MPharm in Pharmacy

Key facts

4 years Full-time
UCAS Code: B230

Typical offers:
A Levels: AAB in three A level subjects, including Chemistry and at least one other science subject (Biology, Maths or Physics).

IB: 34 points overall, including 6 points in Higher Level Chemistry and Higher Level Biology or Physics, 5 points in Higher Level Maths or 6 points in Standard Level Maths and 5 points in Standard Level English.

Access:
We do not accept Access courses for entry to this degree.

BTEC & other:
Three Distinctions in BTEC National Diploma / BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science (Forensic Science, Laboratory & Industrial Science or Medical Science) together with grade B in A level Chemistry. AS Chemistry is not sufficient.

Two Distinctions in BTEC National Certificate / BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Applied Science (Forensic Science, Laboratory & Industrial Science or Medical Science) or Pharmacy Services & NVQ level 3. With these qualifications we also require grades A and B in A level Chemistry and one other A level science subject.

AAABB in Scottish Highers, including Chemistry, Biology and Maths. A2A2A2B1B1 in Irish Leaving Certificate including Chemistry, Biology and Maths and excluding Irish.

Specific subject requirements:
A level: Chemistry, plus one from Biology, Maths or Physics. General Studies not accepted as part of the offer. Additional AS/A2 subjects welcomed.
GCSE: English grade C, Maths grade B.

Tuition fees: £9,000 (£1,000 during placement year) for UK/EU students. (2012). More on fees

Applicants receiving offers are invited to an open day.

CRB & Fitness to Practice Information

Pharmacy virtual tour

Watch our video

Key benefits

Aston Pharmacy School established in 1919
A modern pharmacy programme in Birmingham designed to meet the developing role of pharmacists in all branches of the profession (pharmacy, community, industry).
Ranked in the UK's top 10 in The Times, Complete University Guide and Sunday Times rankings 2012
Fully accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council
Student work-based placements in all years of the programme.
Strong emphasis on professional studies and patient-oriented care
24/24 for Teaching Quality Assessment, and high student satisfaction ratings.
Research in the School ranked 3rd out of 63 universities in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)

Course outline

Aston University is one of Europe's leading Pharmacy Schools with over 100 years of history and reputation. Ranked in the UK's top 10 in The Times, Complete University Guide and Sunday Times rankings 2012, The Aston School of Pharmacy has excellent links with the profession. Graduate Level employment success is consistently at 100% according to the annual DLHE survey. The School's internationally significant research profile ensures relevant, expertise led teaching for around 150 students each year who enrol onto the Aston University MPharm programme.

The first year develops your knowledge of the basic scientific principles underpinning pharmacy. You will apply this knowledge to the dispensary and patient-based case studies to develop your patient-centred skills.

The second year extends your understanding of the pharmaceutical sciences - the chemistry of different drug groups, their formulation into medicines, the pathology of major diseases and the pharmacological basis of therapeutics.

The third year completes your study of applied pharmacology and medicinal chemistry. You will learn how drugs can be delivered to the body, and how medicines are prepared and reach the market.

The theme of the final year is pharmaceutical practice. It focuses upon the clinical use of medicines and the use of medicines for individual patients. You will also complete an extended research project.

Download the course flyer PDF >

Subject guide & modules

Year 1

In the first year, you will develop the scientific knowledge which provides a basis for the pharmaceutical industry. You also start applying your knowledge to clinical situations that you might encounter in a community pharmacy. You will study:

Physiology (how the body works)
Cell and Molecular Biology
Pharmaceutical Calculations
Formulation of Liquid-based Medicines: How medicines are made
Drug Molecules, Mechanisms and Analysis (pharmaceutical chemistry)
Dispensing
Responding to Symptoms
Personal Development and Key Skills: effective learning, IT skills and career management.

Year 2

The second year builds upon your understanding of the pharmaceutical sciences and your clinical pharmacy skills. You will study:

Pharmacology and Therapeutics of the Life Support Systems: how drugs work and therefore why they are used to treat disease
Pharmaceutical Microbiology
Pharmacogenetics
Structural Identification of Molecules
Biological Chemistry
Formulation of Solid Dosage Forms
Drug Development: how drugs get from discovery to the market place
Introduction to Clinical Pharmacy: understanding clinical data, drug safety, clinical consultation skills
Personal Development and Key Skills: written and oral communication skills.

Year 3

In the third stage you will complete your study of pharmacology and therapeutics, of medicinal chemistry and of dispensing law and ethics. The research methods and statistics course will prepare you for your research project. You will study:

Pharmacology and Therapeutics of drugs used to treat Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases
Chemotherapy and Selective Toxicity
Design of Modified Release Formulations: biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics
Pharmaceutical Technology and Asepsis
Medicinal Chemistry
Applied Clinical Skills: applying scientific knowledge to real patient cases
Pharmacy Supply
Personal Development and Key skills: research methods and statistics

Final Year

In your final year you will use and extend all the knowledge and skills you have developed in the previous years. You will develop confidence in applying your pharmaceutical knowledge to maximise individual patient benefit from treatment. You will also consider wider aspects of pharmacy such as evidence-based medicine and pharmaceutical public health.
You will study:

Advanced Drug Delivery and Targeting: individualised medicine
The Professional Pharmacist: business, risk management and law update
Pharmaceutical Patient Care: Advanced Clinical Skills
Pharmaceutical Public Health and Evidence Based Pharmacy
Advances in Drug Therapy
Research Project
CPD: your professional development portfolio.

Learning, teaching & assessment

The course recognises different learning styles and provides a variety of learning opportunities, including

Lectures
Practical sessions
Interactive workshops and tutorials
Hospital and other clinical/practice placements
Group work and problem-based learning
Self-study courses
Computer-Aided Learning (CAL) e.g. clinical patient simulations.

A wide range of assessments linked to learning outcomes are also employed, including

Examinations
Portofolio
Essays
Practical reports
Project work
Computer based assessment.
Interactive clinical examinations (OSCEs)

You will be continuously assessed through the four-year courser – contributing to 40% of your final grade.

Placements

Each year of the course includes structured practise-based placements in local hospitals, clinics or pharmacies. These will provide you with invaluable professional experience.

Please note that students who enter placements in the NHS may be required to pay for CRB checks and occupational health checks.

Find out more about placement and pre-registration years in the Life & Health Sciences.

Professional accreditation

Our programme is accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) for entry to their pre-registration programme leading to registration as a pharmacist. The Aston University Pharmacy School was founded in Birmingham in 1918 and our route in Chemistry and other medical areas are even older. Aston is also one of the original Schools of Pharmacy and is held in high regard by the Industry and the NHS confirmed by high league table rankings -top 10 in The Times, Complete University Guide and Sunday Times rankings 2012.

Career prospects

Our degree programme has been specifically designed for employability in all areas of pharmacy – community, Primary Care Trusts, hospitals and industry. Aston’s long-established reputation and professional accreditation ensure that career prospects are first-class. For example, in 2008/9, 2009-10 and 2010-11, 100% of our graduates gained graduate-level employment and pre-registration pharmacist places across the UK within six months of graduation. Major employers were Boots, Lloyds, Sainsbury’s and hospital-based pharmacies.

Personal development

Our course helps you develop the knowledge and skills needed to maximise your career prospects. Communicating with patients and fellow professionals is a crucial professional skill - you experience patient contact and engage in role-playing activities. IT skills are essential and we help you develop these in our up-to-the-minute IT teaching and learning suites and in our dispensary using specialist software packages.

You will develop a portfolio throughout your four years which helps you identify, plan for and record your personal and professional development.

Facilities & equipment

The MPharm utilises specialist teaching and research laboratories, recently refitted to very high standards in a £3m upgrade project. In 2008 we opened a new fully computerised medicines management suite to support learning of modern pharmacy areas such as clinical care and prescribing. The Pharmacy School is located in the Main Building at Aston University with all laboratories, lecture theatres and support offices located in the same place.

In some other Universities, Pharmacy programmes are spread across different campuses and buildings -meaning more travel time/inconvenience and less integration. At Aston University we are proud of our green, compact campus with all facilities on one site.

Teaching staff

Aston Pharmacy School
See a list of MPharm teaching staff >

Pharmacy at Aston University, Birmingham, is part of the School of Life and Health Sciences (LHS), which also includes Optometry, Biomedical Science, Biololgy and Psychology undergraduate programmes and a thriving research culture. There are over 50 teaching and research staff in Pharmacy with other LHS staff also undertaking Pharmacy/Life/Health Sciences related teaching and research.

Further information

0121 204 4101
lhsadmissions@aston.ac.uk