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Applications to study pharmacy have increased by more than 50% since 2021, according to data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
Figures from December 2024 show that pharmacy schools received 33,300 applications for their MPharm programmes in 2024, which is up from 21,995 applications in 2021 and an increase of 51.4%.
The data also show that applications increased by 4.9% compared with 2023.
According to the figures, a total of 4,570 people were accepted on to an MPharm course in 2024, which is an increase from 4,400 people in 2021.
The ‘NHS Long Term Workforce Plan‘, published in June 2023, pledged to increase pharmacy training places by nearly 50% over the next eight years to 2031/2032, “to meet the demand for pharmacy services”.
UCAS figures cover the majority of full-time undergraduate provision in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and about two-thirds of applications in Scotland.
Women made up the majority of applications each year since 2021, representing 66.9% of applications in 2024.
Applications from international students have also increased year-on-year since 2021, with a total percentage increase of 57.6% during that period — from 3,860 applications in 2021 to 6,085 applications in 2024.
The biggest percentage increase of all cohorts since 2021 was among male international students, with a rise of 63.7% — from 1,225 applications in 2021 to 2,005 applications in 2024.
However, applications from those aged 35 years and over have reduced by 5.1% in the same time period.
Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “The rise in pharmacy applications is encouraging and reflects growing interest in the profession and recognition of the ever-expanding clinical role of pharmacists.
“To ensure high-quality education and training, we must embed teaching into everyday practice, expand clinical placements across all sectors and provide pharmacists with protected time for supervision and professional development.
“With increasing demand, any expansion of MPharm places must be supported by sufficient resources, including investment in experiential learning, teaching infrastructure and academic staff.”
“The growing diversity of applicants is also positive, and it’s vital that pharmacy schools create an inclusive learning environment with diverse role models,” she added.
In August 2024, the Pharmacy Schools’ Council (PhSC) warned that pharmacy heads of school had “expressed concerns around the current difficulties in recruiting suitably qualified staff in all the fields required to run an MPharm programme”, amid an increase in the number of MPharm programmes on offer — although it welcomed the growth in pharmacy student numbers.
A spokesperson for the PhSC said the increase in applications “has allowed controlled growth for several schools”.
“However, it must be noted that a growth in applicant number does not necessarily mean that they meet the required academic quality,” they said.
“Recent data suggest that whilst Russell Group universities can recruit close to their advertised tariff, some others need to reduce tariff to fill their spaces, suggesting that there are probably more spaces available than there are applicants presenting higher tariff. This in turn would imply that currently there would be no desire to increase the number of students on MPharm to maintain quality.
“However, there would need to be careful consideration of workforce planning and that should drive the number of spaces available.”
They added that “schools have reported continued growth in international applications over the past few years”.
“However, there does seem to be a current slight downturn in international applications, but this remains unconfirmed as the current recruitment cycle is not complete.”
“It is also important to note that UCAS data do not fully account for international applications, as many overseas students complete alternate entry routes via, for example, foundation programmes (those that are not part of a General Pharmaceutical Council-regulated Year 0) at institutions and progress on to their MPharm degree. Recruitment on to these is normally via external agencies and partners.”
