Pharmacy

Pharmacists screen people for early signs of disease, using advanced methods to provide sound pharmaceutical care. Be at the forefront of game-changing medical innovations.

Overview

Pharmacists are experts on the action and use of drugs, including their chemistry, formulation into medicines and how they are used to manage diseases. The profession is dynamic; continually expanding in new directions and offering interdisciplinary professional education and work-based learning opportunities.

Over time, the paradigm has shifted from traditional compounding and dispensing of medicines to a more patient-orientated, research-led professional advisory and primary healthcare role.

Pharmacists screen people for early signs of disease, using advanced methods to provide sound pharmaceutical care. They are also specialists in the formulation, manufacture, storage, dispensing, counselling and controlling of medicines. They provide advice on medications used to treat illnesses and ensure optimal drug therapy.

Clinical pharmacy involves screening patients for chronic diseases and implementing appropriate care and advice to improve patient outcomes. You will learn how to screen for chronic diseases through our Screening and Testing Programme for Pharmacy Students (STEPPS) and in our Clinical Pharmacy programme, which uses state of the art screening equipment.

Pharmaceutical research develops new, safer, more effective medicines. As a Wits Pharmacy graduate, you will be exposed to cutting-edge global research and distinctive research-led pharmacy education from our Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP) unit, as well as aseptic concepts in Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Natural Products development.

Career Opportunities

The Pharmacy degree provides training in a wide range of interrelated disciplines and therefore offers a variety of career opportunities to graduates that include:

  • Academia and Research
  • Community Pharmacy
  • Hospital Pharmacy
  • Industrial Pharmacy
  • Managed Healthcare

Other areas in which Pharmacists are involved:

  • Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring
  • Clinical Trials
  • Contract Research
  • Drug Abuse Counselling
  • Drug Information Centres
  • Drug Stewardship
  • Drug Utilisation Reviews
  • Intellectual Property of Pharmaceuticals
  • Medicines Control Council
  • Pharmacovigilance
  • Pharmaco-Economics
  • Professional Regulatory Bodies
  • Poison Information Centres
  • Publishing of Pharmaceutical Research

Curriculum

First-year
  • Introduction to Medical Sciences I
  • Chemistry I
  • Physics I
  • Pharmaceutical Practice
  • Health Systems Sciences I
Second-year
  • Anatomy for Pharmacy Students
  • Physiology and Medical Biochemistry I
  • Pharmaceutical Chemistry I
  • Pharmaceutics I
  • Pharmacy Practice I
Third-year
  • Pathology
  • Medical Microbiology
  • Pharmaceutical Chemistry II
  • Clinical Pharmacy II
  • Pharmacy Practice II
  • Pharmaceutics II
  • Pharmacology I
Fourth-year
  • Pharmaceutics III
  • Pharmaceutical Chemistry III
  • Special Undergraduate Research Project
  • Clinical Pharmacy III
  • Pharmacy Practice III
  • Pharmacology II

Entry Requirements

NSC Requirements

English Home Language OR First Additional Language Level 5
Mathematics Level 5
Life Sciences AND/OR Physical Sciences Level 5

The Faculty of Health Sciences uses a Composite Index (CI) score to guide applicant selection. This includes:

  1. Your matric academic results for five subjects: English, Mathematics, best of Physical Sciences/Life Sciences and the best two other subjects. We consider the percentage achieved, not the symbol. The average of the five subjects carries a 60% weighting.
  2. National Benchmark Test (NBT) scores. The average of the NBT scores carries a 40% weighting.

All applicants must write the NBT

Click here for the NBT test dates. NBT results are valid for three years and Wits only considers the first attempt of the NBT from the most recent year. Visit www.nbt.ac.za 

The NBT should be written by 11 August.

Applicants applying to the Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) and/or Graduate Entry Physiotherapy Programme (GEPP) only, as well as applicants who are in their final year of study towards a Bachelor’s degree, or who have already completed a Bachelor’s degree, are not required to write the NBT.

University Application Process

  • The Student Enrolment Centre at Wits handles all student applications.
  • Please click here for an overview of the application process. 
  • Check the admission requirements for your degree. Check if any additional selection requirements apply. 
  • Submit your application, required documentation and application fee before the closing date.
  • Once you have applied, an admissions consultant will be assigned to your application.
  • Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
  • If you are an international applicant and/or have a foreign qualification, please click here.

Compliance with the minimum requirements does not guarantee a place at the University. The University has a specific number of places for first year undergraduates, approved by the Department of Higher Education and Training. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees for the first year of study. The Fees website also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal. 

The Financial aid office provides information on student funding and scholarships. University-funded Scholarships include Vice-Chancellor's Scholarships, University Entrance Scholarships, Equality Scholarships, Sports Scholarships and National Olympiad winner awards. For information about NSFAS funding, please visit the NSFAS website. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.

Wits Plus applicants: terms of payment are in accordance with University regulations, and students are not eligible for University bursaries/NSFAS or residential accommodation.