Bangor University has confirmed that it will launch a new pharmacy degree in the upcoming year. The four-year Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) undergraduate degree will be the pathway to becoming a pharmacist. The anticipated date for the inauguration of this degree is September 2025.

The institute wants to extend its medical school to provide students with more courses to choose from and to ensure that the local residents can have the opportunities to enrol in this field and that the graduates can meet the demands of the workforce needed in North Wales and beyond.

Prof. Stephen Doughty, Head of the Pharmacy Programme at Bangor University, stated, “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.” 

The commencement of this development is followed by a successful visit by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) as part of the required accreditation process. The university has begun the process of enrolling students for this particular degree for the September 2025 intake while progressing towards the accreditation of the programme with the GPhC. The course will be provisionally accredited until the accreditation process is complete.

The programme aligns with the GPhC’s new standards for the education and training of pharmacists, which will have an immense impact on the welfare of the population. Bangor provides excellent teaching quality through partners, including the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), community pharmacies, GP practices, and Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW). Bangor intends to be the foremost provider of quality pharmacy education in North Wales.

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.”