The professional master¿s program in pharmacy qualifies for authorization as a pharmacist. Through the program, students acquire a broad and specialized pharmaceutical expertise. The program aims to ensure that society has candidates with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to practice pharmacy responsibly.

The pharmacy program provides students with a broad academic foundation in chemical and biological sciences, as well as specialization in pharmaceutical sciences, such as pharmacognosy, pharmacology, pharmaceutical technology, clinical pharmacy, social pharmacy, medicinal chemistry and supervised practice in pharmacies.

The master¿s thesis in the final year is an in-depth study and specialization in pharmacy, and students can to a large extent choose the subject area for their thesis.

The learning outcomes are designed in accordance with the regulations for the national guidelines for pharmacy. Upon completion of the study program, the candidate will have achieved the following knowledge, skills, and general competence.

Knowledge

The candidate:

• Has advanced knowledge of medications and their use, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, including drug selection, dosing, important side effects, interactions, and therapy management for common diseases, as well as clinical pharmacy and other pharmaceutical services.
• Has in-depth knowledge of biochemical and physiological mechanisms of action.
• Has advanced knowledge of the development and production of medications, including isolation, synthesis, and analysis of active substances, formulation, manufacturing and quality control, storage and distribution of medications and quality assurance of all stages in the process.
• Has knowledge of veterinary medications, their use, and how they affect animal health and food safety.
• Has knowledge of nutrition and dietary supplements, and the use of relevant medical equipment.
• Has knowledge of the healthcare system, the interaction between healthcare and society, technological solutions and work processes that include collaboration and interprofessional cooperation within healthcare, and how language and culture influence this.
• Has knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods and clinical trials, and in-depth knowledge of key research ethics regulations and principles.

Skills

The candidate:

• Can independently isolate, synthesize, and analyze chemical substances, manufacture medications, and perform quality control of these.
• Can independently handle pharmaceutical professional functions in pharmacies and other parts of the healthcare service and within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Can perform their professional functions in accordance with laws, regulations, and professional ethical guidelines.
• Can collaborate with other healthcare professionals on optimal medication treatment for individual patients and can use clinical communication skills across operations and levels.
• Can explain the unique characteristics of the pharmaceutical market and discuss medication use from a national and international perspective.
• Can use key mathematical, statistical, and epidemiological methods to investigate practical and theoretical pharmaceutical issues.
• Can conduct an independent, limited research project under supervision and in accordance with current research ethics standards.

General Competence

The candidate:

• Has digital competence and can acquire and use new knowledge and critically evaluate scientific literature and medication information.
• Can communicate research-based knowledge and discuss professional and scientific issues with healthcare professionals and experts from related fields, as well as medication users.
• Has knowledge of management and various pharmaceutical leadership roles, including guidance and communication.
• Has insight into and understanding of how pharmacovigilance, quality systems, and quality improvement work contribute to safe medication use and increased patient safety.
• Has insight into and can identify, reflect on, and handle ethical issues in pharmaceutical practice and research, and shows respect for users of pharmaceutical services and provides guidance that protect the user¿s integrity and rights.
• Is familiar with innovation and entrepreneurship processes and can contribute to service innovation, entrepreneurship, and systematic and quality-improving work processes within the field.

All courses in the study program (285 ECTS) are mandatory. It is not possible to change the education plan or the order of the exams without prior approval. Most subjects in the study programme have compulsory teaching.

Courses in the programme: https://ekstern.filer.uib.no/mofa/studie/referat/Programutvalg%20farmasi/Annet%20farmasi/Oppbygging%20av%20farmasi_til%20studieplansiden.pdfIntegrated master¿s programme.

The courses must be completed in a determined sequence. It is not possible to change the study plan or the order of exams without prior approval. Please consult the faculty¿s supplementary rules to § 2-2 (2), § 7-3 (2), and § 8-2 (3) in the University of Bergen¿s study regulations.

Students who, according to the study plan, lack 30 credits or more at the end of a semester will be set back one year and moved to the class below.

There are opportunities to go on exchange during your 9th and 10th semester, when you will write your master´s thesis. It could also be possible to apply for exchange earlier in the study programme, through central agreements at UiB. Contact the study advisor to learn more about the available arrangements.

Read more regarding exchange on our website: https://www.uib.no/med/utvekslingReis på utveksling | Det medisinske fakultet | UiB

The study program uses a variety of teaching methods:

• Lectures
• Team-Based Learning
• Clinical teaching with patients
• Role Play
• Group Work
• Excursions
• Placement
• Seminars
• Colloquia
• Assignments
• Case Reports
• Laboratory Courses
• Laboratory Reports
• Q&A Sessions
• TVEPS: Interprofessional Collaborative Learning

To ensure that the students/candidates have the necessary knowledge, qualifications and general competence, a wide range of forms of assessment are implemented throughout the course of study:

• Assignments
• Portfolio Submission
• Written School Exam
• Laboratory Reports
• Mid-Semester Assessment/Progress Test
• Group Assignments
• OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination)
• Oral Exam
• Quiz
• Home Exam

The master¿s programme in pharmacy provides the basis for authorization as a pharmacist. As a pharmacist, you will have the right to dispense prescription medications. In addition to working in pharmacies, pharmacists can work in hospitals, home care, nursing homes, the pharmaceutical industry, and other private companies (such as in the aquaculture industry), within secondary and higher education and in government agencies.

The professional role includes advising, teaching, research, and managing pharmacies and other pharmaceutical-related activities, as well as tasks such as pharmacoeconomic evaluations, manufacturing medications for individual patients, and assessing how different medications can be used together.

As an educational institution, we must assess whether you are fit to practice the profession as a health or social worker. The assessment covers both professional, educational and personal prerequisites, and will take place throughout the education - cf. Regulations on suitability assessment in higher education.

After completing the study program, the candidate has the right to apply for authorization as a provisional pharmacist. The Norwegian Directorate of Health (Hdir) has more information about the authorization scheme.

Be eligible for approval as a pharmacist in the EU by application in accordance with Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications

Be eligible for approval as a "Qualified Person" (QP) in accordance with Regulation No 1441 of 2 November 2004: Regulation concerning the production and import of pharmaceutical products.