A respiratory pharmacist is a specialised pharmacy practitioner who provides medication therapy and management to patients with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and COPD.

Respiratory pharmacists review and amend medication plans and educate respiratory patients on the importance of following treatment regimes.

To become a respiratory pharmacist, you’ll need key skills, such as strong communication abilities, the capability to work within a team, and a honed attention to detail. Another crucial aspect of being a respiratory pharmacist is being passionate about providing a high standard of care to the community.

You will also the following pharmaceutical qualifications:

• Four years of full-time study (in England and Wales - five years in Scotland) to gain a Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree
• One year practising full time as a trainee pharmacist 
• General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) registration, which requires each pharmacist to pass an assessment

Once you’re registered with the GPhC, you’ll be able to seek out opportunities to practise respiratoty pharmacy professionally, but you’re welcome to join our Respiratory Pharmacy Community at any stage of your career which will allow you to interact with fellow respiratory pharmacists and learn from experts in the field.

The role of respiratory pharmacist practitioners can vary, as these professionals play a key role in distributing care and advice to members of a community. The various roles of a respiratory pharmacist can include:

• Creating and reviewing treatment plans for respiratory conditions such as asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis
• Collaborating with wider healthcare teams to support medicine decision-making and ensure medication availability
• Educating patients on proper respiratory medication adherence, such as correct inhaler techniques
• Assisting communication between primary and secondary care-givers to ensure the best standard of care for patients
• Conducting medication reviews to identify potential side effects from respiratory medication 
• Participating in clinical trials and studies relating to respiratory conditions
• Supporting vulnerable patient groups, such as pregnant women, who are suffering with respiratory conditions
• Providing training to healthcare professionals on new findings in respiratory pharmacy 

As the role of a respiratory pharmacist may differ day-to-day, the setting they work in can frequently change too. Members of our respiratory pharmacy community work in a variety of healthcare environments, such as hospitals, respiratory clinics, and community practices, to ensure safe and effective medication management for patients with respiratory conditions.

Join our Respiratory Pharmacy Community to learn from expert pharmacy practitioners working across all respiratory areas to encourage you as you progress your career.