Nearly 900 students dropped out of MPharm after first year in 2021/2022

Almost 900 students withdrew from their MPharm degree after their first year in 2021/2022, according to data from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).

Data provided to The Pharmaceutical Journal show that 4,505 new students started the first year of their MPharm in the 2021/2022 academic year, while 3,616 students began their second year in 2022/2023, suggesting that 889 students (20%) had not continued their degree.

The figures do not include those retaking the year for any reason.

In 2020/2021, GPhC figures show that 4,148 new students started the first year of the pharmacy degree. In the following academic year, 3,544 students started the second year of the degree, suggesting that 604 (15%) of the original intake had not continued their studies.

Data from the Student Loans Company for students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland show that 39,405 students who were receiving student loans withdrew from any year of their degree courses in 2021/2022.

This was a 26% increase in the number of people receiving student loans who dropped out during 2020/2021, when 31,279 people withdrew from their university courses across all years.

Data on the number of students who dropped out after the first year of their MPharm in the 2022/2023 cohort are not yet available, but data from the Student Loans Company show that 41,630 people receiving student loans in England, Wales and Northern Ireland withdrew from their university courses in that year — a 5% increase on 2021/2022.

Commenting on the increase in students withdrawing from the MPharm, Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “The continuous trend of MPharm student drop-outs highlights the need for closer examination of admissions processes and of support offered.

“Universities must ensure students receive the necessary academic, financial and mental health support throughout their studies.”

The GPhC said it does not collect data on the reasons why students leave an MPharm course.

The Pharmacy Schools Council and British Pharmaceutical Students’ Association were contacted for comment but did not want to respond.