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Between 2006 and 2009, 0.3% of employed doctoral graduates or 40 employed doctoral graduates, are known to have been working as hospital pharmacists six months after graduation.

Job description

Hospital pharmacists are classified in the ‘other common doctoral occupations' cluster of doctoral employment.

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. They are members of a healthcare team and work closely with medical and nursing staff to ensure patients receive the best treatment. They also provide help and advice to patients in all aspects of their medicines.

The role of the hospital pharmacist can extend outside the hospital with responsibility for medicines in health centres, nursing homes, hospices and general practitioners' (GP) surgeries.

Typical work activities

Typical work activities may include:

  • Checking prescriptions to ensure that there are no errors and that they are appropriate and safe for the individual patient
  • Providing advice on the dosage of medicines and the most appropriate form of medication, for example tablet, injection, ointment or inhaler
  • Participating in ward rounds, taking patient drug histories and involvement in decision-making on appropriate treatments
  • Discussing treatments with patients' relatives, community pharmacists and general practitioners
  • Ensuring medicines are stored appropriately and securely
  • Supervising the work of less experienced and less qualified staff
  • Answering questions about medicines from within the hospital, other hospitals and the general public
  • Keeping up to date with, and contributing to, research and development
  • Writing guidelines for drug use within the hospital and implementing hospital regulations
  • Providing information on expenditure on drugs
  • Preparing and quality-checking sterile medications, for example intravenous medications
  • Setting up and supervising clinical trials.

More experienced pharmacists may be involved in teaching, both within the pharmacy department and other areas within the hospital.

Entry requirements

Entry to the profession without a lower pharmacy degree or doctorate is not possible.

In 2010 the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)  took over responsibility for the statutory regulation of pharmacists.

Students on pre-registration training must demonstrate that they meet certain performance standards and successfully pass a registration examination. It is possible to complete the pre-registration 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-registration year in a hospital pharmacy.

Otherwise, candidates need to show evidence of the following:

  • The ability to work carefully, methodically and accurately. This is vital as mistakes could prove fatal
  • Computer literacy
  • Interpersonal skills and a caring and sympathetic manner, as the work usually involves contact with patients on hospital wards and in outpatient departments
  • General clinical awareness

Salary

  • Jobs in The National Health Service (NHS) are usually covered by the Agenda for Change pay scale consisting of nine pay bands
  • Salaries for entry level posts, usually filled by pre-registration pharmacists, typically start at £20,710 (Band 5)
  • Typical starting salaries for specialist pharmacists are £29,789 (Band 7). Promotion to this band is normally possible after two to three years at Band 6. There are fewer opportunities for further progression and it is sometimes necessary to relocate to progress to the next band(s)
  • Advanced pharmacist: £37,996-£44,258 (Band 8a-b)
  • Pharmacist team manager: £44,258-£53,256 (Band 8b-c)
  • Pharmacist consultant: up to £79,031(Band 8b-d) (All salary data collected March 2010.)

Sector and disciplinary information

Sector information

Doctoral graduates from 2006-9 working in this occupation were known to be employed in the following profiled sectors six months after graduation:

Disciplinary background

Almost all doctoral entrants to the profession had a doctorate in pharmacy. A small number had chemistry doctorates

Career stories

None available

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