Pharmacists play a crucial role in the overall medical system, dispensing medication in a safe and informative manner. As a locum pharmacist, you get to work in a wide range of different environments. From hospitals to community pharmacies, all while developing your skillset.
If it’s a career that’s piqued your interest, then read on. This is a brief guide on the steps you’ll need to take to start that journey.
Get A Pharmacy Degree
The first and arguably most important thing you need to do to become any kind of pharmacist is get your pharmacy degree.
Called the MPharm, it’s a four-year course that’s accredited by the GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council). It will cover a wide range of theoretical knowledge pertaining to the chemistry side of medicine. Laying the foundations for the rest of your career.
Do Your Foundational Training Programme
Once you’ve completed your degree, you’re still not quite ready to be a locum pharmacist. First, you need to do your Foundational Training Program, which consists of a year-long supervised training period.
Don’t worry, you’ll be paid. You’ll also get the opportunity to put all that theoretical knowledge you’ve learned into practice. While of course, honing your soft skills as well.
GPhC Registration
After you’ve done your year of formal training, you’re pretty much ready to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council and become an official pharmacist.
However, you’ll need to take the registration assessment. A two-part exam with a calculation test and multiple choice element. After your degree and training, you should be more than capable of passing.
Get Your License
After you’ve passed the test, you’re finally ready to get your license which allows you to become a pharmacist in Great Britain.
It’s important to remember that the license expires annually; you need to commit to ongoing learning, and must update your license two months prior to its expiry date every time in order to remain fully licensed.
Find A Job
Now, you’re ready to go out and find a job as a pharmacist. You can choose between a wide range of different settings, from the more theoretical side of research and the pharmaceutical industry to more people-based roles in community pharmacies.
As a locum pharmacist, you can switch between multiple different settings, either doing this in the long term or until you find something that you’re fully passionate about. Locum agencies can help you to find the perfect roles, making the whole process a lot easier than if you had to do it alone.
As you can see, it takes a little while to become a locum pharmacist, but it’s not a boring process. While it takes five years to qualify, you’ll be in the workplace and earning a wage after your fourth year, and will be set up with a career for life. As a locum pharmacists, you’ll get to go to work each day knowing that you’re making a difference, while enjoying competitive pay and the potential for steady career development.
Collaborative Post
Leave a Reply