Pharmacy
Your career in Pharmacy at UWA
UWA’s Department of Pharmacy provides excellence in pharmacy education and research. We are committed to graduating students who are future leaders in the profession and promote the highest standards.
Our students acquire knowledge in areas of pharmacy practice, clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, and biomedicine and biotechnology, including practical training in community and hospital pharmacy.
Entry-to-practice courses
The Bachelor of Human Sciences (Pharmaceutical Health) and Doctor of Pharmacy is a four-year integrated degree preparing students for pharmacist registration with strong clinical and human science foundations.
The two-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Extended) provides advanced knowledge and practical placements for those seeking professional registration.
UWA’s offers four main pathways to the Doctor of Pharmacy, tailored to different career stages.
Practitioner Development courses
For registered pharmacists, the one-year Doctor of Pharmacy Practice enables upskilling and qualification advancement, while the six-month Doctor of Pharmacy Refresher allows UWA Master of Pharmacy graduates to upgrade to the DPharm title.
Our Vision
To produce leaders in the profession of pharmacy and enhance the quality of life of Australians through the practice of pharmacy.
Our Purpose
To meet this vision, our purpose is to produce graduates who:
- have an advanced and integrated understanding in all areas of the practice of pharmacy, including research principles and methods;
- practice pharmacy based on excellence in competency, integrity and care;
- apply knowledge and skills that demonstrate autonomy, expert judgement, adaptability and responsibility as a practitioner;
- acknowledge and celebrate difference, and involve and empower others to reach their potential.
Our Values
The Doctor of Pharmacy (51500) is accredited by the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) and is approved by the Pharmacy Board of Australia as a qualification leading to registration as a pharmacist in Australia
Hospital placements for all students
Teaching delivered by practising expert pharmacists
Significant research project with the opportunity to complete rurally or internationally
Our courses
- Pathways to Become a Pharmacist
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Bachelor of Human Sciences (Pharmaceutical Health) and Doctor of Pharmacy
An innovative four-year integrated degree that equips students with both human science foundations and professional pharmacy qualifications. Graduates earn both an undergraduate and postgraduate degree, preparing them for registration as pharmacists with a strong person-centred care focus.
A professionally accredited, intensive two-year program providing the scientific knowledge and clinical training required to practise as a pharmacist in Australia. Includes immersive placements across hospital, community, and primary care settings.
- For Registered Pharmacists
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Designed for currently registered pharmacists, this one-year program (or part-time equivalent) allows professionals to upskill in areas such as prescribing, aged care, and medication management while gaining the Doctor of Pharmacy (DPharm) qualification.
A six-month full-time (or part-time) program tailored for UWA pharmacy graduates who already hold a Master of Pharmacy. This course recognises prior learning and enables graduates to upgrade their qualification to a DPharm title.
UWA's Pathway to Doctor of Pharmacy
Student highlight
News
Pharmacists respond differently to patients at risk of suicide depending on gender
Community pharmacists are more likely to show empathy towards women but to take men more seriously when they are perceived to be at risk of suicide, according to new research that echoes wider gender bias across the healthcare system.
Read moreStudy finds more men taking multiple medications
Research tracking polypharmacy – people regularly taking five or more medications – found an increase in multiple medicine use during the past decade, largely driven by a growth among men.
Read moreUWA research recognised in Innovator of the Year Awards
Companies developing a new treatment for insulin resistance and a medication-assisted therapy program for post-traumatic stress disorder have been recognised with 2025 WA Innovators of the Year Awards.
Read moreOur research disciplines
UWA has been rated as well above world standard (level 5) for Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences fields of research in the 2018 Excellence in Research Australia results.
