Chair
Thomas Harris
Emergency Department Pharmacist Practitioner
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
UK
Clinical Pharmacy
Association
UK
Clinical Pharmacy
Association
The community promotes education, training and professional development for emergency care pharmacists in the UK and beyond.
Our Emergency Care Pharmacy Community provides support to emergency and urgent care pharmacy professionals who work in A&E and other high-pressured, urgent care settings.
The UKCPA Emergency Care pharmacy committee aims to improve emergency pharmacy services for the NHS and for patients. The committee provides expertise, contributes to national guidelines, and drives up the standard of patient care in emergency settings.
In December 2023, the UKCPA Emergency Care pharmacy committee and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) published recommendations that all emergency departments must have a dedicated pharmacist and pharmacy technician. The statement set out seven standards for the level of support needed.
UKCPA funded a PhD research project investigating enhanced clinical pharmacy practice in the emergency. It was the first ever study – globally – to define and describe the role of a pharmacist who has overall clinical responsibility for patients in an emergency care setting.
An emergency pharmacist is a qualified pharmacy professional who works within an emergency or urgent care setting, such as a hospital’s accident and emergency department. Pharmacists or pharmacy technicians who work in this field or are interested in specialising in emergency care are welcome to join our Emergency Care pharmacy community.
If you’re interested in becoming an emergency department pharmacist or working in urgent care pharmacy, you’ll need to become a qualified pharmacist by studying to gain an MPharm (Master of Pharmacy) degree.
The first year following qualification will be spent practising as a trainee pharmacist, while you work towards becoming a member of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Once qualified, you can choose to specialise in emergency care pharmacy practice. You can join the UKCPA community at any time to access support from other specialists and experts as you take the next step in your career.
There are certain soft skills that will also be beneficial when working as an emergency medicine pharmacist, such as emotional intelligence, resilience under pressure, and the ability to adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment.
The UKCPA Emergency Care pharmacy community is perfect for anyone wishing to work as an emergency pharmacist or within urgent care pharmacy. We’re here for you throughout your career - you can even join for free when you’re a student pharmacist to gain access to specialist resources and discussions. Once qualified, continue to develop your knowledge by connecting with fellow emergency pharmacists for less than £3 a week.
Read more: How to succeed as an emergency department pharmacist
The day-to-day role of a pharmacist in emergency department care or other urgent care setting can be extremely varied, with responsibilities including:
An urgent care or emergency pharmacist may work within a variety of environments, including:
Emergency pharmacists typically work in high-pressure, fast-paced environments, but it can be an incredibly rewarding branch of pharmacy to specialise in.
Ongoing education and development is at the heart of the UKCPA Emergency & Urgent Care pharmacy community, supporting you as you develop or work towards training future emergency care pharmacists. Join our emergency pharmacists’ community today for tailored support at every step of your career.
Karen Gunnell - Senior lecturer in pharmacy practice
Join UKCPA for less than £3 a week and access all our communities, education and resources.
