Some weeks are loud. Others are quietly meaningful.
This one leans toward the latter.
The news that my brother-in-law’s girlfriend passed the 2025 Pharmacist’s Licensure Exam (PHLE) was one of those moments that didn’t need fireworks or a big announcement.
Years of studying.
Years of pressure.
One name on a list that suddenly changes the direction of someone’s life.
So, first things first.
Congratulations Ping! and congratulations as well to all the new passers of the Pharmacist’s Licensure Exam of the Philippines 2025.
You earned it!
What Passing the PHLE Really Means
The PHLE isn’t just another exam you cram for and forget about a month later. It’s one of those milestones that sits heavy on your shoulders long before you ever walk into the testing room.
Passing it means:
- You’ve survived years of academic pressure
- You’ve memorized, forgotten, re-memorized, and actually understood things most people never have to think about
- You’ve accepted that mistakes in your profession don’t just affect grades—they affect people
And once your name shows up on that list, the shift happens. You’re no longer “studying to be” anything.
You are a pharmacist.
Why Pharmacists Matter
Pharmacists tend to live in a strange space in healthcare.
They’re highly trained, deeply knowledgeable, and yet often taken for granted because people usually see them on their best days—or at least their routine ones.
But pharmacists are:
- The last line of defense before medication reaches a patient
- The professionals who catch dosage errors, drug interactions, and contraindications
- The people patients quietly trust when they don’t fully understand what their doctor just said
They’re educators, safety officers, counselors, and sometimes emotional shock absorbers for stressed-out patients who just want clarity.
In many communities, especially outside major cities, the pharmacist is the most accessible healthcare professional.
No appointment needed.
No long wait.
Just a counter, a conversation, and often reassurance.
Why This Hits Close to Home for Me
I don’t usually talk about this but growing up, we had a pharmacy in Tacloban City.
It was part of my daily life.
Shelves of medicine.
Regular customers.
Familiar faces.
The kind of place where people didn’t just buy what they needed—they asked questions, shared updates, and trusted the people behind the counter.
I also studied pharmacy at St. Scholastica, made it to third year, and eventually realized it just wasn’t for me.
I guess I was immature at that time and believed that I couldn’t hack it as a medical professional.
So after years of soul-searching and working in the BPO industry, I shifted gears, took a business degree, and moved on.
I still think about the what-ifs had I continued and became a pharmacist.
Hmmm… I guess there’s still time.
Anyway…
About the PHLE 2025
The Pharmacist’s Licensure Exam 2025 continues to reflect how demanding the profession has become.
It tests not just theoretical knowledge, but readiness—whether a candidate could think critically, responsibly, and ethically in real-world scenarios.
Areas typically covered include:
- Pharmaceutical chemistry
- Pharmacology
- Pharmacy practice
- Jurisprudence and ethics
- Clinical applications
Passing means you’re trusted—by the system, by the profession, and eventually by patients.
Opportunities for Pharmacists in the Philippines
One of the good things about being a pharmacist today is that the career path isn’t narrow anymore.
Pharmacists in the Philippines can work in:
- Community pharmacies
- Hospitals and clinics
- Manufacturing and quality control
- Regulatory agencies
- Academe and research
- Corporate healthcare and compliance
And increasingly, there’s flexibility.
During Ping’s thanksgiving party last friday, a lot of people attended the gathering and were genuinely happy for her.
We talked a bit and I asked her if she’d consider working at Dr. Lorenzo B. Principe Hospital.
The answer remains to be seen. I really hope she does so that my brother-in-law also joins her and finally put his BSBA diploma to good use too.
She also mentioned wanting to work on the side as a virtual assistant, which honestly makes sense. Healthcare professionals diversifying income streams isn’t unusual anymore—it’s practical. …and realistic.
Because in this economy?
Sheesh!
Everyone needs at least 2 jobs to make a decent living!
Good luck to her on that front though.
A Career That Carries Weight
Here’s a simple way to look at it:
| Aspect | Why It Matters |
| Accuracy | Mistakes can have real consequences |
| Accessibility | Pharmacists are often the first point of care |
| Trust | Patients rely on them more than they realize |
| Stability | Healthcare remains essential, always |
| Growth | Roles continue to expand beyond traditional settings |
Being a pharmacist is serious work. And that’s exactly why passing the PHLE matters.
So again—congratulations Ping, and to every new pharmacist who passed the 2025 Pharmacist’s Licensure Exam.
You didn’t just pass an exam.
You stepped into a profession that people quietly depend on every day.
That’s a big deal.
Good luck.
And welcome to the long road ahead.
PS. Here’s my source of information just in case you want to know where the official news can be found:
November 2025 Pharmacists Licensure Examination Results Released in Five (5) Working Days
Posted on 21 November, 2025
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 3,670 out of 4,555 passed the Pharmacists Licensure Examination given by the Board of Pharmacy in N. C. R., Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga this November 2025.
The members of the Board of Pharmacy who gave the licensure examination are Dr. Adelina C. Royo, Officer-In-Charge; Dr. Mildred B. Oliveros and Hon. Anthony Aldrin C. Santiago, Members.
The results were released in five (5) working days after the last day of examination.
Starting December 17, 2025, registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be done on-line. Please go to www.prc.gov.ph and follow instructions for initial registration. Those who will register are required to bring the following: downloaded duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, notice of admission (for identification only), 2 pieces passport sized pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), 2 sets of documentary stamps and 1 piece short brown envelope. Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.
The date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony of the new successful examinees in the said examination WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER.
- Full text of the Official Result
- Performance of Schools
- Successful Examinees who garnered the top 10 highest places
- List of Successful Examinees
