Pharmacy undergraduate training
Pharmacy undergraduate training provides you with an understanding of the underpinning knowledge and skills needed by pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care to patients in an ever widening range of settings. Our experienced team at Scientia Skills have been writing and delivering pharmacy training for a combined total of over 73 years and we provide industry leading support for our trainees, tutors and customers alike. Our pharmacy undergraduate training programme provides a structured short course to enhance your learning during a summer placement in a pharmacy or while if you have a weekend job, while studying at university. Here we share our knowledge with you to get you off to a great start.
What is a pharmacy undergraduate?
To become qualified as a pharmacist takes a minimum of five years and includes two main steps. The first step involves successfully completing a Master of Pharmacy degree course which is accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). This is a intense, full-time, four year degree course. Many students spend time during their ample summer holidays (usually an 8 week placement) working in a pharmacy to gain vital, practical experience. They begin to learn about how their underpinning knowledge is applied in the real world, hone their interpersonal skills, experience life as a full time worker and earn some much needed cash at the same time. Our pharmacy undergraduate training programme is designed to provide support and structure during this period and to help you get the best out of your time. The second step involves successfully completing a pre-registration training year working closely with a pharmacist tutor in a pharmacy and preparing for the GPhC’s registration assessment. Completing a summer placement helps when seeking a pre-registration place which can be competitive and may provide you with an advantage.
What do I have to do to become a pharmacy undergraduate?
Well, the simple answer is get the right grades at A level and win a place on a pharmacy undergraduate course. When you are studying you will need to be completing a period of work experience such as a summer placement or weekend job to be eligible for our pharmacy undergraduate training programme.
If you are not sure if pharmacy is the right career for you it may help you to explore what’s involved. You could speak to the pharmacist in your local pharmacy to find out more. Some pharmacies may allow you to observe what happens for a period of time. Of course, you can always talk to us! We are always happy to talk training and we are very friendly. You could try our short, FREE training programme, Introduction To Pharmacy and learn more that way. Just place an order and we’ll send it through to you.
Our training is designed to be flexible and can follow a 4, 6 or 8 week summer placement. If you have a weekend job in a pharmacy for any length of time the 8 week programme will provide the most value. Take a look here to find out what our programme covers. You can find our programmes here. Please feel free to get in touch and ask any questions you might like.
What does a pharmacy undergraduate do on summer placement?
A pharmacy undergraduate carries out a range of tasks that focus around the provision of pharmaceutical care to patients. The exact activities will vary depending on where you complete your placement and who your tutor is however you may be involved in some of the following :
Liaison with the pharmacy team
Sale of over the counter medicines
Stock management
Retail sales of none pharmacy products
Prescription management
Providing appropriate advice and support to patients
Complying with regulations and legislation governing the supply of medicines
Providing the highest levels of customer service
Our training programme cover a wide range of topics including pharmacy regulation and legislation, selling medicines, offering the best service, using the WWHAM protocol and working with prescriptions.
What next?
When you have completed your pharmacy undergraduate training you’ll feel more confident when helping patients everyday. As you progress through the four years of undergraduate study at university you will want to keep developing. You could consider completing our Looking After Your Dispensary Stock training programme, our Care home training programme, Delivery driver training programme or Medicines counter assistant programme.
If you are ready to explore pharmacy undergraduate training in more depth take a look at our programme details and if you are ready to purchase go straight to our online shop and we’ll get you set up.
As always we want to provide the best support to both trainees and tutors. We don’t just send you a training pack and then leave you to it. That approach starts now. Get in touch whichever way suits you and we’ll happily answer your questions. We are always happy to talk training. Remember, the only silly question is the one you don’t ask…