51ÊÓƵ

CONTENTS

1. What’s Pharmacology & Pharmacy?

2. What Pharmacology & Pharmacy degrees can you study?

3. What do you need to get onto a Pharmacology & Pharmacy degree?

4. What topics does a Pharmacology & Pharmacy degree cover?

5. How will you be assessed?

6. Why study Pharmacology & Pharmacy?

7. What do Pharmacology & Pharmacy graduates earn?

8. What jobs can you get as a Pharmacology & Pharmacy graduate?

9. What are the postgraduate opportunities?

10. Similar subjects to Pharmacology & Pharmacy

11. Have any questions?

What’s Pharmacology & Pharmacy?

Pharmacology is a branch of medicine and biology. It’s concerned with the study of drug action (where a drug can be broadly defined as any human-made, natural or endogenous substance).

Pharmacy is the science and technique of preparing and dispensing drugs produced by pharmacologists. It links health with chemical sciences to ensure safe and effective use.

Work in this field and you could contribute to healthcare. By, for example, discovering new drugs or administering vaccinations, like for flu or COVID-19.

Look at the university league table for Pharmacology & Pharmacy.

What Pharmacology & Pharmacy degrees can you study?

Undergraduate degrees in this subject area include single and joint honours. Examples of degree courses:

Pharmacology BSc/MSci

You can typically earn a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Pharmacology. An alternative is an undergraduate degree with an integrated master’s, awarded with a Master of Science (MSci). In both, you’ll learn about biochemistry, toxicology, drug development and how drugs affect people.

Find Pharmacology courses.

Pharmacy BSc/MPharm

Similarly, with this degree, you can gain a BSc or a Master in Pharmacy (MPharm). An MPharm is the standard qualification you need to practice as a pharmacist in the UK. Courses usually include plenty of practical training.

Search for Pharmacy courses.

Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry BSc

Gain a strong foundation in Chemistry while building specialised knowledge in the design and development of pharmaceutical drugs. It’s interdisciplinary, and you could end up working in fields like drug discovery or pharmaceutical analysis.

Find Medicinal Chemistry courses.

Pharmacology and Physiology BSc

This course combines teaching in medical drugs with the study of how our bodies function. It opens many career doors; you could work in healthcare, research or industry.

Search Pharmacology and Physiology courses.

Other options

Like the integrated master’s, some courses offer an integrated foundation year. You might also have professional placement or study abroad opportunities.

Some MPharm degrees integrate the pre-registration practice you need for qualifying as a pharmacist.

What do you need to get onto a Pharmacology & Pharmacy degree?

Most undergraduate Pharmacology & Pharmacy courses ask for 120–136 UCAS points, although foundation entry and contextual offers will have lower requirements. Qualifications may include:

• A Levels: A*AA–BBB (ABB typical for MPharm)
• BTECs: DDD–DDM (sometimes with A Levels)
• Scottish Highers: AAAAB–AAAB (Advanced Highers: AAB–BB)
• International Baccalaureate: 38–32
• Universities will usually ask that you have studied: chemistry plus one or two other science subjects at A Level (or equivalent)

Other good subjects to have studied include:

• Biology, physics, maths
• General studies A Level may not be acceptable
• A minimum of five GCSEs (or equivalent) including maths, English and a science

Experience that would look good on your application:

• Work placement in the NHS, community pharmacy or an academic research lab
• Work or volunteering roles that could give you insights into the effects of illnesses or health conditions on people’s lives
• Knowledge of the work and any areas of interest. You can find information on the websites of professional bodies like the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) or British Pharmacological Society (BPS)
• Summer schools, if available – these could include In2scienceUK or Sutton Trust

Other requirements for this subject include:

• Pass in the practical element of science taken at A Level
• Interview, which may include an admission test at some universities
• MPharm applicants will need to complete Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) checks (PVG scheme in Scotland)

What topics does a Pharmacology & Pharmacy degree cover?

Typical modules for courses in this subject include:

• Business and pharmaceutical enterprise
• Cellular and molecular biology
• Chemistry for pharmacists
• Clinical drug development
• Experimental pharmacology
• Health, disease and therapeutics
• Toxins, toxicants and toxicity

How will you be assessed?

Assessments are usually carried out by a mixture of the following and will vary from module to module:

• Coursework
• Exams
• Group projects
• Presentations
• Research project

Why study Pharmacology & Pharmacy?

This subject area could lead to a career that's at the forefront of medical research. Evaluating new-generation antibiotics, solving the problems of drug toxicity, and finding the best way to treat diseases – pharmacologists are pioneers, pharmacists are practitioners.

Career-specific skills:

• Knowledge of how medicines are discovered, developed and manufactured
• Understanding the biological effects of medicines on patients, including drug interactions and contraindications
• Working within regulatory and ethical guidelines

Transferable skills:

• Analytical and critical thinking
• Communication
• Methodical and accurate
• Numerical and digital skills
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Teamwork and leadership

Professional accreditation:

• Pharmacy MPharm degrees must be accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Pharmacology degrees may be accredited by the Royal Society of Biology or the Royal Society of Chemistry (meeting the academic criteria for Chartered Chemist CChem)

What do Pharmacology & Pharmacy graduates earn?

Pharmacology & Pharmacy graduates can expect an entry-level salary of around £19,000–£30,000.

A registered pharmacist could work wide range of settings including a hospital, GP practice or high-street pharmacy. Those working in hospitals usually start on NHS Band 6 (£32,300–£39,000). After ten years you could be earning £35,000–£60,000.

Salaries for a pharmacologist range from £25,000–£50,000, although earnings for those working in industry have the potential to be higher.

What jobs can you get as a Pharmacology & Pharmacy graduate?

A Pharmacology & Pharmacy degree opens the door for many professional opportunities, as there's a growing need for medical research into drugs and medicine.

• Clinical researcher
• Drug discovery consultant
• Lecturer
• Medical sales rep
• Patent lawyer
• Pharmacist
• Pharmacologist
• Pharmacovigilance manager
• Policy and public affairs advisor
• Science publisher
• Toxicologist

Read about what jobs you can get with a Pharmacology & Pharmacy degree, or what careers you can have in the NHS.

What are the postgraduate opportunities?

If you have a first degree in another science discipline or a related field, postgraduate study allows you the opportunity to specialise. Examples of taught master’s and research degrees include:

• Clinical Drug Development MRes/MSc
• Clinical Trials MSc
• Experimental and Translational Therapeutics MSc
• Pharmaceutical Science and Medicinal Chemistry PGCert/PGDip/MSc
• Pharmacology MSc/DPhil/PhD

Similar subjects to Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Other subject areas that might appeal to you include:

• Biological Sciences
• Biomedical Sciences
• Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering
• Natural Sciences

Search undergraduate Pharmacology & Pharmacy courses now!

Have any questions?

Ask our experts! You can email ask@thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk with your question about studying Pharmacology & Pharmacy – we’ll be happy to hear from you.