Pharmacy

Pharmacy is a clinical and scientific profession at the heart of modern healthcare, concerned with the safe, effective, and appropriate use of medicines. Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals who dispense medicines, counsel patients on their use, monitor for interactions and adverse effects, and play an increasingly clinical role in managing patients with complex medication needs. As the most widely accessed healthcare professionals in the UK, community pharmacists are often the first point of contact for people seeking health advice, while hospital and clinical pharmacists work as integral members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams.

At Aston University, which has one of the UK's most respected Schools of Pharmacy, this four-year full-time programme leads to the MPharm degree, the qualification required to register as a pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council. You will study pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, clinical pharmacy practice, and pharmacy law and ethics, alongside the communication skills and professional judgment that clinical practice requires. Substantial time is spent in practice settings, including community pharmacies and hospital placements, ensuring that your clinical development proceeds alongside your academic learning.

Pharmacy graduates who complete the subsequent pre-registration training year and pass the registration assessment become registered pharmacists, one of the most secure and valued healthcare careers in the UK. Community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, general practice, mental health, and primary care are the main employment settings. Clinical pharmacy roles are expanding rapidly as NHS England develops the pharmacy workforce to take on more direct patient care.

Many pharmacists go on to postgraduate study in clinical pharmacy, prescribing qualifications, or specialist clinical areas. Opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry, in regulatory affairs, and in academia are also open to pharmacy graduates.