Pharmacy school
Encyclopedia
The basic requirement for pharmacists to be considered for registration is an undergraduate or postgraduate Pharmacy degree from a recognized university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

. In most countries this involves a four- or five-year course to attain a Master of Pharmacy
Master of Pharmacy
A Master of Pharmacy is an academic degree in the field of pharmacy, which may be undergraduate or postgraduate depending on the country concerned. In many countries, it has superseded a Bachelor of Pharmacy as the prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist...

 (MPharm). In the United States, students graduating after Jan 1, 2003 must complete a Doctor of Pharmacy
Doctor of Pharmacy
A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate degree in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a first professional degree, and a prerequisite for licensing to exercise the profession of pharmacist.-Kenya :...

 degree to become a licensed pharmacist; this requires completion of four years at an accredited college of pharmacy (most students applying for admission into a college of pharmacy already have an undergraduate degree; however, many schools admit students after completion of 2 years of undergraduate pharmacy prerequisites or directly from high school into a six-year accelerated program). Any person holding a bachelor's degree in Pharmacy who graduated before this date is grandfathered and can register.

To practice as a pharmacist, registration with the country, state or province's regulatory body is required. There is often a requirement for the pharmacy graduate to have completed a certain number of hours of experience in a pharmacy under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. If the regulatory body governs an entire country, they will usually administer a written and oral examination to the prospective pharmacist prior to registration; if its jurisdiction is limited to a specific area (e.g., a state or province), the required examination is administered by a national examining board.

Australia

In Australia a pharmacist must complete an undergraduate four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy
Bachelor of Pharmacy
A Bachelor of Pharmacy is an undergraduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. The degree is the basic prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist in many countries. In some countries, it has been superseded by the Master of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees...

 course followed by an internship and independent examinations set by resepective state registration boards. In addition, graduates are required to complete an approved graduate training course. There is the option of a postgraduate two-year Master of Pharmacy
Master of Pharmacy
A Master of Pharmacy is an academic degree in the field of pharmacy, which may be undergraduate or postgraduate depending on the country concerned. In many countries, it has superseded a Bachelor of Pharmacy as the prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist...

 (MPharm) course for those with undergraduate science degree background.

Since 1st July 2010 pharmacists are registered nationally with the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Authority [AHPRA], having previously been registered by individual states (e.g The Pharmacy Board of NSW, The Pharmacy Board of QLD etc). Graduates are required to complete one year of practice under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. In addition, graduates are required to complete an approved graduate training course. On meeting these requirements, graduates are eligible to sit the registration examination which may involve both written and oral components.

Canada

In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, a pharmacist must complete an undergraduate four-year Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree after completing a minimum of 1 or 2 years of university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 prerequisites studies beforehand. The University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...

 and The University of Toronto Pharmacy school requires 2 years of prerequisites . The degree is composed of coursework and clinical experience through required internships and placements, followed by completion of a national board examination administered by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC).

Many hospital pharmacists also complete a hospital pharmacy residency
Pharmacy residency
Pharmacy Residency is education a pharmacist can pursue beyond the degree required for licensing as a pharmacist .-In France:The residency lasts four years....

 program. This is a 12-to-24 month directed postgraduate learning experience. Through structured rotations in pharmacy practice, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

, research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

, and administration
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...

, residency programs aim to prepare pharmacists for challenging and innovative pharmacy practice. Graduate residents are an important source of highly qualified pharmacists trained in institutional practice. Most residency programs are accredited by the Canadian Hospital Pharmacy Residency Board on behalf of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

Finally, there is the option of a postgraduate two-year Doctor of Pharmacy
Doctor of Pharmacy
A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate degree in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a first professional degree, and a prerequisite for licensing to exercise the profession of pharmacist.-Kenya :...

 (PharmD) course for those with a Bachelor of Pharmacy or equivalent degree. This advanced PharmD program can be pursued in Canada or at several schools in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 (as the "non-traditional" PharmD). The advanced PharmD programs in the US, however, were phased out by the introduction of the entry-level PharmD programs, which although identical in name differ from the advanced level PharmD programs in terms of depth and scope of training.

The profession of pharmacy is regulated on a provincial level. The provincial regulatory authorities are directly responsible for granting pharmacist licenses, assessing the competency of pharmacists and ensuring public safety
Public Safety
Public safety involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters .-See also:* By nation...

. The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) was established in 1995 as a way to harmonize the activities of the provincial regulatory authorities. They represent the interests of the provincial authorities and serve as a national resource centre for all pharmacists. CPhA is actively involved on several NAPRA committees.

Chile

In Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, students must study six years to become pharmacists. The best school of pharmacy is at Universidad de Chile http://www.uchile.cl/, in Santiago de Chile. Chilean pharmacists are prepared not only to dispense and be able to work at clinical and communitary pharmacies, but in Pharmaceutical, Food and Cosmetic industry at every level, including drug development (a Degree is needed here), manufacturing, management, marketing, etc., due to the very strong scientific preparation they receive, including engineering and pharmaceutical technology topics. The official title for pharmacists in Chile is Químico Farmacéutico (Pharmaceutical Chemist), and their degree is Licenciado en Ciencias Químicas y farmacéuticas (Bachelor in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences).

Denmark

The pharmacist (Danish: farmaceut) education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

 in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 takes place either at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of Copenhagen Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences is a faculty of the University of Copenhagen. Originally The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, dating back to 1892, merged on 1 January 2007 with the University of Copenhagen....

 at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...

 http://www.farma.ku.dk/uk

The Bachelor of Pharmacy
Bachelor of Pharmacy
A Bachelor of Pharmacy is an undergraduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. The degree is the basic prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist in many countries. In some countries, it has been superseded by the Master of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees...

 (BPharm) degree (Danish: bachelor i farmaci) takes 3 years. The Master of Pharmacy
Master of Pharmacy
A Master of Pharmacy is an academic degree in the field of pharmacy, which may be undergraduate or postgraduate depending on the country concerned. In many countries, it has superseded a Bachelor of Pharmacy as the prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist...

 (MPharm) degree (Danish: cand.pharm.) takes 2 more years — a total of 5 years. To work as a pharmacist in a Danish pharmacy a MPharm degree is requested.

After graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...

 as a pharmacist (MPharm), you can begin the 3 year Doctor of Pharmacy
Doctor of Pharmacy
A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate degree in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a first professional degree, and a prerequisite for licensing to exercise the profession of pharmacist.-Kenya :...

 (DPharm) education programme (Danish: dr.pharm.).

Beside the pharmacists, in Denmark there's another professional group with a pharmaceutical tertiary higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

 — i.e. the pharmaconomists (experts in pharmaceuticals)
Pharmaconomist
Pharmaconomist means expert in pharmaceuticals . Pharmaconomists are a pharmaceutical professional group in Denmark with a 3 year higher tertiary education...

 whose education takes place at Pharmakon—Danish College of Pharmacy Practice http://pharmakon.com/asp/english_menu.asp?pageID=313.

France

In France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, a six-year PharmD (called "Diplôme d'Etat de Docteur en Pharmacie") must be completed.
At the end of the 5th year, young pharmacists can choose to pass a competitive examination: If they succeed, the few students chosen can then follow a four-year specialty (like Physician). It is a pharmaceutical residency called "Internat en Pharmacie". During this residency, pharmacists specialize in Laboratory Medicine
Clinical pathology
Clinical pathology , Laboratory Medicine , Clinical analysis or Clinical/Medical Biology , is a medical specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the laboratory analysis of bodily fluids, such as...

 called "Biologie médicale" or in Hospital Pharmacy.

Greece

In Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, a four year University course must be completed. This course is offered by the University of Athens http://www.pharm.uoa.gr, the University of Thessaloniki http://www.pharm.auth.gr/ and the University of Patras
University of Patras
University of Patras is a university established in 1964 in Patras, Greece. Initially housed in the city centre, the university's campus is now located in the adjacent municipality of Rio...

 http://www.pharm.upatras.gr/. The course comprises 4 years of theory and laboratory practice and a 5th year of compulsory, full-time in-service training in a community pharmacy and the pharmaceutical department of a hospital. An additional trimester placement in a pharmaceutical industry is also an option, however it does not count towards the acquisition of the license to practice. Upon successful completion of the course, a Degree in Pharmacy is awarded. Since September 2011, undergraduate students that have completed a thesis in the University of Athens during the 5th year of their studies, are able to obtain a Certificate, equivalent to Master Degree, together with the Bachelor of Pharmacy.

The pharmacy graduate may pursue a career in the industry after graduation. A career in this field does not require a license to practice pharmacy. However, pharmacists wishing to open a pharmacy, work in hospitals or in the National Organization of Medicines http://www.eof.gr must first successfully participate in board examinations organized by the Greek Ministry of Health, in order to obtain a License to Practice Pharmacy.

Republic of Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland, a 4-year BPharm degree must be completed followed by one year of pre-registration training. The one year of pre-registration training has recently been replaced by an internship programme, for which the student both works and completes assignments, leading to the award of an M.Pharm degree from the Royal College of Surgeons. Currently this is an interim programme which will run for three years (for the classes of 2009, 2010 and 2011). It is likely that in the future a five year integrated Masters programme will come onstream. At the moment there are three universities in Ireland offering a B.Pharm degree: Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , is a Dublin-based medical institution, situated on St. Stephen's Green. The college is one of the five Recognised Colleges of the National University of Ireland...

.

New Zealand

In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, as with other western nations, a four year BPharm must be completed, followed by an internship at a pharmacy (Community, Hospital, Industry &/or University). Pharmacists are registered with the Pharmacy Council and must meet competence standards as set by the Pharmaceutical Society Of New Zealand
Pharmaceutical Society Of New Zealand
The Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand Incorporated is the professional body for New Zealand pharmacists.The headquarters of the Pharmaceutical Society is Pharmacy House, 124 Dixon Street, Wellington, New Zealand....

. The degree can be taken at University Of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...

 in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

 and University Of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...

 in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

. The School of Pharmacy is divided into three main sections of research focus. These are:

Division of Pharmacy Practice: Focussed on the inter-relationship between pharmacists and the communities they serve.
Division of Phamaceutical Sciences: Focussed on the molecular mechanism and biological basis of drug development.
Division of Pharmacotherapy: Focussed on the application and effects of pharmaceuticals in clinical settings.

Postgraduate studies include diplomas, Masters, PhD and DPharm. which may be clinical, practice or pharmaceutical specialties.

Portugal

In Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, the degree in Pharmacy is a MPharm program called Master Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Portuguese: Mestrado Integrado em Ciências Farmacêuticas) and is already adapted to the European Bologna process
Bologna process
The purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...

. It consists of 5 years of study with the last semester consisting of full-time in-service train at a community pharmacy (four months) and at a pharmaceutical department of an hospital (two months).

After obtaining the degree certificate graduates must join the Order of Pharmacists (Portuguese: Ordem dos Farmacêuticos), the regulatory and licensing body for the pharmaceutical profession in Portugal, in order to be registered as pharmacists and become legally able to exercise the profession.

Presently, there are five public and four private universities offering the MPharm degree in Portugal, being the public faculties of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon, University of Porto
University of Porto
The University of Porto is a Portuguese public university located in Porto, and founded 22 March 1911. It is the largest Portuguese university by number of enrolled students and has one of the most noted research outputs in Portugal...

 and University of Coimbra considered the classical pharmacy schools in the country.

Qatar

In Qatar, a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy is required to practice as a licensed pharmacist. Qatar University (the only national university) http://www.qu.edu.qa/pharmacy/ began to offer a 5-year BSc (Pharm) degree in 2007. A 6-year PharmD degree program has also been approved, with student intake expected by 2011. In 2008, the College of Pharmacy became Qatar University's seventh college, which has received early accreditation by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). It is currently the first and only pharmacy college in the country.

South Korea

In South Korea, a new 6-year pharmacy education system has been implemented since 2011.

Spain

In Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, the Degree in Pharmacy (called licenciatura en farmacia) is consisting of 5 years. Last one is divided into two semesters, first one is similar as previous years (theory and laboratory practice) but second one is a full-time in-service training in a community pharmacy or at the pharmaceutical department of a hospital. This estructure is changing by another according to European Higher Education Area
European Higher Education Area
The European Higher Education Area was launched along with the Bologna Process' decade anniversary, in March 2010, during the Budapest-Vienna Ministerial Conference....

's System.

After obtaining degree certificate, there is the chance of opening a pharmacy sitting an examination in order to achieve a license. There is also the chance of postgraduate programs as Masters (Industry, Consultant pharmacist
Consultant pharmacist
A consultant pharmacist is a specialized pharmacist. The main principle of consultant pharmacy is Pharmaceutical care term developed by Hepler and Strand in 1990.- United States :...

, phytotherapy, etc.) and Doctorates and of carrying hospital specialty programs out (FIR or farmacéutico interno-residente, pharmacist intern-resident) by means of an examination like medical specialties (MIR). These specialties are: "Hospital pharmacist", "Clinical microbiology and parasitology", "Clinical biochemistry", "Clinical immunology", "Clinical analysis", "Radiopharmacy" and "Drug and medicines' control and analysis".

There are 15 universities with licenciatura in Pharmacy in Spain, three of them are private universities.

Thailand

In Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, there are currently two kinds of programs for Pharmacy studies.

1) a regular 5 years program - Bachelor of Pharmacy

2) a 6 years program - Pharm D.

The universities in Thailand still base their teachings on the regular 5 years program while preparing itself to be ready for the 6 years Pharm D. program. Anyone graduating with B. Pharm can take extra 2 years course to complete Pharm. D.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, integration with the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

 has resulted in the BPharm and BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...

 courses being superseded by a four-year course for the qualification Master of Pharmacy
Master of Pharmacy
A Master of Pharmacy is an academic degree in the field of pharmacy, which may be undergraduate or postgraduate depending on the country concerned. In many countries, it has superseded a Bachelor of Pharmacy as the prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist...

 (MPharm). In Great Britain the General Pharmaceutical Council
General Pharmaceutical Council
The General Pharmaceutical Council is the body responsible for the independent regulation of the pharmacy profession within England, Scotland and Wales, responsible for the regulation of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises...

 is responsible for regulation of pharmacy affairs and in Northern Ireland it is the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland
Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland
The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland is the regulatory and professional body for pharmacy in Northern Ireland.As the regulatory body, it seeks to protect public safety in pharmacy by:...

. Graduates must complete one year of practical training and pass a registration examination before they can be entered on the register of pharmacists, known as the register of pharmaceutical chemists.
Please see the List of schools of pharmacy in the United Kingdom which offer the MPharm course.


Pharmacists registered in other countries can also register in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. Overseas pharmacists are required to undertake the Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme (OSPAP), a one year intensive course focused on pharmacy practice in Great Britain. OSPAP authorisation can be given by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and the course is undertaken either the University of Sunderland
University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....

, Aston University
Aston University
Aston University is a "plate glass" campus university situated at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England.Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, Aston was granted its Royal Charter as Aston University on 22 April 1966...

, Robert Gordon University
Robert Gordon University
Robert Gordon University is located in Aberdeen, Scotland. Building on over 250 years involvement in education, it was granted university status in 1992. Robert Gordon University currently has approximately 16,407 students at its two campuses at Garthdee and the City Centre, studying on over 145...

, Kingston University
Kingston University
Kingston University is a public research university located in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, United Kingdom. It was originally founded in 1899 as Kingston Technical Institute, a polytechnic, and became a university in 1992....

 or the University of Brighton
University of Brighton
The University of Brighton is an English university of the United Kingdom, with a community of over 23,000 students and 2,600 staff based on campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. It has one of the best teaching quality ratings in the UK and a strong research record, factors which...

. However, pharmacists that have obtained their qualifications and are registered in other countries of the European Economic Area
European Economic Area
The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...

 can register with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain without undergoing additional or pre-registration training.

Pharmacists in the UK can now be accredited to perform a number of enhanced services. These include but are not limited to Medicine Use Reviews (MUR's) and Patient Group Directives (where certain prescription only medicines can be sold by the pharmacist for indications of hair retention, weight loss and erectile dysfunction).

The titles Pharmacist, Pharmaceutical Chemist and Pharmaceutist are legally protected in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. They can only be used by individuals that are registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain ; any other users are guilty of a criminal offence.

United States

Traditionally in the United States, the Bachelor of Pharmacy
Bachelor of Pharmacy
A Bachelor of Pharmacy is an undergraduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. The degree is the basic prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist in many countries. In some countries, it has been superseded by the Master of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees...

 was the first-professional degree for pharmacy practice. However, in 1990, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) mandated that a Doctor of Pharmacy
Doctor of Pharmacy
A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate degree in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a first professional degree, and a prerequisite for licensing to exercise the profession of pharmacist.-Kenya :...

 would be the new first-professional degree beginning with the class of 2006.

Admissions

Today, individuals seeking to become pharmacists must first complete a pre-pharmacy
Pre-pharmacy
Pre-Pharmacy or Pre-Pharm is the term used for a 2 year undergraduate course that Pharmacy students must first complete before moving onward to a 4 year Pharm.D program within the United States....

 undergraduate program. This program consists of a minimum of 60-90 semester
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...

 credit
Credit (education)
A course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution.- United States :...

 hours (90-100 quarter
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...

 credit
Credit (education)
A course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution.- United States :...

 hours) of undergraduate coursework in basic and advanced sciences; however, many students find completion of a four year program (between 120-130 semester credit hours) leading to a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 degree in biology, chemistry, or a similar field enhances their chances of admission. In addition, a PCAT
Pharmacy College Admission Test
The Pharmacy College Admission Test is a standardized test administered to prospective pharmacy school students by Harcourt Assessment, Inc. The test is divided into seven sections to be taken in approximately four and a half hours. These sections include Verbal Ability, Quantitative Ability,...

 (Pharmacy College Admission Test) score is required at most colleges and schools of pharmacy. Additional requirements for entry may include essays, references, an interview or participation in other on-campus activities. Admission is highly competitive. Web sites such as http://www.PharmacySchoolAdmissions.com , http://www.StudentDoctor.net , and http://www.PharmApplicants.com exist that offer advice and tips on how to gain entrance into pharmacy school
Pharmacy school
The basic requirement for pharmacists to be considered for registration is an undergraduate or postgraduate Pharmacy degree from a recognized university. In most countries this involves a four- or five-year course to attain a Master of Pharmacy...

.

Professional coursework

After admission, a student will typically complete a four year pharmacy program, although some schools offer accelerated three year programs. The curriculum typically begins with courses in physiology and pathophysiology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacognosy, pharmacology and toxicology. Once a student is proficient in these core pharmaceutical sciences, instruction in evidence based therapeutic application of pharmacologic agents begins. Aside from usage of agents, students are taught to recognize and assess risk factors for disease, interpret clinical data and recognize interactions of drugs and disease states.

While most schools teach the core science courses separately, some schools take a systems-based approach, teaching all of the material from physiology to therapeutics for a particular body system before moving on to another. Augmenting the pharmaceutical sciences, courses in ethics, management, pharmacy law, communications, public health and advocacy are taught throughout the professional program.

In addition to didactic work, students of pharmacy are required to have practice experience. These experiences are generally directed by the school, conducted under the supervision of a preceptor and are intended to complement work done in the classroom. The final year of most programs consists entirely of practice experience. Successful completion of the practice experience objectives may yield academic credit and satisfy state pharmacy board requirements for internship.

Upon completion of all professional curriculum and practice experiences, the student will graduate and be awarded the Doctor of Pharmacy
Doctor of Pharmacy
A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate degree in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a first professional degree, and a prerequisite for licensing to exercise the profession of pharmacist.-Kenya :...

 (Pharm.D.) degree and typically seek licensure by examination.

Licensure

Pharmacists must be licensed by the state pharmacy board of the state in which they wish to practice, with one exception: A pharmacist with an active license may practice in a federal facility regardless of the state which issued the license.

In order to obtain an initial license, or license by examination, a candidate must have graduated from an AACP accredited school or college of pharmacy, satisfy requirements for internship, write and pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX
Naplex
The NAPLEX, also known as the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, is a standard examination created by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to help individual state boards of pharmacy assess an individual's competency and knowledge so that he or she may be given a license to...

), in some states write and pass the Multi-state Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) and sometimes an additional state exam. Upon licensure, one may then be designated "Pharmacist" or "Registered Pharmacist" ("R.Ph."), as usage of these titles are generally regulated by state governments.

A pharmacist in good standing may reciprocate an active licensure by examination to another state. Typically the requirements for licensure by reciprocity are less intensive and may require as little as passing an additional law exam.

After obtaining a license, it must be periodically renewed by completing continuing education and other requirements as prescribed by the state of licensure.

Post-graduate work

A new pharmacy graduate may choose to complete an optional post-graduate residency (one to three years) rather than entering directly into pharmacy practice. A pharmacy residency
Pharmacy residency
Pharmacy Residency is education a pharmacist can pursue beyond the degree required for licensing as a pharmacist .-In France:The residency lasts four years....

consists of one to two years of general residency and one to two years of specialized residency. Residencies allow a graduate to further hone their clinical skills in a structured environment..
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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