Pharmacy

Pharmacy is the health profession concerned with the science of medicines and their safe and effective use. Pharmacists are the experts on drugs: their chemical composition, how they work in the body, how they interact with each other and with individual patients, and how they should be dispensed, counselled and monitored. In the modern healthcare system, pharmacists practise across a wide range of settings, from hospital wards and community pharmacies to GP surgeries and specialist clinics, and the profession continues to expand its clinical role.

At the University of Strathclyde, the five-year full-time MPharm degree is delivered through the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, which has an internationally recognised research profile. You will study pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, pharmaceutics, clinical pharmacy and the professional and legal frameworks that govern practice. Clinical placements are woven through the programme, giving you direct experience of pharmacy practice in community and hospital settings from an early stage.

The degree includes a year abroad, which offers the opportunity to study or train in a different healthcare system and to develop the international perspective that is increasingly relevant in a globalised pharmaceutical industry.

The MPharm degree is the qualification required for registration as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council in the UK, subject to completion of a foundation training year in practice following graduation. The profession offers strong employment prospects and a clear professional framework, with opportunities to develop clinical expertise, management responsibilities or specialist roles in areas such as oncology, mental health or medicines optimisation.

Beyond community and hospital practice, pharmacy graduates work in pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies, medicines information services and academic research. Postgraduate clinical and research qualifications are available for those who wish to extend their expertise.