A Bachelor of Pharmacy (abbreviated BPharm or PharmB) or Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BS Pharm) is an academic degree in the field of pharmacy. The degree provides training to understand the properties and impacts of medicines and develop the skills required to counsel patients about their use. In most countries where it is offered, the course of study typically requires 4 years. Bachelor of Pharmacy degree holders can pursue various career paths, including working as a pharmacist, providing patient counseling, pursuing further studies such as a master's degree, teaching at a university as a lecturer, or working as a drug information specialist. In many countries, this degree is a prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist.
In most Western countries, PharmB and PharmD are considered equivalent since they are both prerequisites to be licensed. In many Western countries, foreign graduates with BPharm, PharmB, or BS Pharm practice similarly to PharmD graduates. It is analogous to an MBBSvs. an MD, where MBBS is the foreign equivalent of an MD. In some countries, it has been superseded by the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degrees. In the United States, this degree has been superseded by the PharmD. In Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is a prerequisite for practicing as a pharmacist. See list of pharmacy schools for institutions offering the BPharm degree.
Asia and Oceania
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. It is compulsory to undertake clinical placements during this undergraduate program.[1] During the early 2000s, two-year postgraduate Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) courses were established by many universities, but these have accounted for a relatively minor proportion of pharmacy graduates.[when?]
All Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) programs in Australia are accredited by the New Zealand and Australian Pharmacy Schools Accreditation Committee (NAPSAC). These programs provide comprehensive training in various fields, including pharmacology, chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacy practice (such as pharmacotherapeutics and disease state management), pharmaceutics, ethics, pharmacy law, pharmacy management, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics, and medication compounding. At present, either the BPharm degree or the MPharm degree are acceptable for registration as a practicing pharmacist.
As with most honors degrees at Australian universities, the awarding of a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honors) (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 honors degrees in Australia, an additional year of study is not required for a BPharm(Hons) as most universities integrate research and coursework into the fourth year of BPharm(Hons) programs.
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). Although the rural program has not continued, there remains a focus on a rural workforce within the degree to promote pharmacy a student interest in pursuing a rural career.[2] Rural placements are encouraged in almost all undergraduate programs.[3][4]
Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is offered by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) under the Faculty of Medicine. The CUHK Bachelor of Pharmacy program started in 1992 and was the only pharmacy degree program available in Hong Kong until 2009. The degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of at least three to four years of full-time study. To be considered for registration as a practicing pharmacist in Hong Kong by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, graduates must complete an additional year of pre-registration training. In 2009, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) implemented a Bachelor of Pharmacy program under the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine.
India
The Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is a four-year program with both annual and semester schemes available. Diploma of Pharmacy (DPharm) holders are eligible for admission directly into the second year of the BPharm program. BPharm holders can enter directly into the 4th year of PharmD (PG) course. Colleges imparting pharmaceutical education (DPharm, BPharm, MPharm, or PharmD) must be approved by the All Indian Council of Technical Education and the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). BPharm is often superseded by MPharm, PharmD (PB), and PhD-level courses, although the minimum qualification required for registration as a pharmacist is DPharm.
Bangladesh
The BPharm (Honors) in Bangladesh is a four-year program with both annual and semester schemes available. Colleges imparting pharmaceutical education (DPharm, BPharm, MPharm, or PharmD) must be approved by the Pharmacy Council of Bangladesh (PCB) .
Pakistan
PharmD is the only basic pharmacy degree awarded by universities in Pakistan. The five-year program is approved by the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan. Those who hold an older 4-year BPharmacy (Bachelor of Pharmacy) who are registered as Pharmacists with the Pharmacy Councils of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan or Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa can study at any university for a one-year evening and/or weekend condensed course leading to a post-BPharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy.
Europe
Norway
In Norway, the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is awarded by Oslo Metropolitan University, The University of Tromsø and Nord University. The degree makes one eligible to work as a pharmacist in Norway. Norway also offers the Master of Pharmacy degree, which often offers higher payment and more job opportunities than the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree.
Ireland
MPharm (Hons) degrees in the Republic of Ireland are offered by:
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.
Portugal
In Portugal, the BPharm degree is awarded following a four-year program. It is necessary to become a pharmacy technician and there is no possibility to progress into a pharmacist by doing a master's degree alone.
North America
Canada
The following Canadian universities formerly offered the bachelor's degree program and replaced it with the graduate Doctor of Pharmacy:
American universities do not offer Bachelor of Pharmacy programs, however many do offer pre-doctoral programs and other undergraduate degrees that better an applicant's chance of becoming a student for a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
South America
Guyana
The following universities in Guyana offer the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree program:
The BPharm degree remains the most commonly awarded pharmacy degree in Nigeria, although there has been a recent move towards the clinically oriented Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The following Nigerian universities still offer BPharm programs:[7]
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