A women’s health pharmacist is a professional who specialises in delivering women’s health pharmacy services to patients who require clinical support or advice during pregnancy or menopause, for menstrual and gynaecological health, or contraception. All pharmacists who are in training or qualified and have an interest in women’s health are welcome to join the UKCPA Women’s pharmacy community.

Anyone who is interested in becoming a women’s health pharmacist will first need to gain an MPharm (Master of Pharmacy) qualification, which typically requires four years of full-time study. You can join UKCPA as a student pharmacist for free and immerse yourself in the Women’s Health pharmacy community to begin learning about this field with a view to specialising in the future.

After gaining your MPharm degree, you’ll need to spend a year practising as a trainee pharmacist in order to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). You’ll then be a qualified pharmacist and can start to gain further experience in women’s pharmacy. 

For less than £3 a week, membership of the Women’s Health pharmacy community provides you with access to ongoing education and training in women’s health. Join today to get invaluable support as you begin to specialise as a women’s health pharmacist - a role that is increasing in demand in UK healthcare.

The role of a women’s health pharmacist can be incredibly varied, with responsibilities including (but not limited to):

• Supporting medication management, safety and optimisation
• Dispensing emergency contraception, including the morning after pill and bridging contraception
• Advising patients on UTIs, cystitis, thrush, period symptoms, menopause symptoms and contraception
• Signposting patients to other healthcare services
• Providing clinical support to patients seeking women’s pharmacy services
• Supporting wider women’s health services to deliver a high standard of patient care

A women’s health pharmacist can work in different environments, such as:

• Hospital 
• Maternity care services
• Community pharmacy
• GP surgery
• Sexual health clinic

The career path of a women’s health pharmacist begins with working towards your MPharm degree as a student pharmacist. You’ll then need to spend some time as a trainee pharmacist before becoming a fully qualified pharmacist and registering with the GPhC. As you progress in your career, you can begin to specialise in different aspects of women’s pharmacy, such as maternity care, sexual health, or women’s and children’s health.

When you join the UKCPA Women’s Health pharmacy community, you’ll get access to ongoing education and training led by experts to further your professional development. Join today for less than £3 a week to explore the paths available to you.