Are you considering studying pharmacy? Don’t know what the degree consists of? Well this is the right place to find out more about it!
A bachelor of Pharmacy is one of the health professional courses offered here at Otago University. Pharmacy is a degree that allows an incredible amount of variety in terms of what you can do in the future. Just a few examples include work in: community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, business ownership, medications safety, etc.
The Bachelor of Pharmacy consists of the following papers (this is subject to change every year, so make sure to stay updated with the course coordinators):
As pharmacy students, we learn to become experts in medicines relating to health conditions such as:
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidaemia
- Communicable and non-communicable diseases
- Dermatology (dermatitis, psoriasis, impetigo)
- Gastrointestinal disorders (GORD, constipation, diarrhoea, IBD)
- Musculoskeletal (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout)
- Type 1 & 2 Diabetes
- Renal Infections
- Kidney Diseases
- Stroke and Heart Diseases
- Thyroid Disorders
- Respiratory infections
- COPD, Asthma
- Men & Women’s Health (prostate, pregnancy, contraception, urogenital infections)
- Oncology (cancers, cytotoxics, pain management, supportive care)
- Neurology (insomnia, epilepsy, dementia)
- Psychiatry (anxiety, depression, personality disorders, schizophrenia, addiction & opioid treatment)
- Palliative care
- Infectious diseases
We also learn about ethics, law and partake in numerous skills labs to practice dispensing, checking and validating prescriptions. This is also where we develop our practical skills in compounding and making drug solutions and/or creams. Pharmacy not only revolves a technical side with chemistry and calculations, but we also learn how to communicate effectively with patients. It is a degree that develops your confidence in your communication skills along with confidence in applying the knowledge that you have learned in lectures and workshops in real life.
Pharmacies offer a variety of other services that we also become trained on such as:
- Vaccinations (covid-19, influenza, MMR, meningococcal, shingles, whooping cough)
- INR (anticoagulation service)
- Blood pressure checks
- Supplying of meds for UTIs, erectile dysfunction, emergency contraceptive pill, etc.
It is a degree rich in variety and if you’re interested in not only becoming a medicine expert but are also passionate in working with patients and in healthcare then this might be the degree for you! 😊
Disclaimer: Specific papers may vary per year and is subject to change according to the course coordinators so always reach out and email the School of Pharmacy if you had any questions or feel free to comment!
More Sources!!
Check out the Otago University page for more info on technicalities (papers, requirements):
Check out our School of Pharmacy Page for more info on what the school is up to during the year:
https://www.facebook.com/OtagoSchoolofPharmacy
Check out our NZAPS-O social pages for a more social insight into what being a pharmacy student at Otago is like:
New Zealand Association of Pharmacy Students Otago 