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An introduction to Pharmacy

About this handbook

There are three main sections in this handbook:

  • General information about the faculty: Chapter 1
  • Undergraduate course information: Chapters 2 and 3
  • Postgraduate course information: Chapters 4 and 5

Course outlines

The course outline tables set out the required units of study to be undertaken by students in each year of their enrolled course.

Units of study

The units of study section follows the course outline tables in alphabetical order by unit code (for example, BIOL1003).

Details of each unit offered in the current academic year are provided, eg course content, credit points, semester offered and assessment.

FAQs

For more information, see the website www.pharm.usyd.edu.au, where you can find answers to frequently asked questions and comprehensive details about the courses on offer.

A brief history of the Faculty of Pharmacy

Pharmacy at the University of Sydney has an established tradition of excellence in research and scholarship in pharmacy practice and the pharmaceutical sciences. The University’s involvement with the education of pharmacists began in 1899. Among the earlier teachers, Horace Finnemore, appointed lecturer in 1927, had a strong research background. However, research in Pharmacy essentially commenced in 1949 with the arrival from the Burroughs Wellcome Laboratories of Roland H Thorp as Professor of Pharmacology and Director of Pharmaceutical Studies, followed by Sydney E Wright in 1950.

From the outset, Wright had the vision to develop active research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and the programs he initiated were carried on by his associates well into the '80s and '90s. Wright was appointed to the first Chair in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 1960 upon the introduction of the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree course. This marked the beginning of pharmacy degree programs in Australia.

In the 1990s, the undergraduate program underwent a number of changes, including the introduction of courses in pharmacy practice. In 1996, the department began the transition of the three-year undergraduate degree into a four-year program, with the first graduation of four-year graduates occurring in 2001.

In July 1997, the Herbal Medicines Research and Education Centre (HMREC) was established as part of the Department of Pharmacy to undertake and promote high quality research and education on herbal and complimentary medicines. On 1 January 2000, the Faculty of Pharmacy was established, becoming the first such faculty in Australia.

Demand for undergraduate places in the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree has always been high, with over 1000 prospective students listing pharmacy as their first preference for 2008. Demand for the two year MPharm professional degree is also very strong. With approximately 160 postgraduate coursework and research students, the faculty has the largest postgraduate pharmacy program in Australia.

Pharmacy has many collaborative research projects: with other faculties of the University, teaching hospitals, research institutes, the pharmaceutical industry, and with the profession itself.

Research in pharmacy covers a broad spectrum of pharmaceutical and clinical sciences ranging from the design, synthesis, testing and mechanism of action of drugs, through studies on methods of drug delivery and on the fate of drugs in humans and animals, to research on the clinical and sociological aspects of pharmacy.

Sydney University Pharmacy Association (SUPA)

SUPA represents the interests of pharmacy students at the University of Sydney. For over 40 years SUPA has been providing services, organising social events and representing our members on campus, and to the wider profession and community.

What does SUPA do?

  • SUPA organises over 12 social events each year, including pub crawls, barbeques, trivia nights, cruises, an annual ski trip, annual ball and more.
  • We are often asked to help out at pharmacy events in Sydney, and SUPA coordinates the student participation at such events.
  • Similarly, we assist the Faculty of Pharmacy at student information days and open days at the University.
  • We sell reference books, textbooks, and dispensing equipment required for the course at substantially reduced prices.
  • We organise annual second-hand textbook sales, allowing students to easily buy and sell books from other students.
  • We provide student input at the Faculty of Pharmacy's Teaching and Learning Committee.
  • Our year representatives present student issues and represent students at staff-student liaison meetings.
  • We design and sell merchandise, including the fourth-year jersey and our (in)famous annual t-shirt.
  • We coordinate the Pharmacy teams in the interfaculty sporting competitions.
  • We are the contact point between pharmacy organisations, such as the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and students.
  • We can provide you with advice and refer you to the right people for any issues or enquiries you might have as a pharmacy student.
  • We publish our newsletter The Mortar on a regular basis.
  • We receive several leading pharmacy publications such as Pharmacy News and offer copies to members for free.
  • All SUPA members are automatically members of National Australian Pharmacy Students Association (NAPSA), and receive all NAPSA benefits too.
  • All members of NAPSA are also members of the International Pharmaceutical Students' Federation (IPSF). This allows our members to gain a national and international perspective, and the associated membership benefits of these larger organisations.
  • In conjunction with the PSA Young Pharmacisits Group we co-ordinate an annual careers night to educate students on the career opportunities available to them on the completion of their degree.
  • We provide support mechanisms to incoming students ensuring transition to university, with a particular focus on the unique challenges that pharmacy students face.

Sarah Sinclair
SUPA President 2008–09
Email: supa@mail.usyd.edu.au