| Today medicines
are becoming more complex as advances are made in
protein therapy, genomics and drug delivery systems.
Studying at one of the pharmacy schools holds the
key to a vast array of career pathways as the medicines
expert. It can lead to a career in hospital, a high
street community pharmacy, the pharmaceutical industry,
prison service and journalism, to name a few. And
this is all from one specialist degree course!
 Studying
at one of the pharmacy schools in the UK means
completing the four-year Master of Pharmacy degree.
This is the only qualification that allows students,
after a further year of paid pre-registration
training and the registration exam, to register
as a pharmacist with the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society of Great Britain (RPSBG). The degree course
covers a wide range of sciences: medicinal chemistry
(the chemical design and synthesis of drugs),
pharmacognosy (drugs that occur naturally - legal
and illegal), pharmacology (the actions and uses
of medicines and their effects on the body), biochemistry
(the chemical processes in the body), pharmaceutics
(formulating a drug into a medicine such as a
tablet or capsule) and pharmacy practice (which
includes dispensing, patient care, hospital visits,
pharmacy law and ethics).
"Why study one science when pharmacy
allows you to study more, right from the molecule
to the patient."
Anabel Rodriguez, 3rd Year MPharm Student
The MPharm degree not only provides the necessary
pharmaceutical and scientific knowledge, but also
the skills to work as a professional member of
the nation's health care team, whether it's discovering
a new drug, going on ward rounds, liaising with
other health care professionals to manage a patient's
care, giving advice as part of a medicines information
team or even marketing new medicines. The skills
students develop over the four years - critical
and rational thinking, problem solving, evaluation
of research and teamwork - are of paramount importance
in the workplace, where they are tested on a daily
basis.
 Hospital
Pharmacy
Although the MPharm degree does not incorporate
a clinical component in the same way medical and
nursing degrees do, students do get exposure to
areas of hospital pharmacy. They meet patients
on the wards and are given the opportunity to
interview them regarding their medicines. This
gives a realistic insight into the pharmacist's
role in the hospital setting.
"I find the opportunity to meet real-life
people and discuss their medical-related problems
and individual treatments a fascinating part of
the MPharm degree."
Robert Flood, 2nd Year MPharm Student
As with all areas of pharmacy, hospital pharmacy
is continually changing and progressing as the
focus in the NHS becomes more patient-centred.
The hospital pharmacist is very much a team member
who works closely with nurses, doctors and other
health care professionals all involved in patient
care.
The first few years as a hospital pharmacist
are a period of training that builds upon the
foundations laid throughout the degree course.
The basic-grade pharmacist rotates through all
the areas of a hospital pharmacy - the dispensary,
general and specialist wards, the manufacturing
unit, medicines information - typically for one
or two years. Promotion to higher grades follows
quickly; this is when the pharmacist chooses an
area of specialisation, such as working with adults
or children, radiopharmacy, HIV, cancer, surgical,
general medicine, education and training, etc.
Hospital pharmacists who want to climb the NHS
career ladder are expected to take on further
training, such as postgraduate diploma courses
or in-house management training programmes.
Community Pharmacy
Community pharmacy is by far the largest branch
of the profession, where the professional work
undertaken is the legal and ethical responsibility
of the pharmacist on duty. The training for this
begins at the very start of the MPharm degree,
when students are introduced to law and ethics
as part of everyday pharmacy.
"The great thing about community pharmacy
is that it uniquely allows the pharmacist to apply
the science we learn at uni to real people. In
addition there are many opportunities to learn
and use management skills."
Barry Shooter, Community Pharmacist, Barry Shooter
Pharmacies.
The community pharmacist is one of the first
ports of call for the public for medical advice
or health care issues such as smoking cessation,
family planning and weight loss. The pharmacist
is also involved in providing medicines and advisory
support to residential and nursing homes.
The duties of a community pharmacist are varied,
to say the least. One of the main duties involves
dispensing prescriptions written by a doctor.
The pharmacist is required to ensure that the
prescription is legal and the medicine requested
by the doctor is appropriate for that patient
(i.e. is the dosage correct, or could there be
a drug interaction with a medicine the patient
is already taking).
Another role involves screening for blood pressure
or blood cholesterol measurements. Some pharmacies
are involved in a "needle-exchange"
scheme for drug addicts, who are able to exchange
used injecting equipment for new ones, thus helping
to protect drug addicts from various infections
including HIV and Hepatitis B.
These are but a few of the roles undertaken by
pharmacists who need to keep abreast of the latest
medical and scientific developments in order to
work to the highest possible standard.
Pharmaceutical Industry
The UK is home to a hugely successful pharmaceutical
industry; GlaxoSmithKline is the second largest
company on the London Stock Exchange, and Astra
Zeneca in the top ten.
The pharmacist, with his/her broad-based education
and training, can work in industry along with
a team of other specialists - chemists, pharmacologists,
biochemists, microbiologists and toxicologists
- to discover new drugs and bring them to market.
There are various routes into the pharmaceutical
industry for pharmacists; the most typical is
to complete a PhD and move into research and development
(called R&D). The UK has a large number of
small companies, often with just one or two products,
offering immense opportunities for young research
scientists.
Another area of opportunity is clinical trials,
which is similar in nature to both community and
hospital practice as the pharmacist works with
both nursing and medical staff. Other areas include
manufacturing, quality assurance, regulatory affairs,
marketing and medicines information.
Other Career Pathways
Pharmacists also work as pharmaceutical advisors
within new Primary Care Groups. There they are
concerned with the coordination and management
of pharmaceutical services and help doctors achieve
the most cost-effective use of medicines.
There are opportunities for pharmacists to work
in academia, teaching and researching either in
schools of pharmacy or related university science
departments. Other possibilities include working
for the government or the RPSGB, either in medicines
licensing, pharmaceutical services policy or journal
editing. Pharmacists can also work in the agriculture
and veterinary sectors, where the range of work
is similar to that for human medicines.
No matter which sector the pharmacist chooses
for a career, the skills and scientific knowledge
gained in the MPharm degree are a foundation for
a successful career. It is hard to imagine what
exciting scientific developments the 21st century
will bring, and pharmacists must be prepared for
a profession that never stands still.
Jayna Patel
MRPharmS
Outreach Officer (Widening Participation)
The School of Pharmacy, University of London.
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