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The Office for Students, the independent regulator of higher education in England, has awarded more than £450,000 to the University of Suffolk to develop facilities for the new pharmacy course the University is launching in September 2026.

The capital funding grant of £457,600 will support the development of the University’s clinical and laboratory teaching facilities, including a simulated pharmacy dispensary, specialist labs and upgrades to the biomedical science spaces, the University says.

The funding comes from the OfS’ £88.5 million allocation of capital funding to universities and colleges across England, announced this week, for priority sectors for growth.

Work on the new facilities began in September, with the new clinical skills suite and mock dispensary in the University’s Health and Wellbeing Building due to be completed in December. Work on the labs in the James Hehir Building will continue next year, with all facilities ready for the first cohort of students joining the new MPharm course in September 2026.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan published in 2023 outlined a need to increase the number of pharmacists nationally by 31-55 per cent, with ambitions to increase training places for pharmacists by nearly 50 per cent by 2031-32.

Dr Georgina Marsh, head of pharmacy at the University, said: “The new MPharm course will play a pivotal role in training the region’s future pharmacy professionals, and investment in a clinical skills suite, mock dispensary and specialist laboratories will ensure students can learn in an environment that reflects real-world practice.

“We are absolutely delighted to receive this funding, which will enable us to develop modern pharmacy facilities ahead of the MPharm programme launching in September 2026.”

The new MPharm course is now open for applications via the University website.