Atlantic Technological University (ATU) has completed the PSI accreditation process to establish a new Master’s of Pharmacy (MPharm) Degree Programme. The Council of the PSI, the pharmacy regulator’s governing board, was pleased to accredit the programme.
The MPharm to be offered by ATU out of its Sligo campus is the fifth programme available to students wishing to study pharmacy in Ireland. The University will be able to enrol its first students to the new programme commencing this autumn.
The PSI has been working with universities towards accreditation since the Government announced funding for expanded healthcare places, including the creation of three new MPharm degree programmes.
Speaking about the accreditation of the new programme, PSI Registrar and Chief Officer, Joanne Kissane, said: “This is a positive announcement for the northwest of the country and for the Atlantic Technological University. The PSI has been pleased to support the expansion of pharmacy programmes through our accreditation role since first proposed by Government through the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in 2023.
“The availability of a greater number of student places for pharmacy in Ireland is significant for those interested in this field of study, for the future provision of patient care, and for our evolving healthcare services. [This] announcement contributes to the work we have ongoing with the Department of Health and other stakeholders in relation to workforce planning for pharmacy. I congratulate all those involved in establishing this new programme at ATU.
“Our role as pharmacy regulator is to maintain and support patient safety and public trust in pharmacy. This includes accrediting and approving educational programmes for pharmacy and for setting the accreditation standards that must be met on an ongoing basis by the approved pharmacy programme providers. Our aim is to ensure that future pharmacists are equipped to meet their professional and clinical obligations, the needs of patients and the health system. The PSI looks forward to the valuable contribution that the new pharmacy programme in Sligo, and its students, will bring.”
Welcoming the news, ATU President Dr Orla Flynn said: “The accreditation of ATU’s Master of Pharmacy is a milestone achievement for our university and for pharmacy education in Ireland. It builds on ATU’s long-established strengths in pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and clinical sciences. The programme will provide vital opportunities for students in the northwest and will help increase the pharmacy workforce, at a time when the pharmacist’s role in healthcare is expanding significantly.”
The Head of the Department of Pharmacy at ATU, Marita Kinsella, said: “Accreditation of a new MPharm programme is a very proud moment for ATU and is the culmination of significant work of staff, including excellent collaboration from pharmacists, other clinicians and health service colleagues. ATU’s vision is to enhance quality of life for all in the northwest. Offering a new MPharm programme enables ATU to play its part in meeting student demand, strengthening pharmacy services in the northwest region, and enhancing patient care through supporting expansion of the pharmacist’s role.”
Commending the availability of the new pharmacy programme, the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll McNeill, said: “I’m really pleased that Atlantic Technological University has been successful in securing accreditation for its pharmacy programme. With enrolments starting this Autumn, this marks a major milestone — not just for students eager to study pharmacy, but also for the northwest, which will benefit greatly from this development. A heartfelt thank you to the PSI and everyone at ATU for their dedication and collaboration over the past two years.”
Prospective students for MPharm programmes are encouraged to communicate with the relevant universities directly. The existing offerings, all accredited by the PSI, are provided already at Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, with a new programme also commencing this September at the University of Galway.
