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pharmaceutical science vs pharmacy vs pharmacology

Hi everyone,
I am currently in Year 12 and am unsure of what degree I should do
I am very passionate about chemistry and it has been my favourite subject for the last 3 years (hopefully that doesn't change as A-levels progress, but so far I'm finding it fine)

I was wondering what the difference between each of the degrees above
I have seen lots of videos about pharmacy and it seems like something I'd like to do as a career (since nothing else seems to interest me 😭)
but I want a very chemistry-related hands-on job that isn't mostly research or handing out prescriptions to people, so what would be best?
Reply 1
why not do a chemistry degree?
Original post by indyra
Hi everyone,
I am currently in Year 12 and am unsure of what degree I should do
I am very passionate about chemistry and it has been my favourite subject for the last 3 years (hopefully that doesn't change as A-levels progress, but so far I'm finding it fine)
I was wondering what the difference between each of the degrees above
I have seen lots of videos about pharmacy and it seems like something I'd like to do as a career (since nothing else seems to interest me 😭)
but I want a very chemistry-related hands-on job that isn't mostly research or handing out prescriptions to people, so what would be best?

Hiya,
4th year pharmacy student here. From your message, it sounds like you’re interested in a career that isn’t fully lab-based but does centre around chemistry. Hopefully I can provide insight into a few options for you, although my answer is probably a little biased towards pharmacy 😊

Pharmacy is a great choice if you love chemistry and want to apply it in a practical, patient-focused setting. In the degree we study a range of topics, including medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical therapeutics. Clinical skills are also integrated throughout the degree.

It’s not all about dispensing prescriptions, especially in sectors outside of community pharmacy eg. hospital pharmacy. There is also potential to work in industry, which might keep the career more purely chemistry-focused. Other than research, this could involve regulatory affairs or medicines marketing.

Pharmaceutical science involves studying drug design, formulation, and production, so it is very chemistry heavy. It is definitely more lab-based and will likely lead to a career in either drug research and development or academia.

Pharmacology is more concerned with how drugs interact with the body, so seemingly integrates more biology with the chemistry content. It also often leads to a career in drug research and development or academia.

Chemical engineering could also be a good option for you. It involves more physics and maths but opens up a wide range of hands-on careers.

Based on what you’ve said, pharmacy seems to align well with your interests—it’s centred around chemistry and offers a variety of hands-on career options beyond just dispensing medicines.

If you’d like, I can share more information about what it’s like to study pharmacy. Feel free to ask any questions! 😊
Lauren, University of Bath
Reply 3
Original post by University of Bath
Hiya,
4th year pharmacy student here. From your message, it sounds like you’re interested in a career that isn’t fully lab-based but does centre around chemistry. Hopefully I can provide insight into a few options for you, although my answer is probably a little biased towards pharmacy 😊
Pharmacy is a great choice if you love chemistry and want to apply it in a practical, patient-focused setting. In the degree we study a range of topics, including medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical therapeutics. Clinical skills are also integrated throughout the degree.
It’s not all about dispensing prescriptions, especially in sectors outside of community pharmacy eg. hospital pharmacy. There is also potential to work in industry, which might keep the career more purely chemistry-focused. Other than research, this could involve regulatory affairs or medicines marketing.
Pharmaceutical science involves studying drug design, formulation, and production, so it is very chemistry heavy. It is definitely more lab-based and will likely lead to a career in either drug research and development or academia.
Pharmacology is more concerned with how drugs interact with the body, so seemingly integrates more biology with the chemistry content. It also often leads to a career in drug research and development or academia.
Chemical engineering could also be a good option for you. It involves more physics and maths but opens up a wide range of hands-on careers.
Based on what you’ve said, pharmacy seems to align well with your interests—it’s centred around chemistry and offers a variety of hands-on career options beyond just dispensing medicines.
If you’d like, I can share more information about what it’s like to study pharmacy. Feel free to ask any questions! 😊
Lauren, University of Bath

thank you so much for replying!
you are spot on about me not wanting to do a completely fully lab-based degree

based on your response, it's likely I'd work best would pharmacy
so if possible, could you outline the things you cover in your degree (topics, research, any experience in the workplace) and what pharmacy at Bath is specifically like, and what steps you took to show your interest in pharmacy to show unis like in your personal statement etc

also if I did a pharmacy degree, is it good to do any other further education for more options or would this be enough to become a pharmacist?

sorry I'm asking really broad topics
for a y12 student I'm quite embarrassingly unaware of the whole university process compared to my peers and how everything works and how to seem like a good candidate 😭
Reply 4
Original post by kkskekejj
why not do a chemistry degree?

I was told it'd limit my career options, unless I specialised in something specific after the degree

I'd rather do a chemistry-related degree that could lead me to a specific career options soon after my graduation
Original post by indyra
thank you so much for replying!
you are spot on about me not wanting to do a completely fully lab-based degree
based on your response, it's likely I'd work best would pharmacy
so if possible, could you outline the things you cover in your degree (topics, research, any experience in the workplace) and what pharmacy at Bath is specifically like, and what steps you took to show your interest in pharmacy to show unis like in your personal statement etc
also if I did a pharmacy degree, is it good to do any other further education for more options or would this be enough to become a pharmacist?
sorry I'm asking really broad topics
for a y12 student I'm quite embarrassingly unaware of the whole university process compared to my peers and how everything works and how to seem like a good candidate 😭

No worries, I’m glad I can help 😊

Let’s start with the course structure. This has changed slightly since I was in the earlier years but it looks like the content is similar. First year is basically a preparation year it gets everyone to the same level with biology and chemistry. This consists of the units:
· Health and disease (biology)
· The chemistry of drugs (chemistry)
· The science of medicines (chemistry/ pharmaceutics)
· Preparing for professional practice 1 (pharmacy practice)

Then in second year you move onto the specialised integrated units, which focus on a specific body system and cover it comprehensively through different subject areas. For example, we often have pharmacology, pharmaceutics, clinical therapeutics etc. submodules within each module. These modules include:
· Specialised integrated unit 1: immunity, inflammation and infection and gastrointestinal disease
· Specialised integrated unit 2: cardiovascular disease and endocrine disorders
· Specialised integrated unit 3: management of respiratory diseases and dermatology (my favourite)
· Specialised integrated unit 4: special patient groups and surgery
· Preparing for professional practice 2
I think that 2nd year is the biggest step up in the degree. The specialised units have a lot of content involved but it’s interesting because you can always see how it relates to future work as a pharmacist.

In third year, you continue with the specialised integrated units:
· Specialised integrated unit 5: neurology and mental health (my other favourite)
· Specialised integrated unit 6: oncology and palliative care
· Medicines optimisation and prescribing in complex patients 1
· Preparing for professional practice 3
As you can see, the degree starts to shift away from the specialised integrated units at this point. The preparing for professional practice units are pharmacy practice based and most of our placements are within these modules. Medicines optimisation basically advances your knowledge from the specialised integrated units and applies them to real-world situations.

Lastly, in fourth year you spend the first semester working towards your pharmacy research project (master’s thesis). You have the opportunity to carry this out abroad - I’ve just done 3 months in a microbiology lab in Helsinki, Finland for mine. Then in second semester we have the units:
· Global health (a very small unit)
· Medicines optimisation and prescribing in complex patients 2
· Preparing for professional practice 4

In terms of lab-based practicals, we have some integrated throughout the degree in chemistry-based or biology-based labs (I’d say <1 week in total per semester).
The main opportunity for lab-based work is the research project in 4th year which can be either based on chemistry, pharmacology, or pharmacy practice (which is not normally lab-based).

Clinical placements are much more significant now. They are integrated throughout the course in community pharmacy, GP pharmacy, and hospital pharmacy. By the end of the degree, you will have had several weeks experience in each sector.
As I mentioned, there is also the opportunity to study abroad for the pharmacy research project.

There’s more info on the course content here: MPharm course structure
Every pharmacy school has to cover the same content, which is regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council, but it may be structured and taught in a different way. I know that Bath is particularly strong with it’s placement links, so that is a big advantage of coming here.

In terms of applying to pharmacy, I prioritised linking any experiences / knowledge I had to how they would aid me in the degree / career. It’s helpful if you can get some relevant work experience as this obviously directly relates but it’s not a dealbreaker if not. You could mention other skills you have, for example playing in a sports team could help with team-working / communication which will help with multidisciplinary working etc... Similar questions could also come up in the interview so it’s good to have a few of these prepared. I can’t give too much info on applying unfortunately as it was a long time ago and I assume they are looking for different things now. But if you attend an open day or Q&A session, lecturers are normally happy to provide more advice on this 😊

As for your last question, once you graduate with an MPharm degree, you just have to undergo a training year in the workplace (with an exam at the end) to fully qualify as a pharmacist. This can basically be in a whatever sector you like, although you do have to apply and do a test through a system called Oriel. Also, from this year onwards, we will be graduating with an independent prescribing qualification which gives us a lot more autonomy and makes us more employable.

If you do want to go into research, a second degree in the relevant subject could be helpful but it’s not a necessity.

Don’t worry about feeling behind, you still have plenty of time to decide where to be and what to do in the future 😊
This reply was super long, but I hope it’s been helpful. I’m happy to answer any other questions you have.
Lauren, University of Bath
Reply 6
Original post by University of Bath
No worries, I’m glad I can help 😊
Let’s start with the course structure. This has changed slightly since I was in the earlier years but it looks like the content is similar. First year is basically a preparation year it gets everyone to the same level with biology and chemistry. This consists of the units:
· Health and disease (biology)
· The chemistry of drugs (chemistry)
· The science of medicines (chemistry/ pharmaceutics)
· Preparing for professional practice 1 (pharmacy practice)
Then in second year you move onto the specialised integrated units, which focus on a specific body system and cover it comprehensively through different subject areas. For example, we often have pharmacology, pharmaceutics, clinical therapeutics etc. submodules within each module. These modules include:
· Specialised integrated unit 1: immunity, inflammation and infection and gastrointestinal disease
· Specialised integrated unit 2: cardiovascular disease and endocrine disorders
· Specialised integrated unit 3: management of respiratory diseases and dermatology (my favourite)
· Specialised integrated unit 4: special patient groups and surgery
· Preparing for professional practice 2
I think that 2nd year is the biggest step up in the degree. The specialised units have a lot of content involved but it’s interesting because you can always see how it relates to future work as a pharmacist.
In third year, you continue with the specialised integrated units:
· Specialised integrated unit 5: neurology and mental health (my other favourite)
· Specialised integrated unit 6: oncology and palliative care
· Medicines optimisation and prescribing in complex patients 1
· Preparing for professional practice 3
As you can see, the degree starts to shift away from the specialised integrated units at this point. The preparing for professional practice units are pharmacy practice based and most of our placements are within these modules. Medicines optimisation basically advances your knowledge from the specialised integrated units and applies them to real-world situations.
Lastly, in fourth year you spend the first semester working towards your pharmacy research project (master’s thesis). You have the opportunity to carry this out abroad - I’ve just done 3 months in a microbiology lab in Helsinki, Finland for mine. Then in second semester we have the units:
· Global health (a very small unit)
· Medicines optimisation and prescribing in complex patients 2
· Preparing for professional practice 4
In terms of lab-based practicals, we have some integrated throughout the degree in chemistry-based or biology-based labs (I’d say <1 week in total per semester).
The main opportunity for lab-based work is the research project in 4th year which can be either based on chemistry, pharmacology, or pharmacy practice (which is not normally lab-based).
Clinical placements are much more significant now. They are integrated throughout the course in community pharmacy, GP pharmacy, and hospital pharmacy. By the end of the degree, you will have had several weeks experience in each sector.
As I mentioned, there is also the opportunity to study abroad for the pharmacy research project.
There’s more info on the course content here: MPharm course structure
Every pharmacy school has to cover the same content, which is regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council, but it may be structured and taught in a different way. I know that Bath is particularly strong with it’s placement links, so that is a big advantage of coming here.
In terms of applying to pharmacy, I prioritised linking any experiences / knowledge I had to how they would aid me in the degree / career. It’s helpful if you can get some relevant work experience as this obviously directly relates but it’s not a dealbreaker if not. You could mention other skills you have, for example playing in a sports team could help with team-working / communication which will help with multidisciplinary working etc... Similar questions could also come up in the interview so it’s good to have a few of these prepared. I can’t give too much info on applying unfortunately as it was a long time ago and I assume they are looking for different things now. But if you attend an open day or Q&A session, lecturers are normally happy to provide more advice on this 😊
As for your last question, once you graduate with an MPharm degree, you just have to undergo a training year in the workplace (with an exam at the end) to fully qualify as a pharmacist. This can basically be in a whatever sector you like, although you do have to apply and do a test through a system called Oriel. Also, from this year onwards, we will be graduating with an independent prescribing qualification which gives us a lot more autonomy and makes us more employable.
If you do want to go into research, a second degree in the relevant subject could be helpful but it’s not a necessity.
Don’t worry about feeling behind, you still have plenty of time to decide where to be and what to do in the future 😊
This reply was super long, but I hope it’s been helpful. I’m happy to answer any other questions you have.
Lauren, University of Bath

thank you so so much!!!

you don't understand how helpful this reply was, and it gave me a much better/more detailed idea of what's covered degree and this will help a lot with what choice I make

thank you again for spending some of your time getting back to me :smile:
Original post by indyra
thank you so so much!!!
you don't understand how helpful this reply was, and it gave me a much better/more detailed idea of what's covered degree and this will help a lot with what choice I make
thank you again for spending some of your time getting back to me :smile:

No worries, I'm so glad I was able to help!

I'm glad you feel more confident with your decision now. The only other thing I would recommend is, after you've got a good idea of what course to study, look at the course pages for the universities you're interested in as they will be able to provide a good amount of insight into what exactly you will be studying. Then you can decide what is the best fit for you.

If you do come up with any more questions in future, let me know 😊
Lauren, University of Bath

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