What is actually studied in a pharmacy degree?
Pretty much the title. Trying to decide whether to study pharmacy or chemistry.
Good page from Uni of Bath about the difference between Pharmacy and Pharmacology - https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/choosing-between-pharmacy-and-pharmacology/
Icewater..... pharmacy and chemistry are quite different subjects, and will lead to very different careers. I would imagine chemistry is quite lab-based along with lots of theory that could lead to a career where you are lab-based, whereas pharmacy has a much more vocational and healthcare focus. For example, all pharmacy students who graduate after 2026/27 will be trained as IPs (independent prescriber) once they join the register.
Around two-thirds, (60-65%) of pharmacy degree graduates end up working in that old 'chemist shop'! where you will mix your science with pharmaceuticals, along with retail and the general public! If you are not a 'people-person' then I would avoid pharmacy. Also it can be fast-paced, and pretty stressful, so I always advise any prospective pharmacy students with anxiety issues to do a lot of thinking and research before signing up for a pharmacy degree. I know all jobs can be stressful, But working with the general public, especially ones that are unwell can be very challenging and not something that all people want to do, or are capable of doing!
One of the ladies in one pharmacy I locum at, her son did a chemistry degree, then a PhD, then a PGCE, and is now a science teacher so that's one option, if you would enjoy 'shaping young minds' or whatever the current buzz phrase is! Again, must like kids and be very resilient and have a lot of stamina she tells me, about her son. And I'm sure most people know that there is a lot of prep and marking outside of the 9 til 3 day, and 13 weeks holiday, alongside the social part of dealing with parents, school trips, etc
I would pick a few universities you like and have a read of their sites where there is usually a section on all the exciting things you can do with a degree in chemistry.
As for pharmacy, it has changed an awful lot since I qualified 30 yrs ago. Both the teaching of the degree and also the work that you will be doing at the end of it all.
It will take you 5 yrs to qualify as a pharmacist, usually 4 yrs of full-time study, then a foundation year, that used to be called the 'pre-reg year', then you do an exam set by the GPhC, and if you get enough ticks on that then you will join their register and be allowed to call yourself a fully-qualified pharmacist!
The career path can be interesting and varied, and differs from the old days, whereby you usually chose the community or hospital path.
These days the split is roughly 60/65% community or retail pharmacy, 25% hospital, and then 10-15% of 'all the other stuff!'
This is where you want to be for the most interesting and rewarding jobs/career paths.
A rapidly growing area is working in a GP surgery or for the PCN ( look all these acronyms up please, save my poor old fingers having to explain!).
This is one of the most sought after career paths right now and you will be using your degree knowledge more by doing medicine reviews, possibly running clinics like asthma or diabetes and prescribing for those conditions, along with seeing patients in a clinical setting rather than the consulting room of the local pharmacy.
This 10/15% section of careers also includes things like research, teaching, and of course the pharmaceutical industry. Some universities will push this option as part of their recruitment narrative, but can go rather quiet when you start asking for figures. I read a comment on here a few months ago that said, of their cohort of 150, only 1 person secured a job in the pharmaceutical industry. If that is your aim then I would read the sites of lots of drug companies and pay attention to the section on degrees that they look to when recruiting. I actually did this last year, and you may see pharmacy listed, but alongside many, many other degrees like pharmacology, biochemistry, genetics, etc, etc.
A good starting point might be deciding what kind of person you are, (Myers-Briggs 16 personality types, assessments, available free online, can be v interesting/useful if you have never done this before!!) do you like people and healthcare, and the old 'want to help people' line..... or do you like wearing a white coat and rattling test-tubes in a laboratory all day with similar intelligent peers? I think this is a very important point, apart from my humour. And I have met many pharmacists and GPs over the years who felt drawn/pushed into a particular career because of family, siblings, money, status, etc. Although with the advent of the internet it is much easier now to research things in much more detail than it was back in the day. The point I am trying to make is, besides choosing a degree, you are also choosing the kind of life you will end up having, and I know it was something I never really gave much thought to when applying for pharmacy.
When I was 17 it never really crossed my mind to look forward 5 yrs to what I would actually be doing when I qualified. Hopefully these days, schools and colleges focus on this much more.
I will give you one rather silly example. Pharmacies tend to open on weekends, and as an employee you will probably have to work alternate Saturdays/Sundays too if somewhere like Tesco/supermarket pharmacy. This came as a bit of a shock to a couple of lads in my peer group who were sports mad/ went the footie every Saturday! It may seem a really trivial thing, but not looking at where and when they would be expected to work came as a bit of a shock to these lads. I know one of them actually resigned one job when he was unable to come to an agreement on weekend working.
But anyway, sorry for rambling on, TLDR : think about things beyond the degree, and the type of job you may end up with 5 yrs down the road.
Especially with pharmacy, some new graduates find it hard that, after five years, they are going to be working in a retail environment. Basically a shop! And not all of the public actually know that you need a degree to be a pharmacist! It has gotten a lot better over the years, but there is still the 'you only put labels on boxes' mentality out there in some people!
And depending who you work for, you may find that the 'shop' or retail part of the business receives much more emphasis than the professional side that you as a pharmacist are more concerned with. This area can be a particularly contentious one between pharmacists and non-pharmacist store managers.
But hey, I could ramble on for hours, so I will wish you well, and just paraphrase former PM, Tony Blair:
Research, research, research!
I only wish, as I'm sure most over-50s do, that the internet had been around back when we were in the 6th form to help with course and career decisions !
Around two-thirds, (60-65%) of pharmacy degree graduates end up working in that old 'chemist shop'! where you will mix your science with pharmaceuticals, along with retail and the general public! If you are not a 'people-person' then I would avoid pharmacy. Also it can be fast-paced, and pretty stressful, so I always advise any prospective pharmacy students with anxiety issues to do a lot of thinking and research before signing up for a pharmacy degree. I know all jobs can be stressful, But working with the general public, especially ones that are unwell can be very challenging and not something that all people want to do, or are capable of doing!
One of the ladies in one pharmacy I locum at, her son did a chemistry degree, then a PhD, then a PGCE, and is now a science teacher so that's one option, if you would enjoy 'shaping young minds' or whatever the current buzz phrase is! Again, must like kids and be very resilient and have a lot of stamina she tells me, about her son. And I'm sure most people know that there is a lot of prep and marking outside of the 9 til 3 day, and 13 weeks holiday, alongside the social part of dealing with parents, school trips, etc
I would pick a few universities you like and have a read of their sites where there is usually a section on all the exciting things you can do with a degree in chemistry.
As for pharmacy, it has changed an awful lot since I qualified 30 yrs ago. Both the teaching of the degree and also the work that you will be doing at the end of it all.
It will take you 5 yrs to qualify as a pharmacist, usually 4 yrs of full-time study, then a foundation year, that used to be called the 'pre-reg year', then you do an exam set by the GPhC, and if you get enough ticks on that then you will join their register and be allowed to call yourself a fully-qualified pharmacist!
The career path can be interesting and varied, and differs from the old days, whereby you usually chose the community or hospital path.
These days the split is roughly 60/65% community or retail pharmacy, 25% hospital, and then 10-15% of 'all the other stuff!'
This is where you want to be for the most interesting and rewarding jobs/career paths.
A rapidly growing area is working in a GP surgery or for the PCN ( look all these acronyms up please, save my poor old fingers having to explain!).
This is one of the most sought after career paths right now and you will be using your degree knowledge more by doing medicine reviews, possibly running clinics like asthma or diabetes and prescribing for those conditions, along with seeing patients in a clinical setting rather than the consulting room of the local pharmacy.
This 10/15% section of careers also includes things like research, teaching, and of course the pharmaceutical industry. Some universities will push this option as part of their recruitment narrative, but can go rather quiet when you start asking for figures. I read a comment on here a few months ago that said, of their cohort of 150, only 1 person secured a job in the pharmaceutical industry. If that is your aim then I would read the sites of lots of drug companies and pay attention to the section on degrees that they look to when recruiting. I actually did this last year, and you may see pharmacy listed, but alongside many, many other degrees like pharmacology, biochemistry, genetics, etc, etc.
A good starting point might be deciding what kind of person you are, (Myers-Briggs 16 personality types, assessments, available free online, can be v interesting/useful if you have never done this before!!) do you like people and healthcare, and the old 'want to help people' line..... or do you like wearing a white coat and rattling test-tubes in a laboratory all day with similar intelligent peers? I think this is a very important point, apart from my humour. And I have met many pharmacists and GPs over the years who felt drawn/pushed into a particular career because of family, siblings, money, status, etc. Although with the advent of the internet it is much easier now to research things in much more detail than it was back in the day. The point I am trying to make is, besides choosing a degree, you are also choosing the kind of life you will end up having, and I know it was something I never really gave much thought to when applying for pharmacy.
When I was 17 it never really crossed my mind to look forward 5 yrs to what I would actually be doing when I qualified. Hopefully these days, schools and colleges focus on this much more.
I will give you one rather silly example. Pharmacies tend to open on weekends, and as an employee you will probably have to work alternate Saturdays/Sundays too if somewhere like Tesco/supermarket pharmacy. This came as a bit of a shock to a couple of lads in my peer group who were sports mad/ went the footie every Saturday! It may seem a really trivial thing, but not looking at where and when they would be expected to work came as a bit of a shock to these lads. I know one of them actually resigned one job when he was unable to come to an agreement on weekend working.
But anyway, sorry for rambling on, TLDR : think about things beyond the degree, and the type of job you may end up with 5 yrs down the road.
Especially with pharmacy, some new graduates find it hard that, after five years, they are going to be working in a retail environment. Basically a shop! And not all of the public actually know that you need a degree to be a pharmacist! It has gotten a lot better over the years, but there is still the 'you only put labels on boxes' mentality out there in some people!
And depending who you work for, you may find that the 'shop' or retail part of the business receives much more emphasis than the professional side that you as a pharmacist are more concerned with. This area can be a particularly contentious one between pharmacists and non-pharmacist store managers.
But hey, I could ramble on for hours, so I will wish you well, and just paraphrase former PM, Tony Blair:
Research, research, research!
I only wish, as I'm sure most over-50s do, that the internet had been around back when we were in the 6th form to help with course and career decisions !
(edited 8 months ago)
PS.
To answer the main question we were taught separate subjects of :
Pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacognosy
Pharmacology
Pharmaceutics (the study of dosage form design)
Clinical pharmacy
Pharmacy law and ethics
To answer the main question we were taught separate subjects of :
Pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacognosy
Pharmacology
Pharmaceutics (the study of dosage form design)
Clinical pharmacy
Pharmacy law and ethics
Fast forward 30 yrs and the same stuff is now dressed up in modules with fancy titles!
Content in next post below, courtesy of Cardiff university.
Although the GPhC sets the core syllabus so all 30 schools of pharmacy will teach the same core material, then may add on bits of their own choosing/ or teach things in different order or year or modules.
The bold above highlights a very important point that is questioned constantly on TSR in the pharmacy section, this is that, in general, chains like Boots, Tesco, Well, etc, along with NHS hospitals and GP surgeries do not care Where you have studied the pharmacy degree, they only care that you have passed the pre-reg (foundation year) exam and are listed on the GPhC register.
Content in next post below, courtesy of Cardiff university.
Although the GPhC sets the core syllabus so all 30 schools of pharmacy will teach the same core material, then may add on bits of their own choosing/ or teach things in different order or year or modules.
The bold above highlights a very important point that is questioned constantly on TSR in the pharmacy section, this is that, in general, chains like Boots, Tesco, Well, etc, along with NHS hospitals and GP surgeries do not care Where you have studied the pharmacy degree, they only care that you have passed the pre-reg (foundation year) exam and are listed on the GPhC register.
(edited 8 months ago)
This is taken from the online prospectus of Cardiff university. It is worth noting that although you receive a Masters: MPharm, this is still an Undergraduate degree.
'Course structure
This is a four-year full-time degree, consisting of 120 credits per year. Since the programme leads, after subsequent pre-registration training, to registration as a pharmacist and is regulated, through accreditation by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), all modules are required modules and must be passed: the MPharm award is made only upon achievement of the full 480 credits from the full set of required modules.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2024/2025 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2024.
Year one
In year one you will learn about the role of the pharmacist in the UK. It has altered drastically in the past 40 years, with a shift from a more traditional dispensing role to that of a patient-focused provider of clinical services. Pharmaceutical care is the focus of attention and pharmacists have been highlighted as the sole profession specifically educated to deliver pharmaceutical services. Learning about your future role will provide a building block for the remainder of the MPharm course where optimising pharmaceutical care is the ultimate outcome.
The aim is to provide an introduction to the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacy within healthcare systems, in public health and more widely in society.
Your specific study will focus on the healthy human and patient-self-care, the fundamentals of pharmaceutical science, and medicines in healthcare.
Core modules for year one
Module title Module code Credits
Professional Development PH1000 1 credits
Molecule to Patient PH1121 10 credits
The Role of the Pharmacist in Professional Practice PH1122 30 credits
Structure and Function of Cells and Microbes PH1123 20 credits
Human Body Systems PH1124 30 credits
Chemical and Biological Properties of Drug Molecules PH1125 30 credits
Year two
In year two you will have the opportunity to demonstrate attitudes, behaviours and skills-development of a future health professional preparing for safe and evidence-based practice focused on the needs of the patient and society
Your specific study will focus on the use of medicines in priority clinical areas such as heart disease, asthma, and gastro-intestinal diseases.
Core modules for year two
Module title Module code Credits
Professional Development PH2000 1 credits
Formulation Science 1 PH2107 30 credits
Clinical and Professional Pharmacy PH2110 30 credits
Diseases and Drugs 1 PH2113 30 credits
Principles of Drug Design and Drug Disposition PH2114 30 credits
Year three
In year three your study will focus on the use of medicines in more complex clinical areas such as the optimisation of pharmaceutical care for patients with cancer, neurological diseases, infection with multiply-antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.
Core modules for year three
Module title Module code Credits
Professional Development PH3000 1 credits
Optimisation of Pharmaceutical Care PH3110 30 credits
Diseases and Drugs 2 PH3113 30 credits
Design, Formulation and Quality Assurance of Medicinal Products PH3114 30 credits
Evidence based approaches to new therapies PH3115 30 credits
Year four
The final year features a research or development project and also develops students to prepare for holistic healthcare; challenging them to make decisions, take responsibility, manage change and deal with uncertainty.
Core modules for year four
Module title Module code Credits
Professional Development PH4000 1 credits
Pharmacy Research or Scholarship Project PH4116 40 credits
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy Practice and the Population PH4117 40 credits
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy Practice and the Patient PH4118 40 credits
What skills will I practise and develop?
You will acquire and develop a range of valuable skills, both those which are discipline specific and more generic ‘employability skills’.
As a result of engaging fully with this course, you will be able to:
evidence and apply a systematic knowledge and understanding of the scientific, clinical, professional, social, legal and ethical aspects of the use and misuse of medicinal agents;
evidence a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights in pharmacy, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of pharmaceutical science and practice;
evidence and apply understanding of techniques applicable to research or advanced scholarship;
demonstrate the application of knowledge to practice;
evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in pharmaceutical science and practice;
evaluate research methodologies and develop critiques of them;
communicate effectively with patients, the public and other members of the healthcare team;
supply medicines dependably in accordance with pharmacy knowledge, legislation, professional conduct and with other aspects of pharmacy law and ethics;
undertake continuing professional development and independent learning;
undertake preregistration training and thereby qualify as a pharmacist in the UK.
Types of jobs:
Hospital Pharmacist - as a hospital pharmacist, you’d be a key part of the healthcare team, working in either the NHS or a private hospital, with a clear focus on patient needs.
Community Pharmacist - based in your own pharmacy, out of a local healthcare centre or doctor’s surgery, you’d be at the frontline of healthcare in the UK or overseas. With further study, you may prescribe medicines independently.
Primary care Pharmacist – as a primary care pharmacist you will optimise patient’s medicines to maximise the benefits and minimise the risks associated with different drugs. You will also help to develop services to support the local population with their health needs.
Industrial Pharmacist - you’d be involved in the research, design, development and testing of new medicines and treatments, ensuring they are safe and of a good quality for patients.
Academic Pharmacist - if teaching, researching, practising or a combination of all three appeals to you, becoming an Academic Pharmacist could be for you. You might be based in universities, research institutions or other organisations throughout the world.'
'Course structure
This is a four-year full-time degree, consisting of 120 credits per year. Since the programme leads, after subsequent pre-registration training, to registration as a pharmacist and is regulated, through accreditation by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), all modules are required modules and must be passed: the MPharm award is made only upon achievement of the full 480 credits from the full set of required modules.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2024/2025 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2024.
Year one
In year one you will learn about the role of the pharmacist in the UK. It has altered drastically in the past 40 years, with a shift from a more traditional dispensing role to that of a patient-focused provider of clinical services. Pharmaceutical care is the focus of attention and pharmacists have been highlighted as the sole profession specifically educated to deliver pharmaceutical services. Learning about your future role will provide a building block for the remainder of the MPharm course where optimising pharmaceutical care is the ultimate outcome.
The aim is to provide an introduction to the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacy within healthcare systems, in public health and more widely in society.
Your specific study will focus on the healthy human and patient-self-care, the fundamentals of pharmaceutical science, and medicines in healthcare.
Core modules for year one
Module title Module code Credits
Professional Development PH1000 1 credits
Molecule to Patient PH1121 10 credits
The Role of the Pharmacist in Professional Practice PH1122 30 credits
Structure and Function of Cells and Microbes PH1123 20 credits
Human Body Systems PH1124 30 credits
Chemical and Biological Properties of Drug Molecules PH1125 30 credits
Year two
In year two you will have the opportunity to demonstrate attitudes, behaviours and skills-development of a future health professional preparing for safe and evidence-based practice focused on the needs of the patient and society
Your specific study will focus on the use of medicines in priority clinical areas such as heart disease, asthma, and gastro-intestinal diseases.
Core modules for year two
Module title Module code Credits
Professional Development PH2000 1 credits
Formulation Science 1 PH2107 30 credits
Clinical and Professional Pharmacy PH2110 30 credits
Diseases and Drugs 1 PH2113 30 credits
Principles of Drug Design and Drug Disposition PH2114 30 credits
Year three
In year three your study will focus on the use of medicines in more complex clinical areas such as the optimisation of pharmaceutical care for patients with cancer, neurological diseases, infection with multiply-antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.
Core modules for year three
Module title Module code Credits
Professional Development PH3000 1 credits
Optimisation of Pharmaceutical Care PH3110 30 credits
Diseases and Drugs 2 PH3113 30 credits
Design, Formulation and Quality Assurance of Medicinal Products PH3114 30 credits
Evidence based approaches to new therapies PH3115 30 credits
Year four
The final year features a research or development project and also develops students to prepare for holistic healthcare; challenging them to make decisions, take responsibility, manage change and deal with uncertainty.
Core modules for year four
Module title Module code Credits
Professional Development PH4000 1 credits
Pharmacy Research or Scholarship Project PH4116 40 credits
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy Practice and the Population PH4117 40 credits
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy Practice and the Patient PH4118 40 credits
What skills will I practise and develop?
You will acquire and develop a range of valuable skills, both those which are discipline specific and more generic ‘employability skills’.
As a result of engaging fully with this course, you will be able to:
evidence and apply a systematic knowledge and understanding of the scientific, clinical, professional, social, legal and ethical aspects of the use and misuse of medicinal agents;
evidence a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights in pharmacy, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of pharmaceutical science and practice;
evidence and apply understanding of techniques applicable to research or advanced scholarship;
demonstrate the application of knowledge to practice;
evaluate critically current research and advanced scholarship in pharmaceutical science and practice;
evaluate research methodologies and develop critiques of them;
communicate effectively with patients, the public and other members of the healthcare team;
supply medicines dependably in accordance with pharmacy knowledge, legislation, professional conduct and with other aspects of pharmacy law and ethics;
undertake continuing professional development and independent learning;
undertake preregistration training and thereby qualify as a pharmacist in the UK.
Types of jobs:
Hospital Pharmacist - as a hospital pharmacist, you’d be a key part of the healthcare team, working in either the NHS or a private hospital, with a clear focus on patient needs.
Community Pharmacist - based in your own pharmacy, out of a local healthcare centre or doctor’s surgery, you’d be at the frontline of healthcare in the UK or overseas. With further study, you may prescribe medicines independently.
Primary care Pharmacist – as a primary care pharmacist you will optimise patient’s medicines to maximise the benefits and minimise the risks associated with different drugs. You will also help to develop services to support the local population with their health needs.
Industrial Pharmacist - you’d be involved in the research, design, development and testing of new medicines and treatments, ensuring they are safe and of a good quality for patients.
Academic Pharmacist - if teaching, researching, practising or a combination of all three appeals to you, becoming an Academic Pharmacist could be for you. You might be based in universities, research institutions or other organisations throughout the world.'
(edited 8 months ago)
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