Pharmacists specialise in the area of drugs and medicine. They work in a variety of settings (such as those listed below) usually beginning their career in an NHS community or hospital pharmacy.

Community pharmacists
Pharmacists in a community setting will:

• work in a retail environment, preparing medicines ordered on prescription or bought over-the-counter
• give healthcare advice to the general public
• provide information on how to use medicines correctly – highlighting dosage and any contraindications
• need to be able to run a business and make the pharmacy profitable.

The community pharmacist must be financially astute, able to sell a range of products, order and control stock and be responsible for the maintenance of premises. Their responsibilities will also include supervising and training a number of staff.

Hospital pharmacists
The duties of a pharmacist in this environment are likely to include:

• preparing and supplying medication
• checking labels and prescriptions
• advising on the dosage and administration of drugs
• visiting wards, giving clinical advice to colleagues and supplying them with current information on drugs.

The hospital pharmacist is also responsible for the purchase, storage, stock control, quality testing and distribution of medicines within the hospital. Senior pharmacists may be involved in supervising pre-registration trainees and junior pharmacists.

Industrial pharmacists
Pharmacists in this sector will usually be involved in:

• researching and developing new medicines
• carrying out experiments
• evaluating results
• producing reports and making recommendations.

Pharmacists can also work within health authorities, for wholesalers, in universities, for research institutes, in food production, and the chemical industry.

All pharmacists maintain records and ensure the laws controlling medicines are observed.

Hours and Environment

The hours of work of a community pharmacist can vary from a few hours a week to 48 hours a week.

Hospital pharmacists will work 37.5 hours a week. Weekend and on-call rotas are common.

Industrial pharmacists normally work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Skills and Interests

To be a pharmacist, you should:

• have a careful, thorough approach
• be organised, work methodically and think logically
• be responsible and security conscious
• have well developed communication skills for advising patients, doctors and other colleagues
• have an interest in the health and well-being of people
• be able to supervise others
• have a high level of scientific understanding and ability
• be able to calculate and use scientific formulae
• have good business skills.

Entry

To qualify as a pharmacist you must complete three stages of training endorsed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB). Training consists of:

• a four year Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree (entry requirements listed below)
• a one year pre-registration training course in a pharmacy (see Training for details)
• a registration exam (see Training for details).

When you have successfully completed this process you are eligible for state registration (essential if you wish to practise in the NHS) and membership of the RPSGB, the professional and regulatory body for pharmacists. Details of approved degree programmes are available from the RPSGB; check Further Information for contact details.

The entry requirements for an approved pharmacy degree course are likely to consist of five GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3), including maths and English, and three A levels/H grades, preferably in chemistry and two other subjects chosen from biology, mathematics or physics.

An Access to Higher Education qualification may also be accepted for entry to certain courses. Please check with colleges or universities for exact entry requirements.

The pharmacy degree course concentrates on four core subject areas: the origin and chemistry of drugs; the preparation of medicines; the action and uses of drugs; and medicines and pharmacy practice.

There are no specific health requirements for this area of work, however, some educational establishments may require an occupational health examination.

Training

When you have completed an approved pharmacy degree, you must follow this with an RPSGB approved pre-registration training year and registration exam (as outlined in Entry).

The pre-registration training year requires you to demonstrate a number of skills in line with criteria established by the RPSGB. You will spend at least six months in either the community or hospital sector, and both the pharmacy and tutor appointed to supervise must be approved by the RPSGB.

At the end of the pre-registration year you must pass the registration examination, which is in the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire.

Pharmacy students can find out more about pre-registration recruitment opportunities in NHS Hospitals by using the NHS pre-registration recruitment website listed in Further Information.

Qualified pharmacists are encouraged to continue to develop professionally; the RPSGB hold details of courses and workshops available in a variety of areas.

For research work, many pharmacists gain postgraduate qualifications, for example, in toxicology or pharmacology. Entry requirements for a postgraduate course are likely to include a first or upper second class degree in pharmacy or a related field.

Opportunities

Some pharmacists go on to teach, others work as locums (filling temporary/holiday posts). It may be possible to become self-employed, owning and managing a pharmacy, or possibly work overseas.

There may be opportunities to move into management, or sideways into areas such as production and toxicology.

Promotion opportunities are excellent in larger pharmacies, and can lead to regional or national management. There is a formal career structure in the NHS.

A degree in pharmacy can provide a good foundation to occupations in areas like forensic science, food processing, the cosmetics industries, and scientific journalism.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Newly qualified pharmacists can expect to earn between £19,200 and £25,000.
Experienced pharmacists can expect to earn around £35,000.
Specialists and consultants can earn between £35,000 and £73,000.

Industrial pharmacists can start at around £22,000 and can earn over £60,000.

Further information

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Email: learning@nhscareers.nhs.uk PO Box 376
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www.abpi.org.uk