Our vision at University of Galway is to be a global leader in pharmacy education, research, and practice, meeting the needs of evolving healthcare environments, and improving patient outcomes through innovative teaching and ground-breaking research.

The MPharm degree incorporates best-practice in teaching, ensuring that content is relevant, interesting and taught in a way that emphasises student personal and professional development. The programme integrates core sciences such as chemistry, biology and pharmaceutical science with legal, ethical and professional practice, ensuring graduates are well-rounded professionals.

Course Overview:

This exciting new programme in the University of Galway has been designed with input from pharmacists, other healthcare professionals and patients to ensure it will produce excellent graduates, well-equipped for challenging and rewarding careers.

Pharmacy is a five-year, full-time, integrated Masters in Pharmacy (MPharm) programme.

Pharmacy is a regulated profession, which means that to practice as a Pharmacist you must pass a professional registration exam to register with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland at the end of this course. This is an exciting time for Pharmacy as Pharmacists take on additional roles in patient care and medicines management.

All Pharmacy degree programmes in Ireland must be accredited by the Pharmacy regulator. The University of Galway are working through the accreditation process and anticipate accreditation in early 2025.

• Pharmacists are healthcare professionals specialising in the development, manufacture and clinical use of medicines.
• Pharmacists work alongside doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to ensure people get the maximum benefit from their medicines.
• Pharmacists can work in a diverse settings including community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, pharmaceutical companies, the medicines regulator, academic research and many more.

This exciting new Pharmacy degree is uniquely focused on the future of Pharmacy, while maintaining the traditional core values of Pharmacists as medicines experts who place the patient at the centre of everything they do. The course has been designed by experts in third-level teaching and learning, fundamental sciences and Pharmacy practice ensuring students will have a world-class educational experience. Dr Joanne O'Dwyer, Senior Lecturer

Key Facts:

• Start Date: The first student intake is planned for September 2025 - dependent on accreditation by the Pharmacy regulator.
• Duration: 5 years
• Qualification: B.Sc. Pharmacy (Hons) Bachelor Degree and MPharm Master's Degree (NFQ Level 9)
• Number of Places: 45 students in 2025
• Teaching Mode: Full-time, in-person
• CAO Points: As a guide, the points required for Pharmacy in the Republic of Ireland in 2024 ranged from 601-613
• Accreditation: The programme will be accredited by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), the national regulatory body. The programme is currently being reviewed by the PSI.
• Additional Requirements: Students will have to undergo Garda vetting and will be subject to the University Fitness to Practice Policy. All students will undergo pre-placement occupational health screening.
• Placements: Structured placements occur throughout the programme, giving practical experience and opportunities to apply learning to practice. In Year 4, students can undertake their four month placements in any approved setting which can include pharmaceutical companies or regulatory agencies. There is also an opportunity to complete this placement abroad. In Year 5, students must complete 8 months of placement in a patient-facing setting (community or hospital Pharmacy).
• Course Fees: tbc
  

The establishment of a new Pharmacy degree in University of Galway is a much needed education resource in the West and will benefit the community, industry and our hospitals in the West especially as the Department of Health and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland roll out enhanced Pharmacy roles including Pharmacist prescribing . Adjunct Professor John Given, Chief Pharmacist, University Hospital Galway

Course Outline:

Please note that this information is subject to change. Comprehensive curriculum information will be available to students in the student handbook following registration.

Year 1 gives students an in-depth introduction to relevant sciences underpinning Pharmacy including chemistry, biology, pharmacology, pharmaceutical science and anatomy. Students will begin to learn about the role of Pharmacists in society, in particular in protecting and advocating for patients. Students will work in simulated Pharmacy settings and will begin their journey of personal and professional development.

Year 2 begins to integrate core scientific knowledge with clinical Pharmacy and patient care. Case-based learning using real and simulated patients, will enhance students problem-solving, decision-making and teamwork skills. Students will begin to work with the peers from other healthcare courses on simulated clinical activities focussed on patient care. Students will complete two weeks of work placement in a community Pharmacy settings, to apply their learning to real-life scenarios.

Year 3 has an emphasis on students seeking out answers for themselves and applying their knowledge to scenarios relevant to Pharmacy. This year encourages students to move from passive learning to problem-solving, in preparation for their transition to practice placements in Year 4. This year builds on knowledge of pharmaceutical science, the formulation, manufacture and regulation of medicines and includes training on the commercialisation process and visits to pharmaceutical companies. Simulated clinical activities throughout the year focus on clinical decision-making in preparation for prescribing in practice.

Year 4 begins with a four-month placement activity which can be in a patient-facing setting or in the pharmaceutical industry, university research, the Pharmacy or the medicines regulator. Exciting new opportunities for Pharmacists emerge constantly, meaning the diversity of placement settings increases year-on-year. In semester 2, students will have the opportunity to complete a research project giving an insight into academic research, working in multidisciplinary teams, making evidence-based decisions and presenting research results. Students will focus on medicines optimisation for complex patients and learning to work within multi-professional teams in practice.

Year 5 is future focused, building on knowledge and skills learned in the course to apply these to potential future developments in Pharmacy. The activities in this year are largely student-led working on real-life scenarios from Pharmacy practice and industrial Pharmacy to solve-problems. This year includes an emphasis on Pharmacist prescribing and students developing their leadership skills. Students will complete an 8-month placement in a patient-facing setting and a placement research project.

Why Choose this Course?

Pharmacy is an exciting career with a diverse range of career opportunities ranging from roles in the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory affairs to practising in a community or hospital Pharmacy. The commonality between all of these roles is the requirement for a thorough understanding of medicines and their development and placing patient safety and wellbeing at the centre of all decisions. This course in the University of Galway has been designed with consideration of the future of Pharmacy and ensuring graduates are prepared to adapt to and lead future changes in healthcare. The University is co-located with University Hospital Galway and hospital pharmacists have been involved in the development of the programme. We have also worked with community Pharmacists to identify skills they feel should be included in the Pharmacy programme. Students will have access to world-class facilities including the Clinical Simulation and Interprofessional Education Facility and the Centre for Cell Manufacturing Ireland.

“We are very enthusiastic about the new much needed MPharm programme in University of Galway which is clinically-focused integrating core sciences with Pharmacy practice and aims to be a leading school in Europe. As well as lectures and tutorials, interprofessional learning, laboratory and dispensing practicals, site-visits, structured professional placements, and a research project will enhance the students experience in this vibrant city and ensure well-rounded competent patient-focused graduates in the West of Ireland” Adjunct Professor Diana Hogan-Murphy, Chief 2 Pharmacist Medication Safety, University Hospital Galway

"The new Pharmacy degree at the University of Galway is a game-changer, bringing vital opportunities to the West of Ireland and empowering students while enhancing the University's academic offerings" Marie O'Brien, Community Pharmacist