Pharmacist

What is a career as a pharmacist in health and social care?

A pharmacist is a highly trained healthcare professional responsible for dispensing medicines, advising patients and healthcare professionals, and ensuring medication safety.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Some key responsibilities include:

Ensuring patients receive the correct medicine and dosage.
Advising patients, doctors, and nurses on medication use, side effects, and interactions.
Checking prescriptions for accuracy, safety, and suitability.
Offering flu jabs, travel vaccines, and other immunisations.
Overseeing stock levels, staff, and compliance with regulations.
Conducting medicine reviews to ensure long-term patients take the right medications safely and support public health services like smoking cessation, blood pressure checks, and weight management programmes.

Entry routes and pay

Qualifications

Pay

You will need to complete a Master’s degree in Pharmacy (MPharm) approved by General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Which takes 4 years to complete and upon completion this is then followed by a one year paid foundation year where you will work under supervision. At the end of the foundation year, you will have to pass the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Registration Exam. Upon completion of this you can register with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).

Depending where you are in your training will depend on how much you are paid. When starting the foundation year training you will you will start on £28,000 per year.

As a newly qualified pharmacist you will start on £35,000 per year and can progress to £80,000 with experience and further training.