The key role of a Pharmacist

Pharmacists play a key role in the healthcare system, whether it be as a hospital pharmacist or pharmacists based within the community. i.e. local chemist, they too are there to help you medically. In 2019 it was estimated that there were 65 thousand pharmacists in the UK. Pharmacists are in high demand across the UK, therefore, if you are looking to become a qualified pharmacist the outlook is very positive.

How to become a pharmacist in London

The first step to becoming a pharmacist is to take a Master’s degree (MPharm) course which will need to be accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Entry requirements for a Masters does vary depending on the course and the university requirements, however they usually request high grades in A level subjects such as chemistry, biology and another science subject or maths. There are many London universities that offer Pharmacology and Pharmacy courses with great course offerings. Due to the sensitive nature of the role is can be quite difficult to gain work experience, but speaking to a pharmacist and understanding their role, and if you are lucky enough to shadow a pharmacist can expose you to the type of work that is required on a day to day basis.

There are so many different areas you can go into – Community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, Industrial pharmacy, Clinical academia, Military, Working in care homes, Veterinary pharmacy and many more.

Why become a Pharmacist

Job Satisfaction

Pharmacists are considered to have low stress levels and the role can allow for a good work life balance, flexibility and the opportunity for professional development. However, like any healthcare professional there can be moments of extreme emotion, working with a long-term patient who doesn’t make it, or situations such as an outbreak/ pandemic where you can’t seem to help everybody. The major pull into any healthcare profession is to help people. Pharmacists play a key role in helping patients feel better.

Pharmacists work directly with patients.

They need to take the time to speak with patients and unlike your GP you do not need an appointment to do this. You can walk into your local Chemist and discussing medication requirements with the pharmacist is ideal for many people. Nowadays, many pharmacies offer more than just medication advice and dispensary they also offer services such as blood pressure monitoring services, cholesterol screening, smoking cessation consultation, immunisation services and much more. Pharmacies really need to be comfortable working within the community and offer and extended health services.

Working with the latest technology and medical innovations.

With the range of career options within Pharmacology, there is the discipline known as pharmacogenomics, which looks at how genetic variations can affect a body’s response to a drug, which in turn allows pharmacists to prescribe the right medication for a patient.

Overall there are many reasons to become a pharmacist, working with state of the art technology, working on public health initiatives and have a major role in stopping the spread of diseases .

There is a demand for pharmacists in London and if you are an experienced qualified pharmacist, please get in touch with or healthcare team to discuss your future requirements and see how we can help you.

We work with many London hospitals that use our service for their internal healthcare recruitment, we have been within the healthcare recruitment market for over 30 years, therefore if you would like to discuss how we can work with you in your recruitment requirements contact the team today.