188099 v.4 Bachelor of Pharmacy

Introduction

This course offers practical experience as well as a theoretical grounding in the discipline of pharmacy and is the only undergraduate program in Western Australia that leads to registration as a pharmacist. It is taught with a hands-on approach, with a range of laboratories and facilities available to enhance teaching and provide essential practical skills. Pharmacists are involved in the development, testing, manufacture and distribution of medicines and the monitoring of drug therapy. In the first semester of the third year, students are either selected for the honours program or continue with the standard third and fourth year course structure.

Course Entry Requirements/Prerequisites

Chemistry 3A/3B and Mathematics 3A/3B. Applicants must also meet the University's standard entry requirements and provide evidence of English competency. STAT: Not accepted. Applicants using the IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System) require a minimum IELTS overall band score of 7.0 (min. bands of 7.0) or equivalent.

Specific Requirements

STAT is not accepted for entry to this course. Applicants for this course should refer to the Clinical Health Sciences section (see page 36) and Police Clearances (see page 5).

Note

Either biology or human biology provides valuable preparation for the course.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Applications for recognition of prior learning are assessed on an individual basis.

Duration and Availability

The course is four years' full-time. Part-time study is not available.

Course Organisation

The main areas of specialisation are pharmaceutics: which forms an increasingly important component of each year; pharmaceutical biology - which includes biochemistry; microbiology; physiology; pharmacology - the effect of drugs on the body; and pharmaceutical chemistry - which includes analytical, physical, organic and biological chemistry; pharmacognosy - the study of natural drugs. These develop into pharmaceutical practice and pharmacotherapy, which consider professional pharmacy roles. Each year of the course must be passed before proceeding to the next year.

Professional Recognition

The Bachelor of Pharmacy is fully accredited by the Australian Pharmacy Council. You are required to complete 1824 hours of pre-registration training before you can register to practice as a pharmacist in Australia. Pharmacists registered in Australia can apply to practice in New Zealand. The degree is recognised worldwide, although some countries require the fulfillment of additional educational or practical training programs.

Career Opportunities

Graduates have a wide range of career opportunities, with most graduates seeking employment in community pharmacies. In addition to providing community-based healthcare, this degree allows you to exercise business management skills in a professional setting. You may enter hospital pharmacy to help contribute to patient care in a secondary or tertiary healthcare environment and to extend your clinical expertise in a wide range of areas. The pharmaceutical industry, which manufactures most medicines today, offers many employment opportunities. These include research roles in the development of medicines, production of pharmaceuticals, quality assurance, regulatory services, marketing and drug information. You may also play a large role in regulatory control and policy development. Graduates interested in industrial or academic careers may be required to undertake further studies before embarking on these careers. Curtin graduates are highly employable and sought after, with one of the best graduate employment rates across the University.

Additional Course Expenses

Students will be required to purchase a laboratory coat or protective clothing, glassware and dispensing aids. Broken apparatus may also be charged for. Students may be expected to purchase a number of textbooks, readers and other essential study materials.

Further Information

For further information please contact Curtin Future Students on (08) 9266 1000 or email futurestudents@health.curtin.edu.au Scholarships are now available to provide financial support to encourage and enable Year 12 students living in a rural or remote area wishing to study Pharmacy at university. If you would like further information on the scholarship program or an application form, please contact the Rural Pharmacy Team at ruralpharmacy@guild.org.au or telephone (02) 6270 1888. Suitable applicants can go to www.guild.org.au and follow the prompts to Rural section for application information and deadlines.

Special Note

Students admitted to the course prior to 2009 can refer to the archived version of the online handbook for their course structure http://coursesmgmt.curtin.edu.au/handbooksarchive.html

Course Structure Disclaimer

Curtin University reserves the right to alter the internal composition of any course to ensure learning outcomes retain maximum relevance. Any changes to the internal composition of a course will protect the right of students to complete the course within the normal timeframe and will not result in additional cost to students through a requirement to undertake additional units.

The information displayed above refers to study periods and locations where the course is available for first time entry. Students are normally only offered or admitted to a course once.

* The course itself may not be available either solely internally or externally but individual units may be offered in either or both of those modes. Prospective students should contact the Course Coordinator for further information.

^ Course and associated units are offered in this mode permitting International Onshore student enrolment.

# Course and associated units are offered in this online only mode and DO NOT permit International Onshore student enrolment.