This article provides an overview of the current status of pharmacy education in the United Kingdom. A characteristic program is described which is based on the master of pharmacy (MPharm) model, which is an ''undergraduate'' master's degree. The type and length of training, numbers entering and leaving the profession, and criteria for admission are discussed, and an overview of the curriculum, which is normally based over 4 years, is given. The career opportunities of UK pharmacy graduates are discussed, as well as educational challenges such as plagiarism and the changing profile of schools of pharmacy, which is affecting supply and demand of pharmacists. The changing face of the profession in the UK is then addressed, including the advent of the prescribing pharmacist. PHARMACY DEGREEHistorically, entrance to the pharmacy profession required successful completion of a 3-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree followed by 1 year preregistration work under appropriate supervision. Since the turn of the century, however, the recognized qualification that permits registration with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) has been the 4-year MPharm program, followed by the compulsory 1-year work program prior to application for registration as a pharmacist. Under the Bologna agreement for educational equivalence across Europe, this is classed as an ''undergraduate masters program,'' which is a lesser qualification than the traditional MSc degree 1

Recent events in UK Higher Education have caused university schools to look toward alternative means of enhancing and monitoring the quality of the service they provide. One approach utilises networked learning and teaching resources, in particular intranets. Two Schools at the University of Brighton commenced independent implementation of intranets at similar times. The subjects of the case studies are the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences Intranet (SPI) and the Business School Intranet (BSI). This paper describes the two alternative strategies for intranet implementation, demonstrates the differing degrees of staff and student utilisation of these learning and teaching assets, identifies barriers to success within each and proposes solutions to address them. The paper proposes a unified strategy for effective intranet implementation and suggests measures to manage organisational resistance to change.

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In view of the increasing usage of information technology in learning and teaching there is an increasing need for meaningful evaluation of the effectiveness of information technology-based media. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a web-based computer-aided learning (CAL) package enhances the learning outcomes of a laboratory-based molecular biology class. A multiplex PCR practical exercise to detect genetically modified sequences in soybean DNA was carried out by students using either traditional (non-electronic) teaching and learning resources or a web-based CAL resource. The learning outcomes were evaluated by pre-and post-class subject-based comparative tests with self-assessed confidence ratings and questionnaires. Scores relating to four modes of student learning style were assessed by questionnaire and these were correlated with the effectiveness of the support resource used. There was a significantly greater improvement in knowledge-based test performance and self-assessed confidence rating by students using CAL-based learning support versus those using traditional resources. Learning style score did not correlate with the enhancement in performance by students supported by the CAL package, although one learning style did favor a response to the traditional support package. We conclude that compared with a non-electronic alternative, the use of CAL can enhance learning and teaching outcomes in a laboratory-based molecular biology class.

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