Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)
Overview
To register and practise as a pharmacist in New Zealand, a four-year University programme leading to a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree followed by 52 weeks of trainee internship at approved pharmaceutical establishments has to be undertaken. The Otago BPharm, the oldest university pharmacy degree in New Zealand, opens opportunities to practise as a pharmacist in various professional settings. It is a broad-based university programme in the physical, biological, social and health sciences.
Programme Requirements
Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)
| Year | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | Health Sciences First Year Course Notes: (i) Students enrolled in the Health Sciences First Year course will be required to achieve a satisfactory mark in a standard diagnostic English test or another approved measure of achievement. (ii) No student will be permitted to take an examination in a subject of the first year course in which a pass has already been gained. | 126 |
| 2nd year | Note: Since candidates for the second and subsequent years of the BPharm degree will normally have passed all papers for the previous year of study, information regarding exemptions from and prerequisites for papers is not published here but may be obtained from the Dean of Pharmacy. | 12 7 17 12 12 12 12 12 24 |
| 3rd year | 12 12 12 12 12 50 10 | |
| 4th year | 12 46 16 46 |
Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)
1 Admission to the Programme
(a) Admission to the second year classes in Pharmacy is determined by the Pharmacy Admissions Committee (see Note 2).
(b) Admission to the second year classes in Pharmacy is limited to 120 candidates who are eligible by virtue of citizenship or permanent residence in New Zealand (but see Regulation 1(i) regarding International Student admissions).
(c) The Pharmacy Admissions Committee shall select candidates for admission according to the following categories:
- Health Sciences First Year
- Two or More Years of University Study
- Graduate
- Alternative
The University of Otago supports the participation of the following peoples in the health workforce. Therefore, applicants in any category may also be considered in one or both of the following sub-categories:
- Maori
- New Zealand Resident Pacific Islander of Polynesian, Melanesian or Micronesian descent
(d) To gain entry in the Health Sciences First Year category a candidate must, in the first year of university study at the University of Otago, pass all the papers prescribed for the Health Sciences First Year course, at the first attempt, and have achieved grades acceptable to the Pharmacy Admissions Committee.
(e) To gain entry in the Two or More Years of University Study category, a candidate must have passed all the papers prescribed for the first year course and have achieved grades acceptable to the Pharmacy Admissions Committee in all papers.
(f) To gain entry in the Graduate category, a candidate must have completed the requirements of a first degree awarded by a university in New Zealand within three years of the date of application, including passes in all papers equivalent to those prescribed for the Health Sciences First Year course, and have achieved grades acceptable to the Pharmacy Admissions Committee.
(g) To gain entry in the Alternative category a candidate must be:
(i) a graduate who will either
(a) have completed a first degree from a university in New Zealand or Australia more than three years before the date of application and may since have taken a second degree or other university qualification; or
(b) have completed a degree from a recognised overseas university; or
(ii) an allied health professional who holds a relevant tertiary level qualification and has completed no less than five years of full-time work in that allied health profession.
All persons applying for admission under the Alternative category will be required to complete, to have completed or to be exempted from the papers prescribed for the Health Sciences First Year course and to have achieved grades acceptable to the Pharmacy Admissions Committee.
A candidate for admission under this category may be required to attend an interview.
(h) Admission to the programme shall be subject to candidates' meeting a specified English language requirement prior to entry to any second year classes.
(i) The Pharmacy Admissions Committee shall have discretion to offer additional places in second year classes to both private international students and international students under arrangements which have been approved by the School of Pharmacy. Candidates must have achieved a level of academic attainment to be determined by the Pharmacy Admissions Committee and shall have completed all necessary prerequisites.
(j) Notwithstanding any of the above provisions, the Pharmacy Admissions Committee shall have discretion to consider any applicant who, not having satisfied these regulations in a particular aspect, warrants admission to second year classes in Pharmacy for exceptional reasons.
2 Structure of the Degree
(a) Every programme of study shall satisfy the programme requirements above.
(b) Candidates will not normally be permitted to enrol for any paper of a year until all papers of the preceding year have been passed.
3 Cross Credits
A candidate who is enrolled for the degree concurrently with another degree, or who has completed one degree and is proceeding with the programme for the degree of Bachelor of Pharmacy, may cross credit 100- and 200-level papers which are common to both degrees up to a maximum of 180 points.
4 Terms Requirements
(a) No candidate shall be eligible to sit a paper in a final examination without having gained terms in that paper.
(b) A candidate gains terms in a paper by satisfactorily demonstrating the acquisition of sufficient knowledge and skills, by attendance at classes, and by performance in a professional manner of such practice/clinical and other work as the School of Pharmacy may require.
(c) A candidate who fails to gain terms in any paper will, if other regulations have been met, be required to repeat the whole of that paper.
(d) Terms granted in any paper shall normally be for the year only.
5 Special Examinations
(a) A candidate who fails a paper may be permitted to sit a special examination for that paper. Normally, no candidate may be admitted to special examinations if papers, equal to half the points or worth more than half the points comprising the course for that year, have been failed.
(b) Any candidate who has obtained an E grade in a paper will not normally be admitted to a special examination in that paper.
6 Withdrawal from and Readmission to the Programme
(a) A student who withdraws from the programme on or before the first day of the second semester in the year of admission to second year classes will be required to apply to the Pharmacy Admissions Committee for readmission and any such applications will be dealt with under the regulations governing admission to the programme.
(b) A student who, at any later time, withdraws from the programme is required to apply for readmission to the Board of Studies for Pharmacy no later than 15 September in the year prior to that for which readmission is sought. The period of withdrawal from the programme shall not normally exceed one year following the year of withdrawal.
7 Exclusion from the Programme
A candidate who fails any or all of the papers for a year of the programme other than the Health Sciences First Year may enrol again for the paper or papers concerned. This concession may normally be granted only once in the programme. If the candidate fails to complete all of the requirements for a year of study at a second attempt, or fails to complete any paper of a later year of the programme at the first attempt (which may include special examinations) having repeated a previous year, he or she may be excluded by the Board of the Division of Health Sciences, on the recommendation of the Board of Studies for Pharmacy, from further study towards the degree.
8 Level of Award of the Degree
The degree may be awarded with distinction or with credit.
9 Variations
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences) may in exceptional circumstances approve a course of study which does not comply with these regulations.
Notes:
(1) All the papers prescribed for the University of Otago Health Sciences First Year course must be passed with grades acceptable to the Pharmacy Admissions Committee. If an additional optional paper from the approved list is taken, and provided all of the prescribed papers are passed at or above the required minimum standard, the results in the best seven papers will be counted for admission purposes.
(2) An application for admission to the second year course is required; this is separate from the enrolment process. Applications must be received at the Health Sciences Admissions Office no later than 15 September in the year before admission.
Registration of Pharmacists
Admission to the practice of Pharmacy in New Zealand is governed by the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.
It requires practical training carried out under conditions prescribed by the Pharmacy Council. This practical work must be carried out after the candidate has passed the Fourth Year Examination for the degree of Bachelor of Pharmacy. Further details may be obtained from the Registrar of the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand, PO Box 25137, Wellington 6040.
Subject Area
Further Information
7th Floor
Adams Building
18 Frederick Street
P.O. Box 56
Dunedin
Tel 64 3 479 7275
Fax 64 3 479 7034
Email pharmacy.admissions@otago.ac.nz
Website http://pharmacy.otago.ac.nz
