| Pharmacy jobs are in no short supply; in fact it may be | | | | The registration examination |
| one of the few industries where the supply outweighs | | | | At the end of this pre-registration year, students must |
| the demand. | | | | pass a registration examination (multiple choice). This is |
| Hospital pharmacy departments vary widely in size | | | | designed to ensure newly registered pharmacists have |
| from very large to quite small, with the average | | | | sufficient knowledge underpinning and complementing |
| department having around 10 - 15 pharmacists, with 30 | | | | the practical competences. |
| or so supporting staff - pharmacy technicians, | | | | Annual leave and weekend work |
| assistants and administrative staff, to enable the | | | | Agenda for Change still needs to determine how much |
| pharmacists to carry out their professional roles. | | | | anual leave hospital pharmacy preregistration trainees |
| Working in a hospital means not only being in the | | | | get over the preregistration year but it is likely to be 25 |
| pharmacy. You will be part of the healthcare team, | | | | days (five weeks) plus ten bank holidays. Hospital |
| working closely with all other healthcare professionals, | | | | pharmacy preregistration trainees are not required to |
| providing advice and supporting them in their roles. You | | | | work every weekend - for depaartments that are |
| will consider the individual patients needs, and spend | | | | open at weekends, preregs may be included in work |
| time with patients making sure that they get the | | | | rotas. Hospital departments are also often willing to |
| optimum benefit from their medicines. | | | | consider trainees who can only work part time. If this |
| The benefits of hospital pharmacy are: | | | | interests you then it would be best to discuss it with |
| * Direct involvement in patient care; influencing | | | | any prospective training site |
| treatment choices by being involved in decision making | | | | Accommodation |
| at the point of prescribing; making a difference to the | | | | Many hospitals can offer you accommodation. This is |
| patient; a sense of contribution | | | | usually excellent value for money and it is sometimes |
| * Being part of a number of teams; extensive | | | | subsidised; something to consider if you are going to |
| social and professional networks in the pharmacy and | | | | be far from home or in an expensive city area. |
| throughout the hospital | | | | Training programme |
| * Support from fellow pharmacists and | | | | You will undertake a rotational training programme of |
| colleagues is always available | | | | experience in the pharmacy services described below. |
| * The opportunity to get input from, observe, and | | | | * Aseptic/technical services - a chance to turn |
| work with, several pharmacists rather than just one | | | | university theory into practice, aseptic units are |
| role model, enabling you to formulate your own | | | | commonly involved in the dispensing of parenteral |
| preferred practice | | | | nutrition, chemotherapy and complex intravenous |
| * A clearly defined pharmacy career structure | | | | medicines. |
| with opportunities to develop in a range of skills which | | | | * Clinical pharmacy - a whole variety of medical |
| may include technical, clinical, education or management | | | | and surgical specialties, from general acute medicine to |
| positions. | | | | psychiatry. Activities include taking drug histories, |
| * Recognition of your expertise in whatever | | | | participation in ward rounds, influencing treatment |
| pharmacy career you choose; acknowledgement of | | | | decisions, optimising medicines management and |
| your achievements; pharmacists and pharmacy | | | | monitoring outcomes, counselling patients. |
| services are highly valued by colleagues and | | | | * Community pharmacy - the RSPGB will require |
| management | | | | you to have an awareness of community pharmacy |
| * Continuing professional and pharmacy career | | | | practice, so a period in a community pharmacy will be |
| development | | | | part of your training programme. |
| The pre-registration training | | | | * Community services pharmacy - working at |
| If you are a pharmacy student, you can find out more | | | | the interface between primary and secondary care. |
| about pre-registration recruitment opportunities in NHS | | | | Involvement with community clinics, residential and |
| hospitals by going to | | | | nursing homes |
| Both the pharmacy and the tutor appointed to | | | | * Dispensary - screening prescriptions for |
| supervise the graduate must be approved by the | | | | approriateness and accuracy prior to dispensing |
| RPSGB for training purposes. The training can be | | | | * Medicines information - answering enquiries |
| undertaken in any pharmacy environment, provided at | | | | from a wide range of healthcare professionals and |
| least six months is spent in one of the community or | | | | patients about their medicines |
| hospital sectors. | | | | * Management - the basics of managing |
| This practical experience follows a syllabus laid down | | | | yourself, your time, a project, and other poeple |
| by the RPSGB and involves achieving and | | | | * Procurement and distribution - developing an |
| demonstrating a variety of competences which are | | | | understanding of how medicines are purchased and |
| essential to the practice of pharmacy. The | | | | stock is managed in the most cost effective way |
| competences are activities the student must be able | | | | * Quality assurance/quality control - making sure |
| to perform reliably, e.g. dispensing medicines on | | | | that products and services reach the required |
| prescription, using certain apparatus, or counselling | | | | standards. |
| patients. | | | | |