Hospital pharmacist
Hospital pharmacists work in a hospital pharmacy service, primarily within the public sector. They are experts in the field of medicines and are not only responsible for the dispensing of prescriptions but also the purchase, manufacture and quality testing of all medicines used in a hospital. Pharmacists work closely with medical and nursing staff to ensure that patients receive the best treatment. They also provide help and advice to patients in all aspects of their medicines.
The role of a hospital pharmacist can extend outside the hospital with responsibility for medicines in health centres, nursing homes, hospices and general practitioners' (GP) surgeries.
Typical activities may include:
More experienced pharmacists may be involved in teaching, both within the pharmacy department and in other areas of the hospital.
Salary data from The National Health Service (NHS). Figures are intended as a guide only.
To qualify as a hospital pharmacist you need to:
Entry to the profession without a pharmacy degree or with an HND only is not possible. Work as a pharmacy technician will give you experience of the work environment but does not allow progression to hospital pharmacist.
Most MPharm courses require an A-level in chemistry and two further A-levels in either biology, mathematics or physics. Students may also be considered with A-levels in chemistry and one other science (preferably biology), together with another subject. In Scotland, Higher qualifications with a strong emphasis on the sciences, particularly chemistry, are required. Basic literacy and numeracy skills (for example, GCSE grades A to C in English language and mathematics) are also essential.
Students on pre-reg training must demonstrate that they meet certain performance standards and successfully pass a registration examination. It is possible to complete the pre-reg year in another area of pharmacy, such as community or industry, and then transfer over to hospital pharmacy. However, it is more usual for hospital pharmacists to have done their pre-reg year in a hospital pharmacy.
Students who wish to obtain a pre-reg placement in hospitals in England or Wales must apply by 31 August, one year before graduation. Details are circulated to students through all university schools of pharmacy and on the Pharmacy Clearing House website. Hospitals that have not filled their pre-reg positions during the August recruitment round post their clearance places on the Pharmacy Clearing House website. Students who have not secured a pre-reg position must apply online by the end of October.
Pharmacy students who wish to complete their pre-reg year in Scotland need to apply for their pre-reg placement by June in the year before graduation. Booklets containing details of placement opportunities are sent to university schools of pharmacy. See NHS Education for Scotland (NES) for information on how to apply for pre-reg positions and vacancies within NHS Scotland.
Details of how to obtain a pre-reg placement in Northern Ireland appear in the local press in October. Contact the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland for further details.
Pre-reg trainees rotate between different areas of the pharmacy service, gaining an introduction to all aspects of pharmacy practice, including medicines information, training in dispensary work, aseptic dispensing and inpatient and outpatient pharmacy. In addition, trainees take residential courses and study days and complete a pre-reg project. Regular assessment and feedback occurs throughout the year and concludes with the pre-reg examination.
A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not needed, although a clinical diploma or MSc may give an advantage in gaining a position as a hospital pharmacist.
Candidates need to show evidence of the following:
Pharmacists with supervisory responsibility require:
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) replaced the Royal Pharmaceutical Society as the statutory regulator of pharmacists in 2010.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is the professional body for pharmacists and pharmacy and supports its members in developing their professional, practice and leadership skills.
After becoming a registered pharmacist and obtaining a job, the majority of hospital pharmacists develop their careers by taking a certificate or diploma in clinical pharmacy, which is often followed by an MSc. This is usually necessary to be able to progress to more senior grades.
All pharmacists undertake a wide range of training to support them in their chosen speciality or career path. Training opportunities include in-house training provided by the pharmacy department or hospital, regionally or nationally organised study days or courses, initial speciality training and training in management.
Pharmacists need to keep abreast of developments in drug research, including new drugs that are developed and come on to the market, new methods of treating conditions with drugs, and government and hospital policies for drug treatment.
Further training also forms part of a pharmacist's continuing professional development (CPD). Undertaking and keeping a record of CPD is a mandatory requirement for all practising pharmacists and pharmacy technicians as a condition of their registration with the GPhC.
Hospital pharmacists working in The National Health Service (NHS) follow a structured career progression with opportunities to study for clinical and management qualifications, often supported by the employing trusts.
Upon successfully completing the pre-registration (pre-reg) year, pharmacists normally enter the hospital pharmacy service at basic Band 6 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale. At this stage, pharmacists must be registered as members of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) .
Newly qualified Band 6 pharmacists usually rotate between different pharmacy services offered by their hospital. These may include:
Following two to three years’ experience, pharmacists may apply for a 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:
Opportunities exist to progress further to the role of supplementary or independent prescriber, working within a Primary Care Trust as a prescribing adviser, or to hospital pharmacy consultant at salary Band 8b-d. There are fewer opportunities in these roles, however, and it is sometimes necessary to relocate in order to progress.
Pharmacists may also take on a role as a tutor by lecturing pre-reg trainees, delivering presentations to other medical staff or providing tutorial support to undergraduate pharmacy students.
Opportunities also exist for hospital pharmacists to undertake locum work.
The majority of hospital pharmacists work for hospitals in The National Health Service (NHS) .
Apart from the NHS, some hospital pharmacists work in the private sector. Three of the largest operators in the UK are BMI Healthcare, BUPA and Nuffield Hospitals. They, and other providers, run care homes for older people, and adults and children with mental health, learning, or physical disabilities, as well as hospitals and clinics. The independent and voluntary healthcare sector continues to grow.
NHS trusts may also employ locum pharmacists to work in their hospital pharmacy departments. These pharmacists may work for an agency but some work for an individual hospital or NHS trust on a casual basis.
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