7 more UK Universities seek accreditation for MPharm programmes amid staffing concerns

The Pharmacy Schools Council is calling for urgent action to address rising alarms over severe staffing shortages that threaten the quality of education

The Pharmacy Schools Council (PhSC) has issued a statement urging a cautious approach to the significant expansion of additional UK universities seeking accreditation for new Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) programmes.

At least seven more UK universities are seeking accreditation for new Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) programmes, but existing pharmacy school heads are warning that severe staffing shortages could threaten the quality of education.

While the council welcomes the increasing interest in the pharmacy profession, it has warned that the "growth is managed not only in the workplace but within the

education sector."

In a meeting held in April 2024, the council members expressed that while this expansion would increase the number of undergraduate places available for pharmacy students, heads of existing pharmacy schools raised serious concerns about the challenges in recruiting suitably qualified staff to run these programmes.

The PhSC highlighted the difficulties in attracting candidates for academic positions, particularly those requiring clinical expertise.

"It is not uncommon for advertised posts to attract only one or two suitably qualified candidates and headhunting of existing members of the pharmacy academic workforce by

new and established SoPs is becoming an increasingly common occurrence," the Council stated.

The council also stated that the recruitment of practicing pharmacists is challenging, despite being essential for teaching the increasingly clinical components of the MPharm curriculum.

These pharmacists typically command salaries equivalent to Agenda for Change Band 8a in the NHS, which range from £50,952 to £57,349.

In contrast, higher education institutions (HEIs) are often pressured to manage with smaller staff bases or to offer positions at lower pay grades due to financial constraints, exacerbated by tuition fees that have remained stagnant since 2012.

The PhSC further emphasised the need to make academic pharmacy a more attractive career path and exploring alternative routes for career progression outside the traditional PhD pathway.

They also noted that universities are finding it increasingly difficult to retain staff, who are being approached by new SoPs with job offers.

The PhSC has called for greater investment from the NHS to support this expansion.

"The Pharmacy Schools Council recognises and welcomes the work currently being done by the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England’s office on enhancing clinical academic careers, but this does not address the current salary disparities between HEIs and the external workplace.

"We are therefore formally raising our concerns about the currently uncontrolled increase in schools of pharmacy in the UK without a commensurate investment from the NHS in any of the Home Nations in training at undergraduate level," the Council said.