Healthcare Careers

Pharmacy

What is it?

A pharmacist is an expert on medicines and how to use them. You help people get the best from their medicines – and you share your knowledge with doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff.

Visit any chemist’s shop, and look at some of the thousands of medicines available today. A pharmacist is the person who makes sense of it all, and guides people to make the right choices.

People don’t always see their doctor when they’re feeling a bit poorly. They often decide to ask a community pharmacist instead. With the right training, you’ll be able to give advice and provide a real service.

Think about people seriously ill in hospital, maybe with a whole range of problems. They need an expert who can advise the healthcare team which medicines are best and safest.

You could also work in a pharmaceuticals company developing new medicines, or in teaching, research or the media.

What are the good bits?

• Interesting, varied, worthwhile work
• You meet lots of people from all backgrounds
• Flexible – full or part-time, in hospital, community, industry
• You could run your own pharmacy as a business

What about pay?

£19,000 – £61,000+

What skills and interests do I need?

• Interest in healthcare and people
• Communication skills
• Accuracy, problem-solving
• Dedicated and hardworking

What qualifications/training will I need?

After GCSEs you need to stay at school or go to college to study science. You’ll need four AS levels and three A2 levels in Chemistry plus one other science. Other qualifications like BTEC may be accepted. Then you study Pharmacy at university for four years, with a year’s placement before you qualify.

Compiled with reference to:
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
www.nobarriers2uni.org

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