The Work of a Pharmacist
By Kathryn Mc Lister

The aim of this page is to provide information regarding a career in Pharmacy.  It will be especially useful to all those interested in possibly pursuing this exciting career!

What is a pharmacist?

Pharmacy, according to Britannica Encyclopedia Concise is, “the science dealing with collection, preparation and standardization of drugs”.  A pharmacist is a person who is qualified in pharmacy.

A pharmacist dispenses medication to patients in accordance to doctor’s orders and advises patients on usage of both prescription and over the counter drugs.  In order to provide the best service for patients, pharmacists communicate directly with doctors regarding prescription drugs for certain patients.  A pharmacist is an expert in medicines and can be involved in many aspects of the preparation and use of medicines.  These include providing both the medication and the necessary advice to patients and also monitoring the effects of medicines, for both the patient’s benefit and for research purposes.

Pharmacy is a very exciting and rewarding career!

What qualifications are required to become a Pharmacist?

In order to become a pharmacist, a number of qualifications must first be gained.  These include:

·        At least 3 A-levels one of which MUST be Chemistry

·        A degree course in Pharmacy

·        One years practical training

·        A pass in a registration examination

Chemistry is a definite with Biology strongly preferred.  Any other subject can make up the 3^rd A-level.  A good grasp of English and Mathematics at GCSE must also be shown,  (i.e. Grades A-C in both English Language and Mathematics).

A degree course in Pharmacy (offered in 17 universities across the UK) is incredibly competitive to gain entry into.  The majority of universities look for no less than BBB for entry. The graph below shows the difficulty of entry into a Pharmacy course.

Queens University, Belfast

·        a popular choice of university for the study of pharmacy

·        requires AAB or ABB and an A at AS-level

·        Chemistry and one from Biology, Physics or Mathematics, plus another academic subject

 A pharmacy degree, approved by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, aims to provide a student with knowledge, understanding and practical skills necessary for the competent and indeed successful practice of pharmacy, as well as the development of personal sills, such as attitude and communication, to aid with patient contact.  A pharmacy degree follows this basic structure:

           - Origin and Chemistry of Drugs

·        - Preparation of Medicines

·        - Action and Uses of Drugs and Medicines

·        - Pharmacy Practice

A degree course usually lasts a minimum of 4 years (full-time) although some courses may be longer if a student decides to specialise in a particular field of pharmacy or if the course is a sandwich course.

Once graduated, a Pharmacy student must undertake pre-registration training.  This is a period of employment, usually of 1 year, which the student must successfully complete before becoming a registered pharmacist.  If the degree course studied was a sandwich course, then this pre-registration training is incorporated within the course.

Once training is complete, a registration examination must be done, with a pass ensuring the student is now a fully qualified, registered pharmacist.

What type of personality is required to become a pharmacist?

In order to be a successful pharmacist, as with any job, certain interests, skills and attributes are required.
Interests in the following things will support the Chemist in his/her profession

• Educating the Public

• Science developments

• Health & Social Care

• Medical advances

• Social Interaction (active in the community)

A chemist will need to have the following skills and attributes -

• Good at communicating effectively to a wide socio-economic group.

• Good at training and educating.

• Marketing and Commerce.

A pharmacist’s typical starting salary is usually between £16,000 and £25,000 which may rise to around £30,000

The conditions in which Pharmacists may work vary widely.  They include;

·        Retail

·        Hospitals

·        Home Health Care facilities

·        Armed Services

·        Mail Service

·        Community Pharmacy

 In a community pharmacy, working hours tend to be 9am – 5pm whereas pharmacists working in hospitals tend to have shift work and working hours are more irregular.  Laboratory work has more regular hours.

What are the Employment Prospects for those with a pharmacy degree?

Pharmacists are in very high demand and a pharmacy degree offers excellent employment prospects.  The graph below shows the number of graduates who go on to become registered pharmacists each year.

The majority of pharmacy students progress into practice in the community.

What Occupations could a Pharmacist go into?

The range of activities open to the profession is constantly expanding.  They include:

 Useful Sources for Further Information

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain    www.rpsgb.org.uk 

Queens University Belfast Website    www.qub.ac.uk

 UCAS Website (for universities offering Pharmacy courses)    www.ucas.co.uk

 Careers Library