A surgical pharmacist or operating room pharmacist is a pharmacy professional who specialises in managing medication for patients undergoing surgery, either during the perioperative, operative or postoperative period. Surgical pharmacists work alongside surgeons and anaesthetists, playing a vital role in supporting patient outcomes. Any clinical pharmacist with an interest in the field is welcome to join the UKCPA Surgery & Theatre pharmacy community. 

To become a surgical pharmacist, you’ll need an MPharm (Master of Pharmacy) degree, which requires four years of full-time study. You can join UKCPA at this stage as a student pharmacist for free, and retain your free membership once you’ve graduated and are working as a trainee pharmacist. 

Following 12 months of practice, you can apply to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), after which time you’ll be a qualified pharmacist. Then, you can begin to gain specific experience in surgery pharmacy, spending time working alongside operating room pharmacists and continuing with more specialised professional development and experience.

As a qualified pharmacist, you can join UKCPA’s Surgery & Theatre pharmacy community for less than £3 a week. As a member, you can access education, training, resources and support from fellow pharmaceutical professionals as you develop your specialism in surgery pharmacy.

The role of a surgical pharmacist is crucial for patients undergoing surgery, and it can be an incredibly varied position, with responsibilities including: 

• Providing clinical pharmacy services throughout the perioperative period
• Managing medication for surgery-related risks, including infection, pain, inflammation and blood pressure fluctuations
• Supporting surgeons and anaesthetists during surgical procedures
• Ensuring safe use of medicines in surgical environments
• Training trainee and more junior surgical pharmacists
• Liaising with other clinical pharmacists in the hospital to ensure seamless transfer from surgery to wards

A surgical pharmacist is generally based in a hospital setting, but may also work with an ambulance or other emergency care service, or closely with intensive care or critical care environments. Within a hospital, an operating room pharmacist may work within:

• Pre-admission clinics
• General surgery
• Cardiac surgery
• Orthopaedic surgery
• Trauma surgery
• Caesarean deliveries
• Intensive care

Every pharmacist begins their career as a student pharmacist, then as a trainee pharmacist before they are fully qualified. Once qualified, gaining experience in surgery and theatre pharmacy can help you to work towards becoming a surgical pharmacist in the future. 

You may need to undertake further training or experience to specialise, but you could then work as an operating room pharmacist, train other surgical pharmacists, become a prescriber, or work in research. 

Access advice, guidance and expert-led education and training to further your professional development when you join the UKCPA Surgery & Theatre pharmacy community for less than £3 a week.