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Studies & Degrees in Pharmaceutical Technology

Pharmaceutical technology is the part of the pharmaceutical sciences that deals with making medicines: how an active substance is turned into a tablet, capsule, injection, cream or inhaler that is stable, delivers the right dose and can be produced reliably in large quantities. Students learn formulation and dosage form design, the unit operations of a pharmaceutical plant, packaging, quality control, and the rules under which medicines are manufactured and authorised.

The name is also used in a second sense. In the United States, a "pharmacy technology" programme usually trains pharmacy technicians, who help pharmacists dispense prescription medication. The two paths are different: the first leads to the pharmaceutical industry, the second to work in a pharmacy.

Qualifications and levels

  • Pharmacy degrees. Pharmaceutical technology is a core area of the pharmacy degree. In Spain, pharmacist is a regulated profession and the bachelor's degree in Pharmacy (grado en Farmacia) has 300 ECTS credits. The first competence the official rules list is to identify, design, obtain, analyse, control and produce drugs and medicines. The Universidad de Salamanca and the Universidad de Alcalá both teach the degree over five years, in Spanish.
  • Official master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The master's degree in Evaluación y Desarrollo de Medicamentos of the Universidad de Salamanca lasts one academic year (60 ECTS credits) and has two specialities: one in the design, production and evaluation of drugs, with a research profile, and one in management and production in the pharmaceutical industry, with a professional profile.
  • Lifelong-learning master's programmes. Spanish rules also allow a Máster de Formación Permanente of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, which must be clearly distinguished from official university degrees. Talento-EPHOS in Madrid presents its Máster en Industria Farmacéutica: Fabricación, Calidad y Registros as a Máster de Formación Permanente and a título propio. According to the school, it has 90 ECTS credits, classes from October 2027 to June 2028 from Monday to Thursday in the evening, and 12 months of work placements.
  • Vocational training in Spain. The higher vocational qualification Técnico Superior en Fabricación de Productos Farmacéuticos, Biotecnológicos y Afines lasts 2,000 hours. Its modules include pharmaceutical production techniques, quality control, packaging and storage, and regulation and control in the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Pharmacy technician programmes. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, postsecondary programmes in pharmacy technology are usually offered by vocational schools or community colleges, and many award a certificate after one year or less.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 10 active schools for pharmaceutical technology. Five are in Spain and three in the United States; Ethiopia and Ukraine have one each. In Spain the list includes the Universidad de Alcalá, the Universidad de Salamanca, the Universitat de Barcelona, the Facultad de Medicina of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and Talento-EPHOS. In the United States it includes West Virginia University, Augusta Technical College in Georgia and SUNY, The State University of New York. Addis Ababa University and Bukovinian State Medical University, which lists Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy among its specialities, complete the list.

The Spanish degrees and the vocational qualification are taught in Spanish. Before enrolling in a private or lifelong-learning programme, ask the school what recognition the qualification has, especially if you plan to use it in another country.

Careers

Graduates work in production, quality control, quality assurance, formulation development, packaging and regulatory affairs in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and cosmetics companies. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that pharmacists in the pharmaceutical industry work in areas such as marketing, sales, or research and development, and that they may help to establish safety regulations and ensure quality control for drugs. It projects employment of pharmacists in the United States to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, and employment of pharmacy technicians to grow 6 percent over the same period.

Holders of the Spanish higher vocational qualification work, according to the Spanish education ministry's TodoFP portal, as production area supervisors and in similar posts in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and related companies, in the production or packaging of medicines, medical devices, cosmetics and food products.

Frequently asked questions

Is pharmaceutical technology the same as pharmacy?

No. Pharmacy is the broader degree and, in Spain, a regulated profession. Pharmaceutical technology is the part of it that covers the design and manufacture of medicines, and it can also be studied as a master's speciality or a vocational qualification.

How long does it take to study pharmaceutical technology in Spain?

The bachelor's degree in Pharmacy has 300 ECTS credits and takes five years. The master's degree in Evaluación y Desarrollo de Medicamentos of the Universidad de Salamanca has 60 ECTS credits and takes one academic year. The higher vocational qualification in pharmaceutical manufacturing lasts 2,000 hours.

Can I work in the pharmaceutical industry without a university degree?

Yes, in production roles. In Spain the higher vocational qualification in the manufacture of pharmaceutical, biotechnological and related products trains production and packaging supervisors.

Is a Máster de Formación Permanente an official degree in Spain?

No. It is a university's own lifelong-learning qualification of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, and Spanish rules require it to be distinguished expressly from official university degrees.