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Pharmacy Careers
NHS Health Education England

Discover pharmacy as a career

Love science and want a rewarding career? Study pharmacy and open up a world of opportunity.
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Welcome to our Pharmacy Careers Website

A UK wide resource for careers in Pharmacy

Pharmacy is a diverse and rewarding career, giving you the opportunity to use your expert knowledge of medicine and health to provide patient care across a wide range of settings. Popular roles include independent and retail chain community pharmacists, providing counselling to patients on the use of prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. But a career in pharmacy can take you in many different directions. Explore this website to find out more about the opportunities available...
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Interactive Careers Map

Navigate our interactive careers map to find the perfect role for you.

Explore our interactive map to discover the diverse range of settings where a career in pharmacy can take you. Click, drag and zoom in and out of the map to navigate between the different locations and click to find out more about the career opportunities that each setting provides.
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What is it like to work in Pharmacy?

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That’s what surprised me once I got into it. I was able to work in mental health. I was able ...

Mona Qassim
Mental Health Pharmacist, Reading
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I'm indirectly helping our pharmacies to be able to help their communities, enabling them to help the whole of Kent ...

Shilpa Shah
CEO, Kent LPC
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It's all about the patient and what they need or want. The patient comes first, no matter what scenario and ...

Katherine le Bosquet
Medway NHS Foundation Trust

Latest Videos Case Studies
Ali Hamad - Trainee Pharmacist - Hospital

Trainee pharmacist, Ali shares his day-to-day life of the role and his experiences in an NHS trust.

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Atika Tailor - Community pharmacist

Community Pharmacist, Atika shares her day-to-day life of the role and her experiences of a career in pharmacy.

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Lewis Challen - Pharmacy Technician & Pharmacy Undergraduate

Pharmacy Technician & Pharmacy Undergraduate, Lewis shares his day-to-day life of the role and his experiences in hospital pharmacy

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  • Academia

    Academic pharmacy offers a range of career opportunities including research, delivering innovative teaching, senior university management and professional engagement roles such as contributing to national and international pharmacy policy.  Academic pharmacists educate, train, assess and develop pharmacists of the future.
    View Academia roles
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  • Care Home

    Pharmacy professionals working in care homes manage and optimise medicines for residents of care homes, nursing homes and specialist care homes to ensure residents get the most out of their medicines. Often seen as a rewarding career, you will provide medication advice, guidance and training to support the care of vulnerable people.
    View Care Home roles
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  • Community Pharmacy

    Community pharmacy professionals work in the heart of cities, towns and villages, in independent and multi-branch settings. You’ll be involved in assessing conditions, dispensing medicines and offering advice to patients and the public. You also play an important role helping to promote health and wellbeing in your community. 
    View Community Pharmacy roles
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  • GP Practice & Primary Care

    Pharmacy professionals in primary care work in local communities supporting GPs, nurses, community pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. As a primary care pharmacist, you ensure the safe management of medicines and implement national priorities locally to prevent people becoming ill and help them live healthier lifestyles.
    View GP Practice roles
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  • Health & Justice

    Pharmacists that work in health and justice work in settings such as prisons, immigration removal centres, young offender institutions and secure children’s homes. These sites will usually have a pharmacy, a primary care centre in addition to a range of public health services. You will deliver patient facing services including prescribing and reviewing medicines. 
    View Health & Justice roles
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  • Hospital

    As a clinical pharmacist in hospital, you are part of a large multidisciplinary team managing the use of medicines in hospital. You will usually be given the opportunity to rotate through various clinical specialties such as surgery, the heart (cardiology) or paediatrics (child health) to help you decide the specialist area that you would like to pursue. 
    View Hospital roles
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  • Mental Health Services

    As a Mental Health Pharmacy professional, you specialise in the treatment of people with psychiatric illness. You will work across a number of health care settings such as community services and primary care working closely with patients, doctors, nurses and psychologists; ensuring patients receive the best medicine to improve their mental well-being.
    View Mental Health Services roles
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  • NHS Organisations

    NHS organisations, such as NHS 111, NHS England and NHS Improvement provide 24/7 care to the public, buy in hospital and community NHS services and ensure governance and the sharing of best practice. They operate as arm's length bodies (ALB) and deliver public services at a distance from Government ministerial departments. 
    View NHS Organisations roles
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  • Pharmaceutical Industry

    As a pharmacy professional in industry, you’ll work for companies manufacturing medicines, treatments and medical devices. Career opportunities include clinical trials, developing new medicines, planning the safe, effective use of medicines and commercial roles supporting the selling and marketing of medicines.


    View Pharmaceutical Industry roles
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  • Other Organisations

    As a pharmacist you can also pursue career opportunities in organisations such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, General Medical Council, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and APTUK. If you are interested in shaping policy, representing your industry or making a difference to the wider public, careers in these organisations could be for you.
    View Other Organisations roles
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  • Make a difference with a career in pharmacy!

    If you are keen to help others, enjoy science and want a career in healthcare, pharmacy could be for you. You need good communication skills to work with the public and patients in a clinical role and as part of a healthcare team.
    Download PDF

  • Support for teachers and carers

    The WOW Show is designed to support teachers and Careers Leaders in achieving four of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. The resources include written plans, PowerPoint lessons and cross-curricular guides.
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    Career in pharmacy e-book PDF

Providing information & Pharmacy Care

NHS Health Careers

NHS Health Careers

Explore the range of roles in pharmacy
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The Pharmacy Schools Council

Enhancing partnerships and supporting the pharmacy profession
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UCAS

Want to apply to a University or college? The UCAS website has all you need to know
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Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Read more about how we can help
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