chosen field the ability to carry out experimental work independently, to continuously assess and process the results, and discuss them within the contemporary scientific publications.

The student is required to be a co-author of 2 publications in IF journals, and at least in one case the student must be the first author. It is also possible to publish only 1 publication with the candidate as the first author in a journal with IF above 5 and/or the first decile.

Requirements for completing internships

An inseparable part of the study requirements within the doctoral study programme is taking part in international internship with the duration of at least 3 months. The student is welcome to participate in international collaboration, e.g. taking part in an international project with results published or presented abroad, etc.

Other study obligations

An integral part of the individual study plan is a continuous publication activity and presentation of the achieved results at scientific conferences in the Czech Republic as well as abroad.

It is possible for the students to take part in the master education (practical training).

Dissertation themes

• Examples of successfully defended dissertations
  • Medicated polymer systems based on branched PLGA derivatives
  • The use of milling and co-milling procedures for preparation of interactive mixtures
  • Preparation of pharmaceutical formulations based on polymeric and lipid carriers
  • Study of substances affecting permeability of the skin barrier
  • Study of flow and consolidation behaviour of binar mixtures of Cellets and filler for preparation of multilayer tablets
• Themes of defended dissertations - Thesis repository
• List of current doctoral dissertation themes

State Doctoral Examination

1. Pharmacopoeial classification of dosage forms
2. Pharmaceutical manufacturing processes
3. Test methods of Pharmaceutical Technology
4. Pharmaceutical packaging
5. Stability of pharmaceutical preparations
6. Pharmaceutical excipients
7. Liquid dosage forms. Nasal and ear preparations
8. Pharmaceutical emulsions. Microemulsions.
9. Pharmaceutical suspensions. Nanosuspensions.
10. Pharmaceutical polymers, mucilages and gels.
11. Oral powders, cutaneous powders, granules. Capsules.
12. Tablets. Coated tablets.
13. Rectal and vaginal preparations
14. Ophthalmic preparations
15. Semisolid preparations for cutaneous application.
16. Inhalation preparations. Medicated foams.
17. Parenteral preparations.
18. Dosage forms and systems for targeted drug distribution.
19. Matrix systems with control drug release.
20. Membrane systems with control drug release.

During the state doctoral examination, the student is assigned a topic from the mentioned thematic areas according to the focus of the dissertation.

4. Human Resources

Subject Area Board

Subject Area Board Chair and study program guarantor

• doc. PharmDr. Barbora Vraníková, Ph.D.

Members of Subject Area Board

• doc. Dipl.-Math., Jurjen Duintjer Tebbens, Ph.D.
• doc. PharmDr. Andrej Kováčik, Ph.D.
• doc. PharmDr. Kateřina Kubová, Ph.D.
• doc. RNDr. Libor Kvítek, CSc.
• doc. PharmDr. Jitka Mužíková, Ph.D.
• doc. Dr. Georgios Paraskevopoulos, Ph.D.
• prof. PharmDr. Petr Pávek, Ph.D.
• Mgr. Richard Szrajber
• doc. PharmDr. Zdeňka Šklubalová, Ph.D.
• prof. PharmDr. Kateřina Vávrová, Ph.D.
• prof. PharmDr. Mgr. David Vetchý, Ph.D.
• prof. Ing. Petr Zámostný, Ph.D.
• doc. Dr. rer.nat. Mgr. Jarmila Zbytovská

Other supervisors other than the members of the Subject Are Board

• PharmDr. Ondřej Holas, Ph.D.
• PharmDr. Petra Svačinová, Ph.D.
• PharmDr. Eva Šnejdrová, Ph.D.

5. Research Groups

Research groups lead by supervisors of doctoral study program Pharmaceutical Technology

Syntheses of potential drugs and study of relationships between their chemical structure, biological activity and toxicity

Skin Barrier Research Group
Group leader: prof. PharmDr. Kateřina Vávrová, Ph.D.

Study of the pharmacokinetic profile of drugs, especially with regard to interactions with transport and biotransformation proteins and their significance in drug interactions

Group of Clinical and Molecular Pharmacotherapy
Group leader: prof. PharmDr. Petr Pávek, Ph.D.

Research on dosage forms

Dosage Forms & Drug Delivery Systems Research Group
Group leader: doc. PharmDr. Barbora Vraníková, Ph.D.

In silico models, statistics and other mathematical procedures for pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences

Research Group of Mathematical Pharmacy
Group leader: doc. Dipl.-Math. Erik Jurjen Duintjer Tebbens, Ph.D.