Year 12 looking to study pharmacy any experience?

[Courgettekatie]

DS has decided he’d like to study pharmacy at university. We had a look and all courses want work experience, does anyone know how to go about this? Or have advice of best place to apply/ study? I feel a little out of my depth but want to support DS.

Apply for a dispensing assistant position at a chemist. I worked as one for many years as a Saturday job. I am not sure if you need to be 18 though as you’re handling prescription drugs.

Failing that, just working behind a pharmacy counter will give him experience- you are trained on things like what questions to ask to ensure there are no contraindications.

Thank you Zodlebud, he did ask at the local Drs which has a dispensing pharmacy but was told no due to patient confidentiality but I’ll encourage him to ask further afield. I think it will have to be as a volunteer though.

www.bps.ac.uk/education-careers

careers.abpi.org.uk/Pages/default.aspx

I do education outreach for a pharmaceutical company and do the local careers fairs. I always recommend these two sites. 😀

Work Exp is tough to get in this field because of controlled substances, confidentiality and a Code of Practice that prohibits anything that could be 'promoting' prescription medicines. We can offer only admin-type work exp roles in our firm.

Large teaching hospitals usually have a well-structured work exp plan.
A vet might be easier.
Or any form of lab work that's not with controlled substances.

Does your DS's 6th form offer the EPQ? He could look to doing that on a pharma-related subject. Or do his EE on it if he's doing the IB. I know of someone who got an Unconditional offer for Chemistry at one of the London Uni's on the strength of their EPQ on painkillers!

One extra thing to have in mind for the future... there are lots of lab jobs for 1-year placements part-way through a degree. We take loads who have done 2 years, work for us for a year, then go back to complete their degree. That experience is invaluable (and paid!).

Thank you BringOnTheScience that’s all really useful info and advice. I’d never have thought of getting DS to ask the vet for work experience.

Also love the idea of a placement during a degree.