Being a rotational pharmacist provides a varied way to rotate through a number of specialities. The rotations are designed to give you experience and exposure to a variety of practice areas. As a result, your core clinical knowledge and skills will be enhanced, and you will gain management and leadership experience.

Within each speciality, supported by senior pharmacists, it will be your responsibility to lead the clinical pharmacy service on the wards. You will be the primary point-of-contact for pharmacy colleagues and other healthcare professionals, giving you invaluable experience and opportunities to grow your pharmacy knowledge.

Typically you will gain experience in acute admissions, Oncology, Aseptic units, Paediatrics and Maternity services, Trauma and Orthopaedics as well as providing a clinical ward service.

Key responsibilities

• Responding to clinical queries and solving problems
• Ensure medicines are safe for patients by checking prescriptions for errors
• Providing advice on the dosage of medicines and the most appropriate form of medication (tablet, injection, ointment or inhaler)
• Supported by senior pharmacists, lead ward rounds and take patient drug histories
• Proactively liaise with other medical professionals regarding problems patients may experience when taking their medicines
• Respond to questions and discuss treatments with patients' relatives, community pharmacists and GPs
• Ensure medicines are stored appropriately, safely and securely
• Supervise the work of less experienced and less qualified colleagues
• Take personal responsibility for keeping up with and contributing to, research and development
• Provide written guidelines, in line with hospital regulations, for the use of drugs within the hospital
• Monitor and analyse the expenditure on drugs, providing reports as required
• Quality-check sterile medications
• Support the ongoing training of colleagues within the pharmacy department and other areas of the hospital

• Successfully complete a Masters degree in pharmacy (MPharm) accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• Have completed one year's pre-registration training in a hospital pharmacy, during which time you'll demonstrate competency in a number of areas and produce a portfolio as further evidence of your learning
• Have passed a GPhC registration assessment and be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
• University entry requirements are generally:
  • three A-levels or equivalent in chemistry and a second science or maths. Typically offers range from AAB to BBB
  • pharmacy degrees with a foundation year may have lower grade requirements
  • GCSEs are considered alongside A-levels, with most schools of pharmacy expecting a minimum of five GCSEs including maths, English language and one science
  • some universities accept vocational qualifications such as BTEC Level 3, National Extended Diploma in Applied Sciences or the Access to HE Diploma