Aston Pharmacy School
Offering innovative teaching and first-class research
We are a well-established Pharmacy School offering innovative teaching and first-class research. Our expertise is supported by a well-established history, with roots tracing back to Birmingham Pharmaceutical Institution.
Aston Pharmacy School within Aston University’s College of Health and Life Sciences, offers a range of pharmacy education pathways. From professional routes into pharmacy with our General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) accredited courses, to postgraduate clinical programmes designed to enhance the skills of practicing pharmacists, including a suite of options accredited by the College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP). In addition, our postgraduate MSc options are ideal for those looking to develop their careers in cutting-edge pharmaceutical research.
We are the only Pharmacy School in the UK to hold a prestigious Regius Chair in Pharmacy, awarded by the Monarch, and have strong established links with the NHS, wider healthcare industry, and pharmaceutical industry, which we utilise for hands-on student experiences and research collaborations.
Image
Research
Home to a leading community of renowned researchers, we conduct research in the broad areas of pharmaceutical and clinical pharmacy, pharmacology and translational neuroscience. It is our aim to bring about positive change on a national and international level, and drive innovative improvements in healthcare policy and education. This research is fed into our programmes of study, ensuing our students have access to the latest trends and thinking in the field.
Rankings
- First in the UK for ‘continuation’ (Pharmacy and Pharmacology; Guardian, 2025; Complete University Guide, 2025)
- Fourth overall in the UK for Health Professions (Guardian, 2025)
- First in the UK for both ‘student to staff ratio’ and ‘continuation’ (Health Professions; Guardian, 2025)
- 91% of students felt positive about the learning resources available to them (Pharmacy; National Student Survey, 2024).
Accreditation and professional links
- Accreditation
Since our inception as Aston Pharmacy School, we have held accredited status with the regulator for pharmacy, with the most recent reaccreditation from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) taking place in May 2019.
We offer a range of professional pharmacy courses accredited by the GPhC from our undergraduate MPharm and postgraduate OSPAP, to our suite of independent prescribing courses. The most recent accreditation at Aston University took place in May 2019 and the MPharm programme was re-accredited for six years, the maximum period possible.
In addition, we are also leading the way nationally with the provision of education and training in the specialist field of psychiatric pharmacy. Our unique offering of courses in this area all hold accreditation from the College of Mental Health Pharmacy (CMHP).
Full details of accreditation can be found on our course pages.
- Professional links
The Academic Practice Unit (APU) is a novel collaboration between Aston Pharmacy School, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and the wider NHS. It is a conduit to pharmacy practice in all sectors and specialties and provides a focus for teaching, training and research in three main areas of near-patient pharmacy, pharmacy education, and the development of novel drug formulations.
Facilities
Facilities and equipment within the School include:
- A state-of-the-art £3.3 million teaching laboratory, capable of accommodating 83 students at a time.
- Wilson Pharmacy Suite with clinical skills room with a mock hospital bay set up, and dispensing and patient counselling suites with discrete video recording capabilities.
- Industry-standard clinical trial simulation software (e.g. Simcyp, Winnonlin).
- Newly refurbished laboratories equipped with a range of pharmaceutical and analytical instruments for “wet” practical sessions.