Hospital Pharmacist

Hospital pharmacists work in hospitals alongside pharmacy assistants and pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, and reviewing medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. A pharmacy is where medicines are stored, prepared (labelled etc) and dispensed.  Hospital pharmacists work to legal and ethical guidelines to ensure the safe and correct supply of medical products to patients. You may also be interested in becoming a community pharmacist.

As well as dispensing prescriptions and providing help and advice to patients in all aspects of their medicines, hospital pharmacists are involved in the purchasing and quality testing of medicines. They may also manufacture medicines, as in some cases treatments need to be tailor-made for individual patients.

They work closely with medical and nursing staff to make sure hospital patients receive the best treatment, advising on the selection, dose and type of administration.

While most hospital pharmacists are based within NHS or private hospitals, the role can extend beyond this with responsibility for medicines in health centres, nursing homes, hospices and general practitioners’ (GP) surgeries.

My Responsibilities

The range of duties is broad and varies depending on the post, but may include the following:

checking prescriptions for errors such as dosage, ensuring they’re appropriate and safe for the individual patient
providing advice on the dosage of medicines and the most appropriate form of medication, which could be by tablet, injection, ointment or inhaler
participating in ward rounds to take patient drug histories
liaising with doctors and other medical staff on problems patients may experience when taking their medicines
supervising the work of less experienced and less qualified staff especially newly qualified pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and pharmacy technicians)z
advising patients of any adverse side effects of medicines or potential interactions with other medicines/treatments
discussing treatments with patients’ relatives, community pharmacists and GPs
making sure medicines are stored appropriately and securely
answering questions about medicines from within the hospital, other hospitals and the general public
keeping up to date with, and contributing to, research and development
writing guidelines for drug use within the hospital and implement hospital regulations
providing information on expenditure on drugs
preparing and quality-checking sterile medications, for example, intravenous medications
setting up and supervising clinical trials
carrying out teaching within the pharmacy department and in other areas of the hospital (only once you have gained substantial experience)

Required Skills

In order to be a good pharmacist, you will need to have:

excellent interpersonal skills
a high level of customer service
a caring and sympathetic manner, as the work involves contact with patients on the wards and in outpatient departments
the ability to read and carry out instructions as well as work carefully, methodically and accurately with medicines and doses – this is vital as mistakes could prove fatal
the ability to pay attention to detail
an interest in science and concern about people’s health
the ability to clearly explain instructions to patients and to apply scientific knowledge to solve problems
the ability to work independently as well as within a team and to lead others in a team
a professional and confident manner
the ability to inspire the trust of others
an understanding of and application of the law in terms of the storage and dispensing of medicines
a willingness to take on a high level of responsibility
the ability to use your initiative
IT skills for recording information
the ability to prioritise your work and to meet deadlines
a flexible approach to work
the ability to work under pressure
effective management and leadership skills – you’ll need these if you have supervisory responsibility

Qualifications

To qualify as a pharmacist, you must:

complete a General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)-accredited Master’s degree in pharmacy (MPharm) which is full-time and four years in length
complete a period of one-year paid pre-registration training in a GPhC-approved community pharmacy, under the supervision of a qualified pharmacist

If you don’t have the required qualifications to get a place on an accredited MPharm degree, you can take a pharmacy foundation degree – a two-year, full-time course that includes the content of year one of the MPharm degree plus work placements. This should provide you with the knowledge and experience to get a place on an MPharm degree directly into year two.

Training

Training to become a pharmacist involves:

passing the GPhC registration assessment (you must build up a portfolio of evidence to show that you have the required skills and knowledge to work as a pharmacist)
meeting the GPhC fitness to practise requirements for registration as a pharmacist.

You’ll then be eligible to apply for registration with the GPhC, which is essential to practise as a pharmacist in England, Wales and Scotland. Pharmacists who want to practise in Northern Ireland must register with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.

Many employers provide well-structured, intensive training programmes of varying lengths aiming to provide new entrants with a broad overview of the company and offering the chance to gain experience in various retailing areas. As well as pharmacy-related training, you’ll receive training in skills such as communication, problem-solving and decision-making.

Work Experience

Course providers of the MPharm look for evidence that you’re committed to becoming a pharmacist. You can show this by job shadowing a community pharmacist, or talking to your local pharmacist about the role. It may also be possible to get part-time work within a pharmacy as a pharmacy assistant to get a feel for the working environment.

Customer service skills gained from working in retail is also useful.

In order to complete your year of pre-registration training in a hospital pharmacy, you’ll need to spend at least 52 weeks in an approved training site under the supervision of a tutor.

Employment

The majority of hospital pharmacists work for the NHS, however, it’s also possible to work in the private sector for companies such as BUPA and Nuffield Health.

NHS trusts may employ locum pharmacists to work in their hospital pharmacy departments. In these instances, you may work for an agency but you could also work for an individual hospital or NHS trust on a casual basis.

There are also some opportunities to work at health centres, nursing homes, hospices and GPs’ surgeries.

Working Hours

NHS hospital pharmacists typically work 37.5 hours a week, which may include weekends. Some extra hours may be required at times. You may also be part of an on-call rota.

Flexible working arrangements, part-time work and job-sharing are possible. Career breaks may be possible within the NHS.

Salary

Pre-registration trainee salaries can range from £16,000 to over £20,000.

Within the NHS, the Agenda for Change pay structure has clearly defined pay bands.

Newly qualified pharmacists start on Band 6, where salaries range from just over £32,000 to just over £39,000.

With further study and training, it’s possible to progress to Band 7 where salaries are set at just over £40,000 to just under £46,000.

Salaries at a senior level can range from just over £47,000 to just over £90,000 (Band 8a to 8d) depending on your knowledge, training and experience.

As a chief pharmacist, you could earn between just under £94,000 and just over £108,000 (Band 9).

Salaries within private hospitals may be set at different levels.

Professional Development

Once qualified, you’ll need to renew your registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) annually. To remain registered you must undertake regular continuing professional development (CPD) to show you’re keeping your skills and knowledge up to date.

You must keep abreast of developments in drug research including new drugs on the market, new ways of treating conditions with drugs and the government policy on drug treatment. This will involve reading professional journals and publications and attending courses and training sessions throughout your career.

Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society provides access to relevant resources, events, mentoring services, professional networks, webinars and CPD support.

You can choose to undertake further postgraduate training, such as a clinical diploma, to develop your knowledge and skills. There are a range of continuing education and postgraduate courses available in various aspects of community practice.

Career Progression

If you work in the NHS trusts often support pharmacists in studying for clinical and management qualifications.

As a newly qualified pharmacist, you’ll typically rotate between different pharmacy services offered by your hospital. These may include:

aseptic/technical services
clinical pharmacy
clinical trials
community pharmacy services
dispensary services
medicines information or management
primary care
radiopharmacy (the use of radioactive materials)

Following two to three years’ experience, you may apply for a more senior Band 7 pharmacist position. This is usually a rotational role but with more emphasis on specialising in a chosen area of pharmacy practice, for example:

cardiology
haematology
medicines information
paediatric care
procurement and distribution
quality assurance
radiopharmacy

There are opportunities to further progress to the role of consultant pharmacist – a clinical expert who works at a senior level. Other senior posts include deputy chief and chief pharmacist. There are fewer positions available in these roles and it may be necessary to relocate in order to progress.You may also move into research or into lecturing on MPharm degree courses.

Contacts

The following organisations may be able to help provide you with further information:

General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)

Telephone: 0203 713 8000
E-mail: info@pharmacyregulation.org
Website: http://www.pharmacyregulation.org
Twitter: @TheGPhC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGPhC

National Pharmacy Association (NPA)

Telephone: 01727 858687
E-mail: npa@npa.co.uk
Website: http://www.npa.co.uk/
Twitter: @NPA1921
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Supportyourlocalpharmacy/

NHS Scotland Careers

Website: http://www.careers.nhs.scot
Website (2): https://jobs.scot.nhs.uk/
Twitter: @NHSScotCareers

Royal Pharmaceutical Society Scotland

Telephone: 0845 257 2570
E-mail: scotinfo@rpharms.com
Website: http://www.rpharms.com
Twitter: @rpharms
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/royalpharmsoc/