The University of Sussex is to offer Master of Pharmacy degrees (MPharm) from 2016, pending accreditation of its course by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
The four-year course, details of which have been published in the university’s undergraduate prospectus, will sit within the school of life sciences. Other academic departments and research groups at the university include the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the Genome Damage and Stability Centre and the Translational Drug Discovery Group.
“Our considerable research strengths in cancer and neurosciences, and our commitment to translation of our discovery research into new medicines and treatments, allow us to develop very distinctive pharmacy training,” says head of school Laurence Pearl.
The university is seeking accreditation for the new MPharm degree. A GPhC spokesperson declined to comment on the university’s progress through the accreditation process or a likely date for accreditation. However, a spokesperson for the university said it was “pleased with progress so far”.
If accredited, the course will allow students to graduate with a degree that paves the way for registration as a pharmacist.
“Our pharmacy students will develop an expertise in the use of medicines, demonstrating a philosophy of high-quality clinical pharmacy practice that is securely centred on pharmaceutical care and, ultimately, taking responsibility for the safe, appropriate and effective use of medicines in whichever career path they choose,” says Bugewa Apampa, director of pharmacy development at the university.
