Bachelor of Pharmacy

A Bachelor of Pharmacy (abbreviated BPharm or PharmB or BS Pharm) is a graduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. In many countries, this degree is a prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist. Since both PharmB and PharmD are prerequisites to license in most Western countries they are considered equivalent. In many Western countries, foreign graduates with BPharm, PharmB, or BS Pharm practice similarly to PharmD graduates. It is analogous to an MBBS vs. an MD, where MBBS is the foreign equivalent of MD. The degree provides training to understand the properties and impacts of medicines and develop the skills required to counsel patients about their use.

Bachelor of Pharmacy degree holders can choose various career paths, including being a pharmacist, doing patient counseling, doing further studies such as a master's degree, working in a university as a lecturer, or working as a drug information specialist.

In some countries, it has been superseded by the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degrees. In the United States, this degree was granted as the baccalaureate pharmacy degree only at Washington State University, where it has now been superseded by the PharmD degree. The degree previously offered in the US (and the required degree in Canada) is the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. In countries including Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is a prerequisite for practicing as a pharmacist. These degrees are awarded per the British tradition and are considered foreign equivalents to a PharmD.

Asia and Oceania

Australia

In Australia, the BPharm degree is awarded following a four-year undergraduate pharmacy program. Australian undergraduate pharmacy courses were previously three years but were increased to four years during the 1990s with an increased emphasis on pharmacy practice education. It is compulsory to undertake clinical placements during this undergraduate programme.^[1] During the early 2000s, two-year postgraduate Master of Pharmacy courses were established by many universities, but these have accounted for a relatively minor proportion of pharmacy graduates.^[when?]

All BPharm programs in Australia are accredited by the New Zealand and Australian Pharmacy Schools Accreditation Committee (NAPSAC). Programs provide training in fields including pharmacology, chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacy practice (including pharmacotherapeutics, disease state management, etc.), pharmaceutics, ethics, pharmacy law, pharmacy management, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, kinetics, and compounding medications.

At present, either the BPharm degree or the MPharm degree are acceptable for registration as a practicing pharmacist. See list of pharmacy schools: Australia for institutions offering the BPharm degree.

Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)

As with most honors degrees at Australian universities, the awarding of a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) (abbreviated BPharm(Hons)) is based on the completion of original research and a high-level of academic performance. All other graduates are awarded a pass degree. Unlike most honors degrees in Australia, an additional year of study is not required for a BPharm(Hons) as most universities integrate research and coursework in the fourth year of BPharm(Hons) programmes.

Bachelor of Pharmacy (Rural)

In 2003, The University of Sydney began offering a four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy (Rural) (abbreviated BPharm (Rural)) programme at its Orange campus. It was designed to address the continuing shortage of pharmacists in rural areas and placed greater emphasis on rural aspects of pharmacy practice. Since most of the units of study were common to both the BPharm and BPharm (Rural), many of the lectures were delivered by academics at the main campus in Sydney with a live video broadcast to students at Orange.

The programme was not offered in 2005, following the transfer of Orange campus to Charles Sturt University. Following a review, a new BPharm (Rural) programme was offered from 2006 onwards at the university's main campus (Camperdown/Darlington campus).

Although the rural programme has not continued, there remains a focus on a rural workforce within the degree to promote pharmacy a student interest in pursuing a rural career.^[2] Rural placements are encouraged in almost all undergraduate programmes.^[3]^[4]

Universities

Australian universities offering Bachelor or Master of Pharmacy programmes (circa June 2010):

Charles Sturt University – Wagga Wagga and Orange, New South Wales
Curtin University of Technology – Perth, Western Australia
James Cook University – Townsville, Queensland
La Trobe University – Bendigo, Victoria^[5]
Monash University – Parkville, Victoria (formerly the Victorian College of Pharmacy)
Queensland University of Technology – Brisbane, Queensland
University of Queensland – Brisbane, Queensland
University of South Australia – Adelaide, South Australia
University of Sydney – Sydney
University of Tasmania – Hobart, Tasmania
University of New England – Provisional Government Approval – Armidale, New South Wales
Griffith University + MPharm for Registration – Gold Coast, Queensland
University of Canberra + MPharm with Registration – Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
University of Newcastle + MPharm with Registration – Newcastle, New South Wales

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is offered by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) under the Faculty of Medicine. The CUHK Bachelor of Pharmacy programme started in 1992 and had been the only pharmacy degree programme available in Hong Kong until 2009. It aims to train graduates to function independently as professional healthcare providers who, as part of the healthcare team, can provide first-class pharmaceutical and health-related care for the health of Hong Kong citizens.

The Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree is awarded on satisfactory completion of at least three/four years of full-time study. To be considered for registration by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board Hong Kong as practising pharmacist in Hong Kong, the student must complete a further year of pre-registration training as required by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.

Starting from 2009, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has also implemented the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme under the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine.

CUHK offers 55 places while HKU offers 25 places in 2013.

India

The Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is usually known as B-Pharm in India. It is a four-year programme with both annual and semester schemes available. To be eligible, one must pass with at least 60% marks(First Division) in 10 + 2 (or an equivalent examination) with physics, chemistry, biology/ biotechnology/Maths as one of the subjects. Both PCB and PCM combinations are eligible. In some states, it is mandatory to give an additional pharmacy entrance examination to be eligible for the course, the entrance tests can be the state common entrance test or, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate)(NEET). It's also one of the most competitive exams in the world. D.Pharm. (Diploma of Pharmacy) holders are eligible for admission into B.Pharm. second year directly via a lateral entry in India. B.Pharm. holders can directly join into the 4th year of Pharm.D (PG) course.

Colleges imparting pharmaceutical education (D.Pharm., B.Pharm., M.Pharm., Pharm D) must be approved by All Indian Council of Technical Education(AICTE) and the Pharmacy Council of India(PCI).

For a student to be eligible for registration as a Pharmacist/ Clinical pharmacist in India, the college from which he or she graduated must be approved by the PCI. B.Pharm. is often superseded by M.Pharm., Pharm D (PB) and PhD-level courses although the minimum qualification required for registration as a pharmacist is D.Pharm.

Bangladesh

The Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is popularly known as B.Pharm. (Honors) in Bangladesh. It is a four-year programme with both annual and semester schemes available. To be eligible, one must pass with at least 50% marks in 10 + 2 (or an equivalent examination) with b

Colleges imparting pharmaceutical education (D.Pharm., B.Pharm., M.Pharm. and Pharm D) must be approved by the Pharmacy Council of Bangladesh (PCB) [1].

For a student to be eligible for registration as a pharmacist in Bangladesh, the university from which he/she graduated must be approved by the PCB and have to follow the rules and regulations of the PCB.

There are 13 public and 30 private universities in Bangladesh approved by PCB to offer B.Pharm. program.

Prominent public universities imparting B.Pharm. in Bangladesh are

Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka [2]
Department of Pharmacy, University of Rajshahi [3]
Department of Pharmacy, Jahangirnagar University
Department of Pharmacy, Khulna University
Department of Pharmacy, Comilla University [4]
Department of Pharmacy, Pabna University of Science & Technology [5]

Prominent private universities are

Department of Pharmacy, BRAC University [6]
Department of Pharmacy, State University of Bangladesh [7] Archived 2021-01-12 at the Wayback Machine
Department of Pharmacy [8], University of Science & Technology Chittagong (USTC) [9]
Department of Pharmacy, ASA University Bangladesh
Department of Pharmacy Archived 2021-01-10 at the Wayback Machine, Gono Bishwabidyalay, [10]
Department of Pharmacy, BGC Trust University Bangladesh [11]
Department of Pharmacy, University Of Development Alternative (UODA) [12]
Department of Pharmacy, Northern University Bangladesh.

^[6] and so on.

Pakistan

PharmD is the only basic pharmacy degree (5-year programme) awarded by universities in Pakistan. The programme is approved by the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan. Those who hold an older 4-year BPharmacy (Bachelor of Pharmacy) who are registered as Pharmacists with the Pharmacy Councils of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa can study at any university for a one-year evening and/or weekend condensed course leading to (post-B.Pharmacy) Doctor of Pharmacy which is approved by the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan.

Europe

Norway

In Norway, the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is awarded by Oslo Metropolitan University, The University of Tromsø and Nord University. The degree makes one eligible to work as a pharmacist in Norway. Norway also offers the Master of Pharmacy degree, which often offers higher payment and more job opportunities than the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree.

Ireland

MPharm (Hons) degrees in the Republic of Ireland are offered by:

However, in Northern Ireland (which is part of the United Kingdom) MPharm degrees (as opposed to BSc or BPharm degrees) are offered at Queen's University Belfast as in the rest of the UK.

Finland

In Finland, pharmacy is taught in University of Helsinki, University of Eastern Finland and Åbo Akademi University. A Bachelor of Pharmacy is called farmaseutti (dispenser) and a Master of Pharmacy is called proviisori. A proviisori degree (MPharm) is required to be a pharmacist.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the BPharm degree was awarded following a three-year undergraduate pharmacy programme. It was superseded in 1997 by the Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree, awarded following a four-year programme, as a result of European Union harmonisation.

Portugal

In Portugal, the BPharm degree is awarded following a four-year programme. It is necessary to become a Pharmacy Technician and there is no possibility to progress into a Pharmacist by doing a Masters degree alone.

North America

Canada

The following Canadian universities formerly offered the bachelor's degree programme and replaced it with the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy:

Memorial University of Newfoundland (last cohort of BSc (Pharmacy) students graduated in 2020)^[7]
University of Saskatchewan (programme launched in 2017)^[8]
Université de Montréal
Université Laval
University of Toronto
University of Waterloo
University of British Columbia
University of Alberta
University of Manitoba
Dalhousie University

United States of America

American universities do not offer Bachelor of Pharmacy programmes, however many do offer pre-doctoral programmes and other undergraduate degrees that better an applicant's chance of becoming a student for a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

South America

Guyana

The following universities in Guyana offer the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree programme:

Texila American University

Africa

Nigeria

The BPharm degree remains the most commonly awarded pharmacy degree in Nigeria, although there has been a recent move towards the clinically oriented Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The following Nigerian universities still offer BPharm programmes:^[9]

South Africa

South African universities that have BPharm programmes:^[10]

Nelson Mandela University – Department of Pharmacy
North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus) – School of Pharmacy
Rhodes University – School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus) – School of Pharmacy
University of Limpopo (Medunsa Campus) in collaboration with Tshwane University of Technology – School of Pharmacy
University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus) – School of Pharmacy
University of the Western Cape – School of Pharmacy
University of the Witwatersrand – Department of Pharmacy

Lesotho

The following universities have BPharm programmes in Lesotho:

National University of Lesotho – Department of Pharmacy

Kenya

The following Kenyan universities offer BPharm programmes:^[11]

University of Nairobi – School of Pharmacy, KNH Campus
Mount Kenya University
Kenyatta University
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
Kenya Methodist University
United States International University Africa
Kabarak University

Uganda

The following Ugandan universities offer BPharm programmes:

Mbarara University of Science and Technology^[12]
Makerere University School of Health Sciences
Kampala International University School of Health Sciences

References

^ Kirschbaum, Mark; Khalil, Hanan; Page, Amy Theresa (January 2016). "Clinical placements by Australian university schools of pharmacy". Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 8 (1): 47–51. doi:10.1016/j.cptl.2015.09.003.
^ Kirschbaum, Mark; Khalil, Hanan; Talyor, Selina; Page, Amy T. (1 September 2016). "Pharmacy students' rural career intentions: Perspectives on rural background and placements". Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 8 (5): 615–621. doi:10.1016/j.cptl.2016.06.002. ISSN 1877-1297.
^ Kirschbaum, Mark; Khalil, Hanan; Talyor, Selina; Page, Amy T. (January 2016). "Clinical placements by Australian university schools of pharmacy". Currents in Pharmacy Teaching & Learning. 8 (5): 615–621. doi:10.1016/j.cptl.2016.06.002.
^ Page, Amy T.; Hamilton, Sandy J.; Hall, Maeva; Fitzgerald, Kathryn; Warner, Wayne; Nattabi, Barbara; Thompson, Sandra C. (February 2016). "Gaining a 'proper sense' of what happens out there: An 'Academic Bush Camp' to promote rural placements for students: Academic Bush Camp" (PDF). Australian Journal of Rural Health. 24 (1): 41–47. doi:10.1111/ajr.12199. PMID 26119965.
^ "Bachelor of Pharmacy – Local – CourseFinder – La Trobe University". Archived from the original on 2009-07-22. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
^ "UODA : Life Science". Archived from the original on 2015-06-29. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
^ "School of Pharmacy". Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 2019-03-28.
^ "Doctor of Pharmacy". University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2023-08-21.
^ "Accredited Universities for Pharmacy Programmes in Nigeria". Pharmacy Council of Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
^ South African Pharmacy Council^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Registered Kenyan institutions". Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 28 Jun 2016.
^ "Mbarara University of Science and Technology | Succeed We Must". www.must.ac.ug. Archived from the original on 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2017-03-25.

External links

[1] Kirschbaum, Mark; Khalil, Hanan; Page, Amy Theresa (January 2016). "Clinical placements by Australian university schools of pharmacy". Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 8 (1): 47–51. doi:10.1016/j.cptl.2015.09.003.

[2] Kirschbaum, Mark; Khalil, Hanan; Talyor, Selina; Page, Amy T. (1 September 2016). "Pharmacy students' rural career intentions: Perspectives on rural background and placements". Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 8 (5): 615–621. doi:10.1016/j.cptl.2016.06.002. ISSN 1877-1297.

[3] Kirschbaum, Mark; Khalil, Hanan; Talyor, Selina; Page, Amy T. (January 2016). "Clinical placements by Australian university schools of pharmacy". Currents in Pharmacy Teaching & Learning. 8 (5): 615–621. doi:10.1016/j.cptl.2016.06.002.

[4] Page, Amy T.; Hamilton, Sandy J.; Hall, Maeva; Fitzgerald, Kathryn; Warner, Wayne; Nattabi, Barbara; Thompson, Sandra C. (February 2016). "Gaining a 'proper sense' of what happens out there: An 'Academic Bush Camp' to promote rural placements for students: Academic Bush Camp" (PDF). Australian Journal of Rural Health. 24 (1): 41–47. doi:10.1111/ajr.12199. PMID 26119965.

[5] "Bachelor of Pharmacy – Local – CourseFinder – La Trobe University". Archived from the original on 2009-07-22. Retrieved 2009-07-03.

[6] "UODA : Life Science". Archived from the original on 2015-06-29. Retrieved 2015-10-19.

[7] "School of Pharmacy". Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 2019-03-28.

[8] "Doctor of Pharmacy". University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2023-08-21.

[9] "Accredited Universities for Pharmacy Programmes in Nigeria". Pharmacy Council of Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-07-24.

[10] South African Pharmacy Council^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[11] "Registered Kenyan institutions". Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 28 Jun 2016.

[12] "Mbarara University of Science and Technology | Succeed We Must". www.must.ac.ug. Archived from the original on 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2017-03-25.

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