Master of Pharmacy

A Master of Pharmacy (abbreviated MPharm or MPharm(Hons)) is an undergraduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. In many countries, it has superseded a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) as the prerequisite for registration to practise as a pharmacist. It may also refer to a postgraduate coursework or research degree in the field of pharmacy.

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Asia and Oceany

Australia

In Australia, prior to 2004, MPharm was a postgraduate research degree. In 2004, the University of Sydney introduced a two-year postgraduate MPharm coursework program, to provide an accelerated route for graduates of undergraduate science or medical science degrees to gain qualification for registration to practise as pharmacists. Following the commencement of the MPharm program at the University of Sydney, other universities across Australia also began offering MPharm coursework programs.

Universities

Aus universities offering Master of Pharmacy coursework rograms (circa June 2006):

• Griffith University – Gold Coast, Queensland (Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science/Master of Pharmacy combined degree)
• Charles Darwin University in Darwin, Northern Territory
• University of Canberra – Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
• University of Newcastle – Newcastle, New South Wales
• University of South Australia – Adelaide, South Australia
• University of Sydney – Sydney, New South Wales
• University of Western Australia – Perth, Western Australia
• Murdoch University – Perth, Western Australia

MPharm (Clinical)/MClinPharm

With the success and popularity of the MPharm coursework degrees, research MPharm degrees have now been redesignated Master of Pharmacy (Clinical) (abbreviated MPharm (Clinical)) or Master of Clinical Pharmacy (abbreviated MClinPharm).

Europe

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, MPharm or MPharm(Hons) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded following four years academic study in pharmacy. The degree is awarded by all of the schools of pharmacy in the UK and superseded the BSc (Pharmacy) and BPharm degrees when the length of the undergraduate pharmacy course was increased from three to four years in 1997 as part of EU harmonisation. The MPharm is the only qualification in the UK which leads to professional registration as a pharmacist.

MPharm programs are accredited by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) in England, Scotland and Wales and jointly by the RPSGB and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland in Northern Ireland.

Aspiring pharmacists in the UK qualify by first completing this degree, then undertaking a year of pre-registration training. On successful completion of this training they become registered pharmacists and members of the relevant pharmaceutical society, and can use the postnominal letters MRPharmS (Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain) or MPSNI (Member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland).

Universities

United Kingdom universities (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) offering Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degrees (circa September 2006):

England

• Aston University – Birmingham
• University of Bath – Bath
• University of Bradford – Bradford
• University of Brighton – Brighton
• De Montfort University – Leicester
• University of East Anglia - Norwich
• Liverpool John Moores University – Liverpool
• Keele University - Keele
• King's College London – Chelsea
• Kingston University/St George's - South West London/South London
• Medway School of Pharmacy - University of Greenwich/University of Kent
• The School of Pharmacy, University of London
• University of Hertfordshire - Hatfield
• University of Manchester – Manchester
• University of Nottingham – Nottingham
• University of Portsmouth – Portsmouth
• University of Reading - Reading
• University of Sunderland – Sunderland

Northern Ireland

• Queen's University Belfast (QUB) – Belfast

Scotland

• Robert Gordon University – Aberdeen
• Strathclyde University - Glasgow

Wales

• University of Wales – Cardiff, (Welsh School of Pharmacy)

See also

• Bachelor of Pharmacy
• Doctor of Pharmacy
• Pharmacist
• Pharmaconomist
• Pharmacy
• List of pharmacy schools