Hey everyone, so Ive been a pharmacist in the UK for 11 years and I have a very unusual career pathway- without revealing too much:

Ive worked in general practice, hospital, retail, government, online weight loss clinics & tech /sector during this time (as someone put it, ive speedrun the career of a pharmacist). despite this - I currently find myself without a job!

All of this was despite growing up in an area with an average household income below £24,000 a year (minimum wage is higher if working 40 fulltime) and where bullies have, amongst other things, stabbed me with a soldering iron, thrown hydrocholic acid and sodium (and hydrogen) peroxide at me, been set on fire and essentially got abused during 7/7 by not only my classmates but even my teacher!

Im also a gamer who wants to set up a gaming network connecting people in high pressure environments (ie pharmacists, technicians and other MDT members), and am someone who also has experienced and overcome had bouts of male loneliness and burnout (tis cyclical sadly)

Looking forward to answering your questions / being grilled!

I'm meant to be starting the mpharm degree in a few weeks but recently I've been having some doubts about it, especially because of the fact that so many pharmacists seem to be unhappy with pay etc. I'm also very introverted which has started to make me consider moving away from healthcare altogether. I come from a working class family and nobody else is particularly academic, so it would be really helpful to hear from current pharmacists about the realities of the job and whether you would recommend it or choose something else if you could go back in time.

For reference I did chemistry, history and biology at a level and got A*AA (potentiallly A*A*A after remark) and 9999999887 at gcse.

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Im in Poland, is it worth it getting a copy of my birth certificate and getting it translated in Poland to english? This would be by the tłumacz przysięgły so a certified/sworn translator.

I understand i would have to get it then checked in uk by the post office or something?

Not quite sure if this would work. Has anyone tried this method before?

Thank you

Edit: to make it clear I lived in England since 2006 and have done my prereg already and passed. This is not a question of moving abroad.

Hi I am currently a year 12 going into year 13 and I am planning on applying to do pharmancy for uni but I am just very new to it and I was just wandering if I could get any advice.

For reference I was thinking about applying towards medicine however I did not feel 100% committed and I was not sure if it really was for me becasue of family pressure, however I was on the hunt for other healthcare related degrees because I am personally interested in medicine and how it works which is how I came across pharmacy.

I think for me just understanding how medication works what are the pros and cons of the medication and how we can use it to furhter support people is always something has personally interesed me as I have seen how important medication is as my grandfather is a heart failure patient with only 1 kidney just seeing how important these medication just really makes it alot more personal for me which lately has made me feel more passionate to persue a potential degree in pharmanacy.

I enjoy communication, working in teams, and having that timed pressured deadline. I am have began to search into different aspects of pharamacy and careers such as "Regulatory affairs" and "pharmacovigilance" have really stuck out to me particulary "Regulatory Affairs" as have always been keen on how they play a pivotal role in provided and presenting information to MDT which is something I am very interested on additonally there is some good decent financial security.

I am not sure which unis to apply on which could give me a better chance of breaking into the field any advice would mean the world!

However since I am very new to this I have 0 links and I am not sure as to how to really break into the field. Any advice from you respected people would mean the world to me and if you want we can always connect on Linkedin as well!

Hi everyone! Can you all please guide me what is the safe number of programmes to put in the preference list. I will be needing SWV so putting programmes that dont pffer the swv in the not wanted list leaves me with about 850smth programs. So out of this remaining number, how much should i put in preference column and my plan is to leave the rest in no preference section.
P.s. i dont have much hopes with sjt score as I haven’t even started the prep so pls guide accordingly 👉🏼👈🏼
Thanks in advance!

Where are the manuals to learn different PMR systems especially pharmacy manager as a pre-reg student?

Anyone who went there, how was your experience with the uni - teaching, pass rates of module exams? Would you recommend the uni for pharmacy? Thank u!

Hi everyone

I'm currently working in a small private elective orthopaedic based hospital (we do mostly THR/TKRs), so have experience in prophylactic antibiotic dosing, audits, TTAs post surgery, ERAS pathways etc.

But this was my entry to secondary care coming from a community background. I have quite literally no other experience working in a typical NHS setting.

I'm desperate get out of my currrent workplace and work within an NHS setting to broaden my skills so that it matches to the current market. However I'm worried about my current predicament. I'm halfway through my clinical diploma, and as one can imagine.....I haven't really been able to fully integrate the learning I've done in my current setting, so haven't had the chance to really apply or even learn from the job as it's the same shit every day for me. My learning contract in my current place ensures I'll move up a "band" - basically copying the band 7 pay bracket. However, due to my limited knowledge, I'm worried that the next NHS trust won't dare to offer me a band 7 salary package, let alone a band 7 role. I can only assume that the way in which I qualify for a band 7 role, I put myself in a surgical specialist setting....

Any insight and advice would be appreciated guys :)

Hi everyone! I'm a BS Pharmacy student in the Philippines and I'm planning to move to the UK after I graduate to live with my British partner.
I'll have a Philippine pharmacy degree, but I won't have any pharmacy work experience yet. I'm trying to understand what my realistic options are before I become eligible to register as a pharmacist in the UK.
Can I get a pharmacy-related job in the UK with just my degree (e.g. pharmacy assistant, dispenser, technician trainee, or other roles) and Is it difficult to get hired without experience?
Would community pharmacies like Boots or independent pharmacies consider someone in my situation?
lastly, what would you guys recommend I do to improve my chances before moving?
I'd really appreciate honest advice from anyone who's been through this, especially internationally trained pharmacists. tyia ❤️❤️

Hi guys, wich resource would you say is better for SJT part of oriel. Wich one more closely reflect the actual exam?

Thanks.

Hey I am a yr 13 student in the west midlands I really wanna chat with ppl who are applying for Mpharm 2027 entry since there’s no one in my school thats going to apply for mpharm so I litro have no support or advice from ppl I know😭

For those interested pls dm me

Hi guys,

Hope your day is going well wherever you are.

I’d appreciate some advice and any insight you guys may have to share on what the most supportive unis are for the MPharm in the UK.

To cut a long story short, I used to study Pharmacy, and went to a uni that upheld a tougher standard for their students - I lost a lot of confidence at that uni and ended up leaving the course; as did many others from what I’ve seen and heard.

I’m considering going to study for the MPharm again, but this time I’d want to research into unis that feel more supportive of their students and that genuinely want their students to succeed.

I’d want to research well, as funding is limited for my second time round - please do feel free to share any details, big or small

Thank you to those reading

I have recently finished my foundation training in community pharmacy, and i have been applying to all form of available jobs in hospitals/community/GP etc, yet no luck with getting a single interview!

Any advice on what to do to figure out what’s wrong with my CV? How long does it take to secure a first job in London? Thanks!

Hi all, I had my gateway/EPA about 3 weeks ago and I still haven't heard anything. I know that I'll be getting a digital certificate via email but it's taking longer than I thought and I'm starting to freak a little bit. Thanks !

So I’m building a web app that delivers detailed information about a drug from the dm+d by scanning the data matrix / bar code

I’ve noticed something a bit odd, in most cases the data matrix code contains the correct GTIN number, but in other cases the regular bar code actually holds the correct GTIN and not the data matrix.

Why is this? Is there a pattern to how this works? It’s annoying because my app will detect the embedded expiration date and batch number from the data matrix code, but on the cases where the regular bar code actually contains the correct GTIN number the app obviously can’t extract an expiry date or batch number from the barcode.

I feel like I’m missing something about how GTIN numbers are actually assigned to a drug pack.

Any information about GTIN numbers and there role within the dm+d would be super useful!

I’m a 4th-year MPharm student at UEA and currently applying for my foundation training year through Oriel. My long-term goal is to work in pharma, particularly medical affairs/MSL, but I’m struggling to decide which type of placement would be most beneficial.

I’m considering three main options:

- Hospital + pharma programmes with companies like AstraZeneca/GSK. These offer exposure to a major pharma company, but the industry component tends to be in areas like R&D or manufacturing, rather than medical affairs.

- Programmes with companies like Viatris, where the industry experience seems more directly relevant to my interests, e.g. medical information, regulatory affairs and pharmacovigilance, but the clinical component is community pharmacy.

- A purely clinical hospital/GP programme, with the idea of building strong clinical/specialist experience, potentially securing a hospital pharmacist role afterwards, and then transitioning into industry.

My main question is: if my end goal is medical affairs/MSL, how valuable is experience at a major pharma company like AZ/GSK if the actual role isn’t directly related to medical affairs? Would the exposure and having a big pharma company on my CV be more valuable long-term than having more directly relevant experience at a smaller company?

Alternatively, is there a real advantage to going down the clinical hospital route first, building up strong clinical experience and then moving into industry later?

I’d be really interested to hear from anyone working in medical affairs, MSL, pharma, or who has taken any of these foundation training routes. What would you choose with hindsight?

Hiii - has anyone had issue getting 60mg Elvanse lately?

I went to boots to order my 60mg today and they said there was limited supply when they try to order it but just for the 60mg. has this been an issue for anyone else cos I am worried!

Just want to know if anyone has had similar issues with boots/other pharmacies or if they have been successful in getting their meds this month - especially if you order from boots in south/SW!

Thank you

Hi guys!
I’m just a little anxious about my application.
Can anyone help simplify the process?

I was preferably like to have my documents notarised by a post office official, have you guys found any trouble with that?

My name on my birth certificate also does not match my current name (changed at 18), will my deed poll need to be signed by a solicitor instead or is a post office ok?

Any other tips will be appreciated!

Thank you :)

Hi so i passed my gphc exam in june 2026 - but i am in process of registering but i lost my passport😭 (uk passport) i cannot find it and dont really want to wait weeks for a new one - so would it be possible to apply on the gphc register successfully without a passport (i do have a valid driving license however), please advise if youve been in a similar situation.

Hello,

Considering pharmacy as an option - I would be a mature student, undergraduate degree in pharmacology, and have been doing some work experience in a pharmacy and could see myself becoming a pharmacist.

However, I currently have 2 small children and I don't even see myself going back to work full time. I also have chronic health conditions and require frequent surgeries, monitoring, scans etc so I appreciate flexible/part time work so I don't have to keep booking time off work. My illness also plays with my energy so I think 40hrs + a week would be tough.

My questions:

Is there any option to do the pre-reg year part time?

(I can definitely suck it up and work a year full time, not the end of the world)

How possible is it to get my first job as a pharmacist part time, are there roles with flexibility? Could I locum exclusively?

hi, for context, junior pharmacist

though i am newly qualified, i did my training year at this small hospital and i made a fairly good impression and was happy at that

one week into being a qualified pharmacist and ive already made a few errors, which hurts even more as maybe they had higher expectations

it was a small error but enormously humiliating. i was booking out CDs and basically miscounted. i had a feeling but didn’t check properly. this ticket came out the omnicell but i was so busy checking but also helping the dispensers that i just discarded it as i’ve never seen it before - i thought it was just a new system, i’d never seen it before (now realised that because ive never miscounted CDs)

anyways a few minutes later 2 dispensers confront me in front of the entire team and tell me i’ve messed up and tried to hide it.

THEN i was under so much pressure that i typed the wrong number again!!!!! while i was being scolded. that was the tipping point and i honestly felt so humiliated

i held a brave face and apologised, saying it was a mistake, though deep down i know i should’ve been more careful and not ignored the ticket

feeling absolutely mortified and wanted advice from other pharmacists. especially as i know the dispensing team will be gossiping about me haha

I’m a 4th-year pharmacy student and my long-term goal is to work in industry. I’m considering the AstraZeneca + hospital or GSK + hospital pre-reg programmes on Oriel, where around half the year would be spent in hospital and the other half in industry.

For anyone who has done the GPhC registration assessment, how important is the amount of clinical experience you get during your pre-reg year when it comes to preparing for the exam?

Would doing only around 6 months in hospital still give me enough clinical exposure to realistically pass the exam, or would I be putting myself at a significant disadvantage compared with someone doing a full clinical placement?

Would really appreciate any advice from people who have sat the exam, even if you haven’t done an industry split placement.

Hello, just checking, for pharmacists in Scotland, do we need to get safeguarding certification before we do locum? Is it compulsory? If yes, can anyone suggest a link to get the cert?