Retail pharmacist

Retail pharmacist job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Employment as a retail pharmacist involves:

• providing advice about health issues, symptoms and medications in response to customer enquiries
• recruiting, training and managing staff
• processing prescriptions and dispensing medication
• ordering, selling and controlling medicines and other stock
• meeting medical representatives
• managing budgets
• keeping statistical and financial records
• preparing publicity materials and displays
• marketing services.

Some evening and weekend work may be required. Salaries and prospects for promotion are excellent, with chains offering the best opportunities and the highest incomes, although job relocation is often necessary.

Typical employers of retail pharmacists

• independent pharmacies
• supermarket pharmacies
• pharmacy chains.

Vacancies are advertised by careers services, in national newspapers and specialist publications including Chemist and Druggist, Medi-Pharm Opportunities and The Pharmaceutical Journal. Pre-registration training placements are advertised in the annually published Pre-Reg Handbook and Pre-Registration Training Approved Premises Booklet.

Qualifications and training required

To qualify you'll need to complete a four-year pharmacy degree and an examined pre-registration year of supervised vocational experience and then become a registered member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.

Many pharmacists also take further training at postgraduate level once qualified. Relevant experience gained in any retail area involving contact with customers or the general public can be beneficial.

Key skills for retail pharmacists

• maturity
• attentiveness
• responsibility
• excellent interpersonal skills
• organisational skills
• verbal communication skills
• confidence
• commercial awareness.