As Bangor University expands its Medical School, it adds a new Pharmacy degree aimed to provide local students with opportunities to meet healthcare demands
In latest updates, Bangor University has given the go-ahead for a new pharmacy degree starting September 2025.
The four-year Master of Pharmacy( MPharm)undergraduate degree programme is the primary route that students take to become pharmacists and will be offered in Welsh language.
The programme is part of the institution's strategy to provide opportunities for local applicants encouraging them to pursue vital fields and ensure they meet the healthcare workforce demands in North Wales and beyond.
The new provisionally GPhC-approved MPharm degree, set to open registrations for the September-intake, is under the new North Wales Medical School and offers Pharmacy alongside Medicine and allied Health programmes.
The programme will be provisionally accredited until the accreditation process is complete.
Aligning with the GPhC’s new Standards for Initial Education and Training of Pharmacists, the MPharm programme aims to support the regional health and wellbeing of the population by preparing pharmacy graduates as part of integrated healthcare teams to facilitate patient care.
Bangor University offers significant experiential teaching through partnerships with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), community pharmacies, GP practices, and Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW).
Moreover, in partnership with BCUHB, Bangor University aims to be the foremost provider of quality pharmacy education in North Wales.
According to the University, stakeholder involvement is central to the philosophy of the MPharm programme structure.
With core pillars focusing on The Patient, The Pharmacist, and The Health Care System, these will be integrated into ‘Patients, their Medicines and their Care (PMC)’ modules that students will follow.
Prof Stephen Doughty, Head of Pharmacy Programme at Bangor University, said, “This programme will meet both a local and national need and will ensure that North Wales has a strong base for pharmacy education and research.
"This will ensure that patients and potential students’ needs are being met for the future.”
Lois Lloyd, Chief Pharmacist at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “I’m delighted with this positive news for North Wales and we look forward to working in partnership with Bangor University to support the programme.
"We now have an opportunity to locally invest in the training of pharmacists in North Wales and to develop the clinically skilled workforce we, and the wider NHS, need for the future.”
Sukhi Basra
