Education and Training

B.Pharm.            Rhodes University           Makhanda, South Africa

MPharm.            Rhodes University           Makhanda, South Africa

Ph.D.                   Rhodes University           Makhanda, South Africa

Pharmacy

Teaching Interests

Dr. Farisai Chiwanza is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical & Administrative Sciences. Her teaching interests include social and administrative sciences, health literacy, patient-centered communication, and public health–oriented pharmacy education, including emergency preparedness.

Scholarly Interests

Dr. Farisai Chiwanza’s scholarly interests focus on pharmacy education research, diabetes-related quality of life, and salutogenic theory, with particular emphasis on Sense of Coherence as a framework for understanding coping, resilience, and self-management in chronic illness. Her work examines how educational interventions, health literacy, and patient-centered care models influence learning outcomes for student pharmacists and quality-of-life outcomes for people living with diabetes. She is especially interested in integrating psychosocial and public health perspectives into pharmacy education and practice.

Selected Recent Publications

Vhiriri, E.P., Msimang, A., Laubscher, R.K., Irwin, Y., Chiwanza, F*., Tandlich, R. (2021). Natural Disasters and the Role of Pharmacists: A Focus on Policy and Protocols in South Africa. In: Nhamo, G., Dube, K. (eds) Cyclones in Southern Africa. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham

Burton, S., Chiwanza, F*., Magadza, C., Ngodwane G., and Oltmann, C. (2021). Teaching through a pandemic: Life lessons learnt. Lifelong learning in pharmacy: Virtual Conference Proceeding 2021. Pharmacy Education 21 (4) 85.

Chiwanza, F*., Y. Irwin, and R. Dowse. (2020). Acceptance of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in a semi-rural population in South Africa. Health SA Gesondheid 25:1–7.

Chiwanza, F*., Dowse R. (2024). Coping with Type 2 diabetes: Insights from South African outpatients. The 82nd International Congress of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) 1 – 4 September 2024, Cape Town South Africa. Pharmacy Education 24 (7) 423. Poster

Magadza, C., Chiwanza, F*. (2024). Empowering tomorrow’s pharmacists: Unveiling social accountability through service learning on the Phelophepa Heath Train. The 82nd International Congress of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) 1 – 4 September 2024, Cape Town South Africa. Pharmacy Education Journal 24 (7) 423 Poster

Awards and Honors

Rhodes University Research Council Funding

Awarded: February 2019- March 2025

Henderson Prestigious Rhodes Scholarship (Masters bursary)

Awarded: October 2014 and November 2015

Clicks Prize for Pharmacy Practice

Awarded: 2014

South African Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences medal for Academic Excellence

Awarded: 2014