- guardian.co.uk, Thursday 1 May 2008 01.09 BST
Photograph: Getty
What will I learn?
With your three top-notch A-levels in chemistry, biology, physics or maths, your degree in pharmacy will teach you all about medicines, their uses and how to manage and dispense them.
Four-year degrees, which will lead to a master of pharmacy qualification, will be followed by a pre-registration year of training in a hospital or in industry, after which you will qualify as a professional pharmacist, registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and able to legally dispense drugs.
You will study the origin and chemistry of drugs, the preparation of medicines, their uses and effects and good pharmacy practice. You will also need to keep up to date with new drugs that come on the market.
Pharmacy is a full-on, 9am to 5pm degree, so expect to spend time in lectures, seminars, laboratories and, if possible, on hospital wards or in pharmacies.
Pharmacology, meanwhile, focuses on the ways medicinal drugs are delivered, the effects they have on the body and whether new ones could work better.
You will study cells and tissues in detail, taking modules in organic chemistry, control mechanisms and physiology.
You could also investigate specific diseases, such as cancer or Alzheimer's or HIV and Aids, to examine infection rates and the effects of drugs in combating symptoms.
What skills will I get?
Pharmacy graduates should be able to think clearly and systematically, know what drugs best tackle specific illness and how to communicate information to the public, who will often want your advise on drugs and general healthcare.
Over the past few years, pharmacists have begun to be seen more as having a key role in dealing with patient care, so get a job in industry if you're not keen on dealing with the public.
By the time you graduate you will have mastered a substantial body of knowledge, and should be raring to get stuck into you pre-registration year.
You should have a thorough understanding of the legal and ethical issues that come with your work.
Good time management and organisational skills are essential.
Pharmacology graduates should also have developed a broad knowledge base.
You should have developed good analytical and critical skills and be able to present you findings in a clear and concise way.
Your final-year research project (there is bound to be one) will show you can work independently and know how to best present your findings.
What job can I get?
Unemployment rates among pharmacists are low, and the majority of graduates will get jobs in NHS hospitals or in the local high street chemist. Some will venture into industry or stay in universities doing further research or teaching the next crop of students.
An obvious career choice for pharmacology graduates is in industry, either in the lab or working more in marketing or quality checking. If this doesn't appeal, jobs in forensic science or other health-related work are possibilities, or you could undertake further research or train to become a teacher.
What will look good on the CV?
· A multidisciplinary approach to solving healthcare problems
· An ethical attitude towards your role in society
· A high level of interpersonal skills.
· For the full range of skills you can develop through a degree in pharmacy click here
