Pharmacy
Useful Links
https://digital.nhs.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/hospital-admission-statistics-published
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/pharmacy
Job profile
https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/pharmacy
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/pharmacist
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/community-pharmacist
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/hospital-pharmacist
Click here for all roles in a Pharmacy:
https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/pharmacy/roles-pharmacy
Pharmacist role
Taken from : https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/pharmacy Accessed 2021
Medicines are the most common form of treatment in the NHS and pharmacies are where medicines are stored, prepared and dispensed. Pharmacies can be found in hospitals and the community, in health centres and GP surgeries and in high street shops and supermarkets.
Medicines are the most common treatments offered to NHS patients. A pharmacist is an expert in medicines and their use. Their knowledge of medicines and the effect they have on the human body is critical for the successful management of every type of medical condition.
Pharmacists:
advise other healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses, on how to choose medicines and use them correctly
ensure that new medicines are safe to use with other medication
advise on dosage and suggest the most appropriate form of medication such as tablet, injection, ointment or inhaler
make sure that patients use their medicines safely
provide information to patients on how get the maximum benefit from the medicines they are prescribed
advise on the most effective treatments for a particular condition including those for sale without prescription
help patients manage long term conditions
recommend changes to prescriptions and give advice on prescribing
provide information about potential side effects
monitor the effects of treatment to ensure that it is safe and effective
Pharmacists are also involved in manufacturing medicines when ready-made preparations are not available. For example, certain cancer treatments and intravenous feeding solutions need to be tailor made under sterile conditions for individual patients.
Pharmacists work as part of healthcare teams in hospitals or community pharmacies. Some work in retail pharmacies in supermarkets or on the high street, or for other employers that provide NHS services. Community pharmacists are based in health centres or pharmacies but they may spend time visiting patients at home or in residential homes.
Pharmacists may also supervise pharmacy technician and pharmacy assistants in purchasing, quality testing or dispensing medicines.
Entry Requirements
To practise as a pharmacist, you have to be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). To register, you need to study for an accredited Masters degree in pharmacy (MPharm). Universities across the UK offer the course, which lasts four years, full time.
To get onto a Master's course in pharmacy you need three A-B grade A-levels in chemistry and biology, maths or physics along with five GCSEs (grades 9-4/A-C), including English language, maths and at least one science.
Or you could use alternative qualifications, including:
foundation degree in pharmacy
BTEC, HND or HNC which includes science
relevant NVQ
science-based access course
equivalent Scottish or Irish qualifications
However, each institution sets its own entry requirements, so it’s important to check carefully. Wherever you study, you will need to show that you have an understanding of pharmacy and how it benefits patients. It is a good idea to spend some time with a registered pharmacist to see what the work is like.
After university, to become a fully qualified pharmacist you'll need to:
work for a 1-year pre-registration period under supervision in a community or hospital pharmacy
pass a registration exam
How to prepare for your interview
Check the information provided from the University when you were invited to interview what do you need to take with you? What type of interviews will you be undertaking? 1 to 1/ group?
Be on time! Make sure you know where you need to be and how to get there with plenty of time to spare.
Bring all documentation they have asked you to take with you.
Dress appropriately - remember, this is an interview for a professional course.
Re-read your application form and personal statement as they will ask you to elaborate on it.
Be clear about why you want to be a pharmacist.
Be ready to answer questions about the profession – brief yourself on current issues. Check current news related to the profession you are hoping to go into.
Be ready to answer questions about the course.
Be ready to answer questions about the University – have you been to an Open Day; why do you want to study here; how will you fit in?
Be yourself! Be confident ! Good luck!
Subject specific pharmacy university interview questions
Pharmacy is part exact science, with serious consequences for mistakes, and part social interaction, where your advice and guidance can make a big difference. Your university will therefore ask a range of questions to test your understanding of these two sides of the subject.
What is the role of the pharmacist in the treatment chain?
What challenges do you think a modern pharmacist faces?
What experience do you have of pharmacy, and how did this affect your choice?
Why do you want to be a pharmacist?
Describe a typical day for a pharmacist
What have you read about pharmacy or drugs in the news?
How do you think the role of the pharmacist could be improved?
Should pharmacists be able to prescribe drugs?
How can a pharmacist work to improve community health?
Personal pharmacy university interview questions
Pharmacy involves a great deal of working with the public, as well as liaising with other health professionals such as doctors and GPs. You will need to have the inter-personal skills required to communicate well with all of these groups, as well as the distinct set of skills required for precise and consistent work under pressure. To find out more about your personality, you may be asked:
What skills do you think make a good pharmacist?
What can you bring to a career as a pharmacist?
How well can you manage your time when working under pressure?
How would you deal with a nervous customer who didn’t trust their medication?
How would you deal with an angry or frustrated customer?
What would you do if you spotted an obvious mistake on a GPs prescription? How would you feel if you missed it?
How would you advise someone to deal with the common cold?
Ethical pharmacy university interview questions
There are a number of political and ethical issues around the UK’s drug policies, with decisions made by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, as well as central government. You will need to deal with these issues all the time, so it is important that you have the right attitude towards ethical problems.
Do you think prescription charges are a fair way of paying for drugs?
Should recovering addicts be given free/subsidised treatment on the NHS?
What would you do if a parent refused drugs for their child for religious or moral reasons?
Should patients be discouraged from taking antibiotics to reduce resistance?
A mistake could be tragic or even fatal. How would you deal with this responsibility?
Should drug trials be more or less vigorous?
Is it ethical for companies to charge so much for new drugs?
If you disagree with a doctor’s choice of treatment, would you question it?
University course examples
https://www2.aston.ac.uk/study/courses/pharmacy-mpharm
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/med/pharmacy-4-year.aspx
https://www.uclan.ac.uk/courses/mpharm_hons_pharmacy.php
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pharmacy/mpharm-interview-process.aspx
https://www2.uea.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/degree/detail/mpharm-pharmacy