The School consists of four Departments, viz., Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology and Pharmacy Practice. The School’s core function is the training of pharmacists to competently practice in all spheres of Pharmacy, i.e., community/retail, hospital, industry, Pharmacy education and training/ academia and pharmaceutical research and development.

Pharmacy is a dynamic, information driven, product- and patient-orientated profession where the pharmacist, through inculcated competence and skills during the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and the Pharmacy internship, is committed to meeting the health care needs of all health seeking communities by being the:

• custodian of medicines;
• formulator, manufacturer, distributor and controller of safe, effective and quality medicine;
• advisor on the safe, rational and appropriate use of medicine;
• provider of essential clinical services including screening and referral services;
• provider of health care education and information;
• provider of pharmaceutical care by taking responsibility for the outcome of therapy and by being actively involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of pharmaceutical plans;
• provider of cost-effective and efficient pharmaceutical services. (South African Pharmacy Council)