How
about hospital pharmacy?
Hospital
pharmacy is a branch of the profession with much to offer: a 39-hour
week, up to six weeks holiday per year, excellent working conditions,
a huge scope for personal and professional development, good social
conditions and first class career progression structure.
Hospital
pharmacists work as members of a team within the hospital. Most
hospital pharmacy departments are very sociable places to work
and being out on the wards offers opportunities to work closely
with other health care professionals and you will have regular contact with patients.
Pharmacists
working in hospitals have responsibility for all aspects of drug
use, from procurement (purchasing) and manufacture right through to clinical
use and monitoring therapy.
The
early years of your hospital career will be well structured as
you gain the clinical knowledge and confidence required to practise
on your own. A junior pharmacist (A/B grade) will usually rotate through all
the hospital pharmacy specialties thus gaining knowledge in all
fields. Many hospital pharmacists study (part time) for a Diploma
in Clinical Pharmacy. This teaches a much greater understanding of
drug use, and puts you in a position to influence the way drugs
are used in the hospital.
After
a few years of working as a B grade in all the different branches,
the next step is more specialist role as a C or D grade. There are
many different options, including (by no means exclusively!):
One
of the great attractions of hospital pharmacy is that pharmacists
have regular contact with patients and other health care professionals.
A big part of the job is liasing with doctors and nurses to ensure
drugs are used safely and correctly. Pharmacists visit the wards
daily, where they become a valued member of the health care
team.
There
is a very good career structure in hospital pharmacy. Pharmacists
are graded using letters to describe each grade. Hospital grades
start at Grade A and go up to Grade H. Grade A is a training
grade, usually only for a few months and then you become B grade.
B grade salaries
start around £20 - £23,000. Salaries then progress to over £50,000
if you are talented enough to become a director of pharmaceutical
services. Extra payments are given to pharmacists who work extra
hours or who are on-call. These emergency duty commitment
(EDC)
payments add £2,300 on to the salary.
Junior
hospital pharmacists may have the option to live on-site if the
hospital has a 'residency
on call service'. The accommodation is often provided free or
at very reasonable rates.
So,
if
becoming very knowledgeable, working in a social environment and
making important decisions about drug usage sounds good to you,
then maybe hospital pharmacy is for you?
Steve
Haigh
Hospital Pharmacist
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