Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)

Introduction 

Increasing access to safe and cost effective medicine is the overarching goal of the teaching, research, and entrepreneurial activities of the School of Pharmacy. Launched in 1992, the CUHK Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) Programme was the first UGC funded pharmacy programme in Hong Kong. It is a 4-year full-time programme that prepares graduates for a 1-year internship before licensure. For more than two decades, the academic staff has lived up to the tradition of bringing out the best in each student with a high quality, rigorous and dynamic curriculum.

We have created a nurturing environment that cherishes teamwork, leadership, and commitment to civic responsibility. The School also takes pride in being able to raise the awareness of the public in the value of those services only the pharmacists are qualified to provide. Over 800 pharmacists in Hong Kong are CUHK graduates, accounting for about 27% of the pharmacist work force. Beginning with the 2016-17 academic year, our School has doubled its enrolment to a class of 61.

Two Decades of Innovation

• Pioneered an outcome-based Bachelor of Pharmacy curriculum that has been regarded as one of the best at CUHK.
• Pioneered the first Master of Clinical Pharmacy and the first Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacy in Hong Kong.
• Pioneered the first university-led community outreach program that also serves as an active learning platform for our students.
• In partnership with the private sector, successfully translated technological innovations created in the School’s research laboratories into a recognized health supplement in Hong Kong.

Programme of Choice for Talented Students

• Prepares graduates for a successful career in any healthcare setting by emphasizing problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking built upon a strong foundation of basic knowledge and skills.
• Exposes students to an array of innovative learning environments, including oversea exchange and outreach into the community.
• A dynamic training program known for its excellence in balancing knowledge- and practice-based teaching, integrating western and traditional Chinese Medicine, and emphasizing the importance of behavioral and social sciences that is the foundation of modern patient care.
• Has forged a strong teaching partnership with the Hospital Authority, Department of Health, community pharmacy, private hospitals, multinational pharmaceutical companies, and local pharmaceutical manufacturers.
• Has the strong support of alumni and leaders in the pharmacy profession.
• Driven by a rich tradition of excellence in discovery, learning, and entrepreneurship under the aegis of a world class academic staff.

BPharm Programme Leaflet

Programme Structure

Our programme is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and attitude to be lifelong learners and innovators who accept the responsibility of meeting the public’s needs for safe, efficacious, and cost-effective medicine.

** MEDF1011 & 1012 are prerequisites for PHAR1433 & 1434; MEDF1012 is prerequisite for PHAR1423; PHAR1110 is prerequisite for PHAR2110; PHAR1433 is prerequisite for PHAR2410; PHAR2211 & 2212 are prerequisites for PHAR2213; PHAR2213 is prerequisite for PHAR4402; PHAR2410 is prerequisite for PHAR3413, 3414 & 3415; PHAR2520 and PHAR3510 are prerequisites for PHAR4501; PHAR2711 is prerequisite for PHAR4401; PHAR3330 is prerequisite for PHAR4201; PHAR3413, 3414, 3415 & PHAR3812 are prerequisites for PHAR4301; PHAR4911 is prerequisite for PHAR4912.

^ Major Elective

® Required Course for Area of Concentration: Pharmacy Clerkship

Admission Requirements Intake

Applicants who are inquisitive, creative, and collaborative and who welcome the challenge of applying science to bring innovative, cost-effective medicine to patients are encouraged to apply. Pharmacists must also be able to communicate effectively with patients and other healthcare team members caring for the patient. Accuracy, attention to details, and a strong sense of ethics are integral to pharmacy practice. The minimum admission requirements are stated as below:

JUPAS*

Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) Minimum Requirements

• JUPAS Application Schedule: Please refer to the website of the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid

Tentative Interview Dates*:

• Mid-Late June 2021: Selected JUPAS candidates
• Mid June 2021: JUPAS Sub-schemes (e.g. the School Principals’ Nomination Scheme and Sports Scholarship Scheme)
• Late July 2021: Selected JUPAS candidates

Non-JUPAS

• Full academic transcripts are required.
• Non-JUPAS Application Schedule and admission requirements: Please refer to the website of the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid

These notes are meant to serve as references for the applicants who wish to study in the BPharm programme. The expected academic requirements for interview / admission are based on the results of the admission process in the previous years, and only provide a guide to the expected results in 2021. The exact criteria for admission in 2021 cannot be finalized until all applicants have submitted their academic grades and the interview have been completed.

Last Update: Nov, 2020

Admission Series

Alumni Series

Other Videos

Experiential Learning

A key component of the BPharm curriculum is experiential learning. This type of learning allows students to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world pharmacy practice. Experiential learning encourages a deeper understanding of pharmacy and contributes to the student’s own personal and professional development. At CUHK, these learning opportunities are offered throughout the student’s education.

Student Placement Opportunities

CUHK School of Pharmacy has built a network of over 50 partnering sites across the 18 districts of Hong Kong. Our sites include a wide range of pharmaceutical industries from manufacturing to distribution to direct patient care settings. This ensures students explore as many options as possible. Placement opportunities are available early in the students’ BPharm journey. Options include full-time during the summer months or part-time during the academic term. Our network of alumni and professional partners mentor our students to become successful future pharmacists.

Student Training Opportunities are available in the following areas:

• Hospital Pharmacy
• Community Pharmacy
• Health Clinics
• Multinational Pharmaceutical Companies
• Local Manufacturers
• Outreach Program
• Pharmaceutical Wholesaler
• Non-Government Organizations

Pharmacy Clerkship

In the final year of their studies, students may choose to participate in our signature Pharmacy Clerkship program which highlights the CUHK Pharmacy curriculum and transforms our students into competitive graduates.

Areas of Concentration:                          

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International Student Exchange

The CU Pharmacy International Exchange program offers an intensive and immersive learning experience of international pharmacy practice. The program provides attachments in various specialty areas such as Community Practice Management, Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, Oncology, Organ Transplant etc. Students are engaged in active learning alongside their international preceptors to expand their knowledge and deepen their understanding of pharmacy practice.

Partner institutions include: 

• Kyoto University, Japan
• United Family Healthcare, Beijing, China
• University of Arizona, USA
• University of California San Diego, USA
• University of Colorado, USA
• University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
• University of Manchester, UK
• University of Southern California, USA
• University of Sydney, Australia
• University of Toronto, Canada
• University of Wisconsin, USA

Newsletter:

• Hong Kong pharmacy students motivated by rotation at University of Toronto

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Scholarships and Prize

Admission Scholarship

Exchange Scholarship

Other Scholarship

List of Scholarship and Prize Awardees

• Please click here for the list of Scholarship and Prize Awardees

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CUHK Undergraduate Student Handbook

Please refer to The Chinese University of Hong Kong Undergraduate Student Handbook for the terms of regulations. The University / Faculty / School of Pharmacy has the right at any time and from time to time to make such changes. You are advised to visit the CUSIS or the following homepage for the updated information.

• For students admitted to the 4-year curriculum in 2012-13 and thereafter

Roadmap to a Registered Pharmacist

Students must complete four years of full-time study for graduation and one additional year of internship to be qualified as registered pharmacists. In their final year of study, students will have training in Research or Pharmacy Clerkship.

Pharmacy Degree (4 years) ⇒ Internship (1 year) ⇒ Registration of Pharmacists*

*Subject to the provisions of the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap.138, Laws of Hong Kong), any person who intends to practise as a pharmacist in Hong Kong should first be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. Applicants who hold a pharmacy degree awarded by the Chinese University of Hong Kong after the completion of a full time course of study at the university are required to undergo the Pharmacy and Poisons Board approved training in Hong Kong for an appropriate period determined by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, which normally is one year. Although the internship program is separate from the school, the CUHK School of Pharmacy has been active in expanding the network of internship sites.

Future Career

The goal of the Bachelor of Pharmacy program at CUHK is to provide our graduates with the core knowledge, skills, and attitude to flourish in any career setting. In general, our graduates are attractive to the employers in all sectors of pharmacy practice.

• Hospital Pharmacist
• Pharmacist in Teaching & Research
• Non-government Organization Pharmacist
• Public/Private Clinic Pharmacist
• Pharmaceutical Industrial Pharmacist
• Government Pharmacist
• Retail Community Pharmacist

Well Established Internship Training Programme

Job opportunities have been offered to our graduates by different healthcare related companies for their internship training.

Employer Sharing

Students’ Sharing – My 4-year Journey in School of Pharmacy, CUHK