Bachelor of Pharmacy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Bachelor of Pharmacy (abbreviated BPharm) is an undergraduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. The degree is a basic prerequisite, in many countries, for registration to practise as a pharmacist. In some countries it has been superseded by the Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degrees.
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[edit] 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. During the early 2000s, two-year postgraduate Master of Pharmacy courses were established by many universities, but to date these have accounted for a relatively minor proportion of pharmacy graduates.
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.
[edit] Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)
As with most honours 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 Honours 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) programs.
[edit] Bachelor of Pharmacy (Rural)
In 2003, The University of Sydney began offering a four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy (Rural) (abbreviated BPharm (Rural)) program 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 program was not offered in 2005, following the transfer of Orange campus to Charles Sturt University. Following a review, a new BPharm (Rural) program was offered from 2006 onwards at the university's main campus (Camperdown/Darlington campus).
[edit] Universities
Australian universities offering Bachelor of Pharmacy programs (circa June 2006):
- Charles Sturt University – Wagga Wagga and Orange, New South Wales
- Charles Darwin University — Darwin, Northern Territory
- Curtin University of Technology – Perth, Western Australia
- James Cook University – Townsville, Queensland
- La Trobe University – Bendigo, Victoria
- Monash University – Parkville, Victoria (formerly the Victorian College of Pharmacy)
- University of Queensland – Brisbane, Queensland
- Queensland University of Technology - Brisbane, Queensland
- University of South Australia – Adelaide, South Australia
- University of Sydney – Sydney, New South Wales
- University of Tasmania – Hobart, Tasmania
[edit] United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the BPharm degree was awarded following a three-year undergraduate pharmacy program. It was superseded in 1997 by the Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree, awarded following a four year program, as a result of European Union harmonisation.
[edit] Ireland
BPharm degrees in the Irish Republic are offered by:
However in Northern Ireland (which is part of the United Kingdom) MPharm degrees (as opposed to BPharm degrees) are offered at Queen's University Belfast as in the rest of the UK.
[edit] India ( Bharath )
Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is popularly known by BPharma in India.The course is of four year duration.The eligibility for attending this course is pass with atleast 50% marks in Pre University Course with biology as one of the subjects or completed DPharma ( Diploma in Pharmacy ).
[edit] See also
- Doctor of Pharmacy
- Master of Pharmacy
- Pharmacist
- List of schools of pharmacy
- Pharmacy Council of India
