Master of Pharmacy
A two-year postgraduate qualification, the Master of Pharmacy or MPharm is open to all students who have completed undergraduate studies in pharmacy, or a related field, and wish to specialize in a particular area, such as clinical pharmacy, clinical research, pharmaceutical biotechnology, pharmaceutical technology, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, pharmaceutics etc.
The course content is largely based on the specialization opted by the student. For example, a Masters in Clinical pharmacy will include modules such as Pathophysiology and Pharmacotherapeutics, which involve the detailed study of drugs, clinical research and approval of new drugs, and biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics that study the ways in which the body absorbs and processes different drugs. However, most master’s courses generally also include modules on organic chemistry, analytical techniques, and advancements in pharmaceutical science. The course usually involves a lot of laboratory work and all good institutes should have a well equipped science laboratory and experienced staff. It is also good to inquire on admission criteria, as these may differ between institutes and the various specializations, as well as placement records, if available.