A pharmacist is a healthcare team member specifically concerned with drugs and medicines. Pharmacy at UCC provides the confidence, skills and knowledge to make a difference in the pharmaceutical arena.

The four main areas of study on this four-year course are pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry; formulation design; drug action in the body and the practice of pharmacy. The course incorporates both basic sciences learning and the practice of pharmacy, as well as a number of placements as outlined above.

The School of Pharmacy has state-of-the-art facilities designed to teach pharmacy to a world-class standard. These include laboratories, teaching and tutorial rooms, and a model pharmacy. Innovative technology is used in over-the-counter (OTC) "responding to symptoms" tutorials. This technology uses interactive patient scenarios across many types of diseases.

Exciting new changes to Pharmacy Education

Since September 2015 students who enter the UCC Pharmacy programme will graduate with a level 9 MPharm degree. Once you have successfully completed your first four years (BPharm) you will then progress to the fifth year (MPharm). This new and exciting change in Pharmacy education in Ireland has come about because the Irish professional Pharmacy body (the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, PSI) now requires graduates to have completed a Masters degree before entering the PSI Register and practising as a Pharmacist.

So what does this mean for you?

The pharmacy degree is designed to integrate both the subjects you will study and the placements you will undertake so that you can really understand and apply your knowledge of science and healthcare to drug treatments for patients. Placements will be an integral part of the programme over the five years. There will be a one day placement in first year, two weeks in second year, two months at the end of third year (summer period), four months in fourth year and eight months in the final year. Placements can be carried out in community, hospital or industry as well as within regulatory organisations but the final eight month placement in your fifth year must be carried out in a patient facing setting.

Year 1 Modules:

AN1075 Principles of Human Structure for Pharmacy Students (5 credits);

BC1443  Biochemistry (10 credits);

PF1009  Introduction to Pharmaceutical Chemistry (10 credits);

PF1010  Physiochemical Basis of Pharmaceuticals (5 credits);

PF1011  Pharmacy Practice I (5 credits);

PF1012  Introduction to Pharmaceutics: Formulation Science (10 credits);

PL1400 & PL1401 Introduction to Physiology for Pharmacy I & II (5 credits each);

PT1445  Foundation Pharmacology (5 credits)

Year 2 Modules:

Molecular Biology;  Introduction to Pharmaceutical Microbiology;  Pharmaceutical Technology - Solid Oral and Sterile Dosage Forms;  Professional Pharmacy Core Skills;  Research Methods and Applied Data Analysis;  Pharmaceutical Analysis;  Pharmaceutical Chemistry;  Pharmacy Practice;  Cellular and Molecular Basis of Drug Action and Toxicity

Year 3 Modules:

Gastrointestinal, Hepatic and Endocrine Systems;  Cardiovascular, Renal & Eye Systems;  Professional Practice;  Respiratory, Musculoskeletal & Dermatological Systems;  Clinical Immunology and Infection;  Regulatory Science;  Pharmacokinetics, from Basic principles to Clinical Applications;  Pharmacognosy and Phytopharmaceuticals

Year 4 Modules:

Organisation and Management Skills;  Professional Skills Development;  Professional Practice;  Clinical Practice;  Central Nervous System;  Novel Drug Delivery;  Pharmacy Project

Year 5 Modules:

Core

Clinical Practice;  Emerging Drugs, Drug Design and Mechanism of Action;  Supply of Medicines & Organisation and Management Skills;  Leading the safe and responsible use of Medicines;  Professional Practice and Public Health;  Pharmaceutics of Advanced Therapies;  Research Dissertation in Pharmacy

Electives

Personalised Medicine;  Medication Review and Pharmaceutical Care Planning;  Industrial Pharmacy;  From First Idea to First-In-Man: an Overview of the Drug Discovery and Preclinical Development Process;  Immunization Policy and Practices for Pharmacists.

Some Year 4 and Year 5 modules are completed while on placement.

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Register with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland on the Register of Pharmacists;
  
  
• Evaluate interventions to improve prescribing in practice and within the health care team;
  
  
• Practise Pharmacy competently in the primary care/secondary setting with due regard to the competencies set out in the Core Competency Framework for Pharmacists Document;
  
  
• Communicate effectively with patients and healthcare professionals for the purpose of counselling and advising on medicines and their safe usage and supply;
  
  
• Interpret and evaluate prescriptions and supply medicines in accordance with current legislation and professional codes of practice;
  
  
• Apply the physiochemical properties of drugs underpinning the design, development and manufacturing of emerging medicines;
  
  
• Outline the physiological, biochemical, molecular and genetic basis of disease, drug therapy and drug delivery;
  
  
• Recognise common disease states and respond appropriately to presented symptoms;
  
  
• Conduct a literature review, design a research protocol, collect and interpret data and write a dissertation.

See the College Calendar for more detailed information on the programme and the Book of Modules for a more detailed description of programme modules.

Leaving Certificate entry requirements: 

H5 in Chemistry and a H4 in either Physics or Biology and O6/H7 in the Leaving Certificate in Irish, English, another language and  Mathematics.

Students presenting with a 2016 (or previous) Leaving Certificate must present with a HD1 in Chemistry and a HC2 in either Physics or Biology.

Mature students: Applicants should apply directly through the CAO (www.cao.ie), include a statement of interest and may be called for interview. Applicants are required to have a H5 in Chemistry and a H4 in either Physics or Biology in the Leaving Certificate or equivalent (A HD1 in Chemistry and a HC2 in either Physics or Biology if presenting a pre-2017 Leaving Certificate). Approximately twelve places are available on this course for mature students. 

International Students should visit the International Education website.

Student Vetting
All students on this programme will come into contact with the public and assume positions of trust through educational and training opportunities.  To ensure the protection of the public, and to justify public trust and confidence, UCC is committed to ensuring that only suitable candidates are allowed to undertake this programme.

Vetting is carried out by the Admissions Office in UCC once a student has accepted his/her place on the programme in question.  It involves a police check to establish whether the individual being vetted has had criminal convictions in the past or whether there are any criminal proceedings pending.  The Gardai provide this information for students who have resided in Ireland for a period of 6 months or more (including permanent residence).

All students who have resided outside Ireland for a period of 6 months or more must furnish a Police Clearance Certificate from their country or countries of residence.  This Certificate should state that the student has no convictions recorded against him or her while residing there.

Fitness to Practise

This programme will be subject to UCC's Fitness to Practise Policy – full details may be found here.

EU Applicants:  Application to Year 1 of the degree programme is made directly through the Central Applications Office (CAO). Applicants should apply online at www.cao.ie. The normal closing date for receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year of entry. 

Non-EU Applicants

Mature Applicants:  Application is made through the CAO (www.cao.ie.) and the closing date for receipt of completed applications is 1st February of the year of proposed entry.

Expected lecture/lab/practical hours: This is a full-time degree course. A typical day might start with lectures in the morning followed by laboratory sessions in the afternoon. To help you to understand the contents of lectures, helpful tutorials also form part of the learning day.

Expected reading hours: In addition to face-to-face contact, you are responsible for reading around your subjects to build on the foundation of knowledge laid down by the lectures.

Field trips: One site visit per year to local pharmaceutical industries is usually organised, in addition to placements in hospital or community pharmacies.

Placements: First year one day; second year two weeks; third year 2 months (summer period); fourth year 4 months; fifth year 8 months.

Other practicalities
This programme will be subject to UCC's Fitness to Practise Policy – full details may be found here

Garda vetting is carried out by the Admissions Office in UCC once a student has accepted their place on this progamme.

Written exams will take place before Christmas and in May.  Not all modules will have formal examinations.  Many modules use other types of asessment including multiple-choice questions, practical reports, computer aided exams, essays and research reports.

You will also be assessed on your ability to practice as a pharmacist, and this is examined through an OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination). You will have the opportunity to sit mock examinations in practicals, written examinations and OSCEs.

Staff members have connections with the pharmaceutical industry, and in UCC we are also lucky to have locally based but global pharmaceutical industries, with whom our staff are involved in research. These connections greatly influence the teaching of pharmacy to our students.

In addition, as some of our staff are practising pharmacists, they are able to bring their work experiences directly into the lecture theatres and laboratories, which makes learning more exciting and meaningful for students.