Partnership agreed with local pharmacy chain for student placements

Students on the upcoming Pharmacy course at the University of Suffolk will benefit from hands-on placements in the region thanks to a new partnership agreed with G.M. Graham Pharmacies.

The first students for the new four-year Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) course will join in September 2026, and carry out approximately 70 days of placements as part of the four-year course.

The agreement with the pharmacy provider, whose branches include Sudbury, Mildenhall, Colchester and Clacton, will open the door for MPharm students to gain valuable applied experience in its community pharmacies.

The placements will give students practical exposure to a wide range of services, including vaccinations, blood pressure monitoring, prescribing consultations and the NHS Pharmacy First Service – where patients can seek professional healthcare advice and treatments for common illnesses without needing to see a GP.

G.M. Graham staff are also involved in the curriculum development for the course, ensuring students gain insights into future practice based on real life scenarios.

Dr Georgina Marsh, Head of Pharmacy at the University of Suffolk, said: “Ensuring our students will have practical, hands-on experience in community pharmacy will be a vital part of their learning and development, particularly as the sector delivers an expanding range of enhanced clinical services. We are therefore delighted to partner with G.M. Graham Pharmacies to provide our students with meaningful patient-facing opportunities.

“As an independent chain with a footprint in some of the key towns in our community, the learning our students can take working with real patients will be invaluable, while adding the wealth of experience from G.M. Graham’s staff will ensure our curriculum design is tailored to reflect the evolving needs of modern pharmacy practice”.

Junchao Jiang, Director at G.M Graham Pharmacies Ltd, said: “We’re genuinely excited to support the new School of Pharmacy at the University of Suffolk as it prepares to welcome its first MPharm students in 2026.

“As a group of 10 independent pharmacies across Suffolk and north-east Essex, we’ve really enjoyed being involved in the early stages, contributing to the curriculum and placement plans.

“We’ve hosted Foundation Trainee Pharmacists for more than 15 years and supporting both trainees and students is something we truly value. It’s incredibly rewarding to play a part in their learning, confidence and professional growth.

“We’re looking forward to building a close partnership with the University and supporting the next generation of pharmacists as the school continues to grow.”

Work on the University’s new Pharmacy facilities has already begun, supported by a £457,600 grant from the Office for Students awarded in November.

A clinical skills suite and mock dispensary in the University’s Health and Wellbeing Building is due to be completed soon, while work on new specialist labs in the James Hehir Building will continue in 2026.

The course aims to address the regional and national shortage of pharmacists, with the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan in 2023 recognising a need to increase training places for pharmacists by 50 percent by 2031-32.

Applications are open now to join the course in September 2026. Find out more on the webpage here.