Whenever we are down with a cold or a viral fever, the quickest way to recover is to go to the pharmacy and get medication without going to the clinic or the doctor. But there are so many over-the-counter medicines to choose from and it could get quite confusing without the advice of a pharmacist to suggest the most appropriate and effective medication to take.
If you are someone who has always been curious about how different medications interact with your body, a degree in Pharmacy will be the perfect healthcare course for you!
Down below, we have put together a guide to help you decide whether this is the right course for you and the top universities offering pharmacy degrees in Australia.
What is Pharmacy?
Pharmacy is a practice of preparing, preserving and dispensing medication. Pharmacists are drug therapy specialists and the primary health care providers who optimize medication use to help patients achieve positive health outcomes. Therefore, pharmacy is the art and science of combining biology and chemistry to ensure the safe and effective intake of medication.
Hence, unlike popular belief, pharmacists do not just count the number of pills and give them out, a qualified pharmacist is also behind the manufacturing and composition of the pills.
Why Should You Study Pharmacy?
Down below, we have listed down some reasons why pharmacy could be the course for you.
- You want the well-fare of people
For the longest time, pharmacists have played a crucial role in helping patients to choose the right medication for their illness from the thousands of medications available. Especially with the pandemic and other diseases the world is facing today, people are in dire need of qualified pharmacists who will help them treat their illnesses, while avoiding side effects of medications and any allergies they might have.
- You want to be part of important changes in the vast medical industry
Whenever there is a new development in the medical industry, especially in terms of medications, pharmacists are the first ones to know about it.
- You are interested chemistry and the human anatomy
Pharmacy can be a fascinating career for those of you interested and curious about how the chemistry of medical drugs interacts with the body, since that is what a pharmacy degree is all about.
- Job stability
Since the skills in pharmacy are specialized and there is demand for expertise in pharmacy globally, you have one less thing to worry about, job security.
What Will You Study in a Pharmacy Degree?
A pharmacy degree will cover subjects related to the human body and the chemistry of different medications.
Here is a list of the major subjects you will cover in a pharmacy degree.
- Physical Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
- Microbiology
- Mechanism of Drug Action
- Human Anatomy and Nervous System
- Pharmacy Practice
What are the Career Opportunities For a Pharmacy Graduate?
Pharmacy graduates mainly go on to become registered pharmacists. What many people do not realize about pharmacy is that it can be practiced in a range of districts. The general districts in the field of Pharmacy are as follows;
- Academic Pharmacy – Academic pharmacists are professionals who work in the field of academics, teaching and research. In order to pursue a career as a pharmacist in this field you need to have a PhD in Pharmacy.
- Hospital Pharmacy – Hospital Pharmacists are what we are all most familiar with. In addition to dispensing medication, they are also involved in preparing, quality testing and purchase of the medications used in hospitals.
- Community Pharmacy – Community Pharmacists are involved in dispensing medicine to Customers at retail stores.
- Industrial Pharmacy – Industrial Pharmacists are part of the manufacturing and production of drugs for pharmaceutical countries, which also involves efficiency and quality testing of the drugs.
Pathway to Registration as a Pharmacist in Australia
Following graduation from an accredited Pharmacy course of minimum 4 years, you will need to complete an internship of 1,824 hours (approximately one year full-time) before you can register as a pharmacist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra).
What are the General Entry Requirements for a Degree in Pharmacy in Australia?
GCE A Levels | Aggregate scores of 9 in 3 best subjects, including Chemistry, Math, Physics, where A/A-=5; B+=4; B=3; B-/C+=2; C=1; less than C=0. |
Malaysian Matriculation | Point average 3.5 on a 4 point scale |
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) | 30 |
ATAR | 90 |
UEC | Grade average 3, from 5 major subjects (excluding Chinese, Malay, PE); where A1=1; A2=2; B3=3; B4=4; B5=5; B6=6; C7=7; C8=8; F9=Fail |
*The requirements may vary among universities, for inquiries on other entry requirements, contact Excel Education.
What are the English Language Requirements for a Degree in Pharmacy in Australias?
IELTS | Overall 7, with no individual bands less than 6.5 |
TOEFL (Internet Based Test) | Overall 94 |
TOEFL (Paper Based Test) | 589 |
Pearson Test of English: | 65 |
*The requirements may vary among universities, for inquiries on other entry requirements, contact Excel Education.
Top Universities to Study a Pharmacy in Australia
All the courses in this list are accredited by both the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) and the Pharmacy Board of Malaysia as well.
University of Sydney
University of Sydney is ranked 24th in the world for pharmacy and pharmacology in the QS Subject Ranking 2020. In University of Sydney’s Bachelor of Pharmacy you will be studying biology and chemistry, and will be introduced to the foundations of pharmacy in the first year of the degree. The next 3 years will focus on higher levels of biomedical science and pharmaceutical science along with clinical pharmacy.
In addition to this, you are also required to fulfill a work component of the programme which comprises 210 hours of working which translates to 35 hours per week, for the completion of the degree.
With this programme, if you are an international student, you have the flexibility to complete the first year of your degree remotely, if you are unable to travel to Australia.
Course Details
Program | Bachelor of Pharmacy |
Intake | February | July |
Duration | 4 Years (Full time) |
Indicative Fees | Contact Excel Education |
Monash University
Monash University was ranked 2nd in the world for pharmacy and pharmacology by the QS Rankings by Subject 2020. In addition to providing you with the knowledge of pharmacy, biology, chemistry and so on, this course also offers its students the soft skills that sets apart a good pharmacist from a great one.
This course highly focuses on stepping up your skills through work placements in community pharmacies, hospitals and other industries, while learning from Australia’s pharmacists about primary health care, medicines information, and patient-focused pharmacy services. You can also opt to complete work placements in the US, the UK and a range of other developing countries.
Course Details
Program | Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) |
Intake | February |
Duration | 4 Years (Full time) |
Indicative Fees | Contact Excel Education |
University of Queensland
University of Queensland is ranked 31st in the world and 1st in Queensland for pharmacy and pharmacology according to the QS Rankings by Subject 2021. With this university’s Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) programme, you will be able to grasp a strong understanding of biology, chemistry, physiology, anatomy and pharmacy in the first year itself.
You are also required to complete a 350 hours (8 week) work placement component with a range of clinical settings including hospitals and community pharmacies, which is designed to make you job-ready for the working world.
Course Details
Program | Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) |
Intake | February |
Duration | 4 Years (Full time) |
Indicative Fees | Contact Excel Education |
Curtin University
Curtin University is ranked among the top 1% of the universities worldwide according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2020. Curtin University’s Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) is the only undergraduate degree in Western Australia that makes you eligible to apply for registration as a pharmacist.
In the first year of your degree you will be covering interprofessional healthcare with students from other healthcare courses in addition to studying the foundations of biology, chemistry, physiology and pharmacology.
You are required to complete a 1o week (375+ hours) of clinical placements either within Australia or even outside of Australia in hospitals, the community or in industry.
Course Details
Program | Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) |
Intake | February |
Duration | 4 Years (Full time) |
Indicative Fees | Contact Excel Education |
Griffith University
With Griffith University’s Bachelor of Pharmacy programme, you will be learning the skills needed for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and nutraceutical industries.
In the final year of the programme, you are required to complete work placements at pharmaceutical settings in and outside of the Gold Coast Area, on a few occasions. The university also gives you the flexibility to opt for rural and international work placements,
After completion of the Bachelor of Pharmacy you may go on to complete a Research Honours Programme which will take an additional year.
Course Details
Program | Bachelor of Pharmacy |
Intake | March | July |
Duration | 4 Years (Full time) |
Indicative Fees | Contact Excel Education |
University of Tasmania (UTAS)
University of Tasmania takes pride in the fact that 100% of Bachelors of Pharmacy graduates secured full-time employment within four months of graduation. This program offers students the skills needed to work in community placements, hospitals, and other parts of the healthcare system.
In the final year of the programme, specifically semester 2, you will be gaining practical experience through workshops and clinical placements within the health sector across Tasmania, Australia and internationally as well.
Course Details
Program | Bachelor of Pharmacy with Applied Honours |
Intake | February | July |
Duration | 4 Years (Full time) |
Indicative Fees | Contact Excel Education |
University of South Australia (UniSa)
University of South Australia (UniSa) is one of the four universities that are members of the National Alliance of Pharmacy Education (NAPE). It is also one of the top 10 universities for graduate careers in Pharmacy in Australia.
At UniSa, you also have the opportunity to gain two qualifications with just one extra year of study by completing Australia’s only double degree in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science.
In addition to this, you will be gaining practical experience through work placements in community and hospital pharmacies.
Course Details
Program | Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) |
Intake | February |
Duration | 4 Years (Full time) |
Indicative Fees | Contact Excel Education |
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