Community health
How pharmacists can bring patient care closer to home
Do you know what pharmacists do in community health services?
UK
Clinical Pharmacy
Association
UK
Clinical Pharmacy
Association
Join today for free
Access to the right support from the very beginning of your clinical pharmacy journey is vital. A UKCPA student pharmacy membership will start you off on the right foot, providing you with access to a community of fellow students, expert-led training and resources, and a calendar of pharmacy networking events.
Join for free today and get access to our dedicated student pharmacist membership. Then, as you progress through your pharmacy career, you’ll be able to access additional benefits tailored to your journey and specialism.
Ruth Bednall - Assistant director of quality improvement
Anna Bischler - Associate director, medicines use and safety
A student pharmacist is someone who is studying for a pharmacy degree at university, so that they can embark on a career as a pharmacist or other type of healthcare professional in the future.
Student pharmacists are expected to undertake placements as part of their course to get hands-on training in a pharmacy environment.
Every pharmacy student will have different career goals; some may want to work as a community health services pharmacist or a pharmacy technician, others will want to specialise in areas such as critical care pharmacy or emergency care, and some will go on to work in education and development.
To become a pharmacy student at a university in the UK, you’ll need to have studied chemistry to A-level, and many degree courses will require you to have studied biology, maths, or physics too. Some universities will only accept A and B grade A-levels, but others will accept students who have a BTEC in applied science, or an equivalent qualification.
A typical student pharmacist will study full-time for four years, working towards the MPharm (Master of Pharmacy) qualification. However, some universities offer a five-year, full-time sandwich course. As a pharmacy student, you’ll undertake a placement as part of your course, providing you with real-world experience that will be invaluable as your training progresses.
During your studies, you’ll undertake a placement in a clinical setting, where you’ll be able to observe, shadow and work under the supervision of pharmacists, giving you a real-world insight into what the job involves.
As a student pharmacist, you’ll gain an understanding of pharmacy processes and learn the skills you’ll need to deliver pharmaceutical services in the future.
Under supervision during a placement, a student pharmacist can:
Sign up for a UKCPA student pharmacy membership for free, with unlimited access to educational resources, forums, and
Join UKCPA for less than £3 a week and access all our communities, education and resources.
