Pharmacist

Pharmacists are experts on medicines and their effects on the body. Most work in community (high street) pharmacies, supplying and selling medicines and advising on their use. Hospital pharmacists ensure that patients receive the most appropriate medicines. Industrial pharmacists research, develop and test new medicines. Other areas of work include prisons, education and veterinary pharmacy.

Work activities

Community pharmacists work in high street and rural chemists’ shops, and pharmacy departments in supermarkets and retail chain stores. They also work in GP clinics and health centres. They dispense prescribed and “over-the-counter” medicines to customers. They give advice to customers on how to take medicines, and their possible side-effects. Community pharmacists also give advice on a range of health issues, such as healthy eating, family planning, oral hygiene and how to give up smoking. With extra training, community and hospital pharmacists can become “supplementary prescribers”, managing the patient’s treatment plan after the doctor’s diagnosis. Pharmacists can also train as “independent prescribers”. This enables them to assess the patient’s condition and prescribe the appropriate medicine, leaving doctors more time to diagnose illnesses.

Most medicines arrive at the pharmacy ready-made, so mixing ingredients to make tablets, capsules, powders and ointment is only a small part of the pharmacist’s work. Pharmacists usually supervise pharmacy technicians who deal with routine tasks such as counting out tablets. Hospital pharmacists work directly with doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to ensure that people going into and out of hospital receive the most appropriate medicines and use them in the most effective way. Some hospital pharmacists make sterile solutions and other specialist products, such as cancer treatments. Hospital pharmacists are also responsible for ordering, quality testing, storing and securing drugs and medicines. They give advice to doctors on the most appropriate drugs to use in a treatment. They advise on the dosage, the best way to deliver the drug (such as a tablet, injection or ointment) and warn of any likely reactions between the medicine and particular foods or different treatments. Hospital pharmacists visit patients in wards and clinics to dispense medicines. They can also run specialist clinics for patients with long-term conditions. They can also specialise as consultants, for example, in areas such as haematology (blood), respiratory medicine or infectious diseases.

Industrial pharmacists research, test and develop drugs to make safe and effective medicines. They are responsible for the overall development of new medicines. Industrial pharmacists trial drugs to make sure they are safe and effective. Eventually, this will involve trials on healthy human volunteers, clinical trials with real patients, and, finally, studying the long-term effects of the medicine on patients. Pharmacists also work in areas like veterinary pharmacy, teaching and research, medical journalism, the armed forces and scientific writing. Some pharmacists become primary care pharmacists (or “prescribing advisers”). They work for organisations that manage local health services. They make sure that organisations manage and use their stock of medicines effectively.

Personal qualities and skills

To be a pharmacist, you’ll need:

• A high level of scientific knowledge.
• Sensitivity, tact and discretion when dealing with patients, customers, doctors, and other health professionals.
• A strong sense of responsibility.
• Attention to detail and a thorough, methodical approach when dealing with prescriptions, and preparing medicines.
• Computer skills for tasks such as labelling medicines and stock control. Hospital pharmacy, for example, relies heavily on computers.

Communication skills are also essential. For example, community and hospital pharmacists have direct contact with patients and customers. They must be able to listen carefully, ask the right questions to gain more information, and know how to explain things clearly and concisely. Industrial pharmacists must be able to explain things such as their findings and trial results clearly, including in written reports.

Pay and opportunities

Salaries for pharmacists vary depending on the branch of pharmacy and the organisation they work for. Typically, qualified pharmacists earn between £35,000 and £69,000. Higher salaries are available, for example, for pharmaceutical services managers and above. In the private sector, pay rates vary depending on the organisation and role and responsibilities, but are broadly in line with NHS rates.

Pharmacists usually work a 37-hour week, which might include shift work and weekends on a rota basis.

Employers include:

• NHS and private hospitals.
• Pharmacy departments of retail chain stores and supermarkets.
• Major pharmaceutical companies.
• Primary care organisations.
• Producers of agricultural and veterinary products.

Pharmacists also work in areas like education, journalism, prisons and the Civil Service. Opportunities for pharmacists occur in towns and cities throughout the UK, and in rural pharmacies.

There are opportunities for community pharmacists to own and run their own pharmacy.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local/national newspapers, on the NHS Jobs website and on job boards. Community pharmacy vacancies are also advertised on the websites of major supermarkets.

Entry routes and training

To become a registered pharmacist, you need to complete a degree in pharmacy that is accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). This degree is known as a Master’s of Pharmacy (MPharm); courses usually take four years to complete. Five-year courses for people with non-science A-levels are available at a small number of universities.

After successfully completing your degree course, you will need to complete a “pre-registration year” in a pharmacy setting. For example, this could be in a community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy department or an industrial pharmaceutical company.

With experience (and enough money to invest), community pharmacists can set up their own businesses. It is also possible to enter a management post, for example, in a primary care organisation or large pharmacy retail chain. Hospital pharmacists follow a structured career path up to consultant grade. They can specialise in an area such as intensive care or paediatrics. In industrial pharmacy, progression would be to supervisory or management roles. Industrial pharmacists can specialise in particular areas of research or in work such as quality control, regulatory affairs (securing product licences from health authorities) and marketing.

You could do a level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship as a pharmacy assistant and progress through further training into the role of pharmacist.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: This career is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

For entry to a degree course in pharmacy, the usual requirement is:

Three A-levels, including chemistry and two other subjects from biology, maths and physics. Biology might be a preferred or essential subject. Some universities accept chemistry or biology.

• GCSEs at grades 9-4 in your A-level subjects.
• A further two to three GCSEs at grades 9-4, including English and maths.
• Science and additional science or similar.

Equivalent qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, can be acceptable for entry. Please check prospectuses carefully. Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 Nationals might be acceptable for entry. However, you should note that A-level Chemistry is still likely to be essential at many universities.

If you want to start out as a pharmacy assistant through an advanced apprenticeship, you will need GCSEs in English and maths, although you may be able to complete these alongside your programme.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen accredited degree in pharmacy, a college or university Access course, such as Access to Science, could be the way in. You don’t usually need any qualifications to start an Access course, but you should check individual course details.

You can apply for funding from relevant medical charities and trusts. Some employers provide sponsorship. The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries General Charity Limited offers grants to a limited number of students who are on the third or final year of their pharmacy degree courses.

Related careers

• Pharmacologist
• Pharmacy assistant
• Pharmacy technician