Study pharmacy at UQ
What’s it like to study pharmacy at UQ?
Ever wonder what it’s like to pursue a pharmacy degree in Australia? We chatted with the Faculty of Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Queensland to learn more. Here’s what they had to say!
Does the program have a lot of international students?
Approximately 30% of the School of Pharmacy’s student cohort are international students from more than 30 different countries. There are currently Canadian students enrolled in the Bachelor of Pharmacy Honours program and we also have a considerable number of Canadian graduates.
Do many students look to complete the accelerated program option?
The accelerated program option is attractive to international students as they are able to secure credit for the courses that they have completed that are assessed and deemed equivalent to courses in the UQ BPharm(Hons) program.
*For students looking at the accelerated option, you’ll need to prepare an Application for Credit alongside you initial application. Courses will need to come from the university level and we tend to find 2–3 Canadian courses are needed to meet 1 Australian course. Depending on the volume of credit granted, the program duration may be shortened by up to 1 full year.
Where do pharmacy students at UQ study?
The School of Pharmacy is located at the Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE). It is a $100 million facility dedicated to Pharmacy students and is located in Queensland’s world-class biomedical science precinct, adjacent to the Princess Alexandra Hospital and the $300 million Translational Research Institute. The School is a short walk from UQ St Lucia Campus and close to the city centre.
Are there placements as part of the Pharmacy program?
There are two 4 week placements in the final year of pharmacy. One placement is a project on quality use of medicines that occurs generally in a hospital in south east QLD. Some students do take the opportunity to go further afield and may decide they would like to experience a different type of pharmacy e.g. a rural remote location or with the flying doctor’s service. The School facilitates these placements. The second 4 week placement is more clinically orientated and can be in any area of pharmacy e.g. hospital, community, GP clinic. Most students source this placement themselves, although the school will assist if required. The School is also reviewing the placement program currently with a view to ensure students who are interested can choose a contemporary model of pharmacy practice e.g. medication reviews. We will also be employing a staff member specifically to assist students with finding placements and ensuring that students make the most of their time on placement.
What do Canadian students have to say about the pharmacy program?
UQ Pharmacy graduate (2017) Sunita Kashyap
“PACE (School of Pharmacy campus) is really nice because you get to meet a lot of students from other years. PACE gives you a different feel because you’re in pharmacy school and you’re at the campus all the time so you see people a lot more regularly because you’re all in it together. It’s nice to be in a pharmacy specific setting. You get intermingled into the pharmacy community. The library is really great, there’s plenty of space and they’re open till late. It’s a great study space where you can go after lectures to get some work done before you go home. They also have a lot of good resources but we haven’t had to use them much because the courses are very specific and everything is contained within what we have been given.
“The staff here are very encouraging and helpful. They make time to meet up with you and explain a concept. They take the time to make sure you really understand and not just say that you understand, they will go over it as many times as you need. The courses are a little bit difficult but structured so well. It’s very horizontal and what you learn in one course helps out another course which helps out another. I let friends at home know that it’s not as formal as it is back at home, you can speak to the professors and get to know them and they are very helpful. Students are not very competitive it’s more like a community here.”
UQ Pharmacy graduate (2011) John Korianitis
“My main motivation to study the Bachelor of Pharmacy was to have a positive impact on the community by helping patients manage their healthcare and to deliver quality clinical services. Perhaps my most favourite activity was the workplace experience that UQ delivers to students starting from the first year of pharmacy study. I got to experience various fields of pharmacy such as a rural community pharmacy in Alice Springs and hospital pharmacies. I also enjoyed doing the research projects such as the one I did at a mental health hospital in fourth year and also manufacturing my own drug formulation.
“With the expanded scope of pharmacy technicians, the role of a community pharmacist in Canada is mostly clinical with a focus on patient care such as vaccinations, renewing chronic prescriptions, adapting and changing prescriptions, medication reviews and even writing prescriptions. The pharmacy program at UQ heavily focuses on Quality of Use Medicines which you will need in order to successfully perform these roles as a Canadian pharmacist. Although I did not know this at the time I started studying at UQ, I was actually lucky in that this clinical focus would align with my future practice in Canada. As a result of my UQ degree, I have easily adapted to the new expanded scope of practice for pharmacists throughout my career.”
Interested in starting an application? We’re happy to help!
Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) Program at UQ
The Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) program is a well-established, professionally accredited learning framework that is well received by both students and the profession. The program has evolved into one of the country’s most comprehensive and well-respected pharmacy degrees, both domestically and internationally.
Program: Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)
Location: Brisbane, Queensland
Semester intakes: July and February each year
Duration: 4 years
Application deadline: The application deadline for the July intake is May 30; and November 29 for the February intake. You are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Late applications may be accepted by UQ Pharmacy School.
Start your UQ Pharmacy application!
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