In year 2 focus is on the normal function of the body and how this is maintained. You'll study how nutrients and medicines are used by the body. Topics such as the sale and supply of over-the-counter medicines are introduced.

In year 3 you'll gain an understanding of the management of patients with common illnesses such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, exploring how these occur and how medicines can be used in their treatment. You'll also learn about how medicines are formulated and compounded for use and how they interact with the body.

In year 4 topics include the management of patients with cancer, mental health issues and inflammatory conditions.  You’ll also explore the importance of new medicines; better medicines and better use of medicines and how this impacts on patient care.  You will study how safety, efficacy, quality and economics are important in how medicines are used to treat people.

In your final year, you’ll focus on recent advances in treatment and the role of the pharmacist as a prescriber. You will study patient groups that have fewer guidelines and where evidence based approaches need to be taken. You'll apply the research skills developed throughout the programme in an independent project.

You will have experiential learning in hospital community and primary care setting across all of Scotland in all years of the programme