Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Undergraduate programme

How do I become a pharmacist?
What does a pharmacist do?
What can I do when I graduate?
Why should I become a pharmacist?
What are the prerequisites to enter the Bachelor of Pharmacy course?
Who do I contact regarding admission to the degree?
Do I need a First aid certificate?
What courses are run in the Bachelor of Pharmacy?
Can pharmacists prescribe?
Can I do further training after I have registered as a pharmacist?
Can I apply for a University PhD scholarship?
Can I do a postgraduate research degree after I have completed my Bachelor of Pharmacy?
What qualifications do I need to have in order to do a PhD in the School of Pharmacy?

Postgraduate Professional Programmes

How do I enrol for a postgraduate professional programmes course?
Can I withdraw from or change my course/paper?
Can I take more than one paper a semester?
Are there any prerequisites?
Are there any workshops for the paper?
Do I have to complete the PGDipClinPharm papers in a certain order?
How do I enrol for a postgraduate professional programmes course?
What happens if I cannot attend a workshop or audioconference session?
Who do I send my assignments too?
Is there an exam for the paper?
What happens if I do not pass a paper?
Can I start in any semester?
What is the maximum period of time I can take to complete my PGCertPharm?
What is the maximum period of time I can take to complete my PGDipClinPharm?
What is the maximum period of time I can take to complete my MClinPharm?
Do I need access to the internet?
How do I find out how much it costs to study a paper?
What qualifications do I need?
What is the process for International students and can I enrol?

Undergraduate programme

How do I become a pharmacist? 

In order to become a registered pharmacist within New Zealand, you need to complete the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree (4 years) and successfully complete a one year internship run by the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand?

What does a pharmacist do?

A pharmacist is involved in all aspects of medicine delivery to patients. For example in a community pharmacy a pharmacist will dispense, that is prepare and package, the medicines a doctor  has prescribed for a patient.  They are also involved in selling medicines to a patient or customer for which a prescription is not required, such as cough cold remedies, pain relief, and emergency contraception. Additionally they counsel patients as to how to best take the medicines they have been prescribed and they may provide additional information about the disease and how these medicines will work.  Pharmacist can also have other roles, for instance they may work in hospital providing a range of services including medicine information and cancer chemotherapeutic agents, or they may work in the pharmaceutical industry developing and/or testing new medicines.  Some pharmacist work in more unusual areas, for example those that work for Pharmac (the Government agency that funds medicines) or even in border control – preventing unlicensed and illegal drugs being imported into New Zealand.

What can I do when I graduate?

Most pharmacists work in community pharmacies, while others work in hospitals. Many find varied careers in industry, where they may be involved with developing new products, quality control, evaluation, or marketing. The medical publishing industry employs pharmacists as editors and writers, and government organisations use pharmacists in legal, advisory, technical, editorial and administrative positions. Graduates are increasingly becoming involved in teaching and research.

Why should I become a pharmacist?

You should consider a career in pharmacy if you are interested in disease and medicine therapy.  Pharmacists know more about medicines than most doctors do, that is they are an expert in medicines!  It is also important that you are interested in patients and their health, and in helping them achieve optimum benefits from their medicines.  It is also desirable that you are interested in science especially chemistry as that underpins medicines including how and why they are used and how they are formulated.

What are the prerequisites to enter the Bachelor of Pharmacy course?

Entry into the Bachelor of Pharmacy is competitive and primarily based on results from the Health Sciences First Year Course. In addition the Pharmacy Admissions Committee may select candidates who have two or more years of University study or are university graduates. Applications may also be considered from Maori or New Zealand Resident Pacific Islanders.

Who do I contact regarding admission to the degree?

You can contact either the Undergraduate Admissions Officer or the Associate Dean – Undergraduate Programmes and Admissions.

Applications close on 1 October Annually. Please see admission dates on the Health sciences website.

Do I need a First aid certificate?

Yes

What courses are run in the Bachelor of Pharmacy?

The Bachelor of Pharmacy is a set course. The first half of the degree covers pharmaceutical, clinical and social sciences that will underpin the understanding of drugs and pharmacy. The second half of the degree focuses on professional practice and quality use of medicines In addition some time is spent in community and hospital pharmacies, either in New Zealand or as part of an international exchange scheme in approved countries. Please see the university website for more information.

Can pharmacists prescribe?

Not at present, however the Pharmacy Council are revisiting this area. A requirement would be to gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmacy Prescribing. 

Can I do further training after I have registered as a pharmacist?

Yes. The NZ College of Pharmacists have continued education.

Formal postgraduate qualifications may be gained by distance learning through the School of Pharmacy’s Postgraduate Professional Programmes.

Can I apply for a University PhD scholarship?

Yes, details can be found on the university website.

Can I do a postgraduate research degree after I have completed my Bachelor of Pharmacy?

Yes. With a GPA of B+ or higher you may enter the Postgraduate Certificate in Pharmacy (Research).  This will then enable you to enter the PhD programme.

What qualifications do I need to have in order to do a PhD in the School of Pharmacy?

You will need to have completed a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences or a related field. In addition you will have completed either a Masters’ degree, honors’ degree, Postgraduate Certificate in Pharmacy or 2 research based summer studentships. The applicant must have prior research experience.

Postgraduate Professional Programmes

How do I enrol for a postgraduate professional programmes course?

The quickest method is to call Student Administration on 0800 80 80 98 and enrol over the phone or they will send you out a registration pack. You can also enrol on-line via the University of Otago webpage.

Can I withdraw from or change my course/paper?

Yes but there a certain dates by which these can take place. Dates are on the University of Otago webpage and in the Guide to Enrolment.

Can I take more than one paper a semester?

Yes, however, it is expected that students spend approx 20 hours per week per paper. If you are working part-time then doing more than one paper a semester should be fine. If you are working full-time then it may be quite time consuming.

Are there any prerequisites?

Prerequisites are outlined in the Guide to Enrolment.

Are there any workshops for the paper?

Yes. All papers have either one or two workshops; held in Auckland or Dunedin, unless otherwise stated.

Workshop dates and venues are provided here and updated regularly. All workshops are compulsory to attend.  If you are unwell or out of the country please contact the Postgraduate Administrator and complete a Health declaration for Special Consideration.

Do I have to complete the PGDipClinPharm papers in a certain order?

It is highly recommended that you complete papers PHCX541 & PHCX542 before moving onto PHCX522, PHCX523, PHCX524 or PHCX525.  Similarly it is recommended that you complete PHCX525 or PHCX522 & PHCX523 before moving on to PHCX512. Please see here for suggested programme structures.

How do I enrol for a postgraduate professional programmes course?

The quickest method is to call Student Administration on 0800 80 80 98 and enrol over the phone or they will send you out a registration pack. You can also enrol on-line via the University of Otago webpage.

What happens if I cannot attend a workshop or audioconference session?

You must contact the Paper Coordinator as soon as possible. Most workshops are compulsory so if you are unable to attend you may not be able to complete the paper.

Who do I send my assignments too?

Assignments should be uploaded to Blackboard under 'Assignments' section unless otherwise stated.

Is there an exam for the paper?

Some papers have external exams while others are internally assessed. The programmes of study provides materials about each programme and paper.

What happens if I do not pass a paper?

Hopefully this won’t happen. If it does, you will have the opportunity to repeat the paper the following year.

Can I start in any semester?

This will also depend of prerequisites for papers. Please check details for the programme of study.

What is the maximum period of time I can take to complete my PGCertPharm?

One year full-time or two years part-time.

What is the maximum period of time I can take to complete my PGDipClinPharm?

Two years full-time or four years part-time.

What is the maximum period of time I can take to complete my MClinPharm?

Two years full-time or four years part-time.

Do I need access to the internet?

Yes to access emails and Blackboard. It is preferable that you have access to a laptop that has wireless connectivity.

How do I find out how much it costs to study a paper?

Costs per paper approximately $2190.75 NZD for domestic fees.

For more details link to the cost per paper or go to www.otago.ac.nz/subjects Type in the paper code (e.g. PHCX541) into the box and click search.

What qualifications do I need?

You need to be a Pharmacy graduate to enrol in the PGCertPharm (endorsed in Medicines Management). 

To enrol for the PGDipClinPharm you need to be registered for practice as a pharmacist in the country of residence. 

To enrol for the MClinPharm every applicant must hold the PGDipClinPharm qualification.

What is the process for International students and can I enrol?

International student enquiries are approved on a case-by-case basis. Please see guide for international students.