Training in Pharmacy

There are a number of training opportunities for all grades of staff working in hospital pharmacists in the West Midlands.

Pre-Registration Pharmacy Graduate Training

The following training opportunities are available for new graduates of Schools of Pharmacy :

  • Number of placements: 40
  • Application: Application is through the Pharmalife website. If you are shortlisted you will be invited to interview at the individual hospital concerned.
  • Setting: The West Midlands is one of the largest health Regions in the UK, and offers hospital pharmacy experience in large conurbations such as Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Coventry, as well as county towns such as Worcester, Hereford and Shrewsbury.
  • Transport: Birmingham International Airport and the rail network provide fast travel within the Region and throughout the UK. The road system is custom-built, and there are fast motorway connections between all parts of the country and Birmingham.
  • Programme: All pre-registration graduates take part in monthly seminars organised by Pharmacy department at Keele University. Project work is strongly encouraged, and there is an annual Upjohn award for the best project.
  • Recreation: The West Midlands is the home of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Shakespeare Company, both world leaders in their fields. On the outskirts of Birmingham is the National Exhibition Centre and the Arena, host to world-class exhibitions and entertainers.
  • Further education: Grade A - C pharmacists are likely to be offered a place on the two-year Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy or the three-year M.Sc in Clinical Pharmacy offered by the Department of Medicines Management at the University of Keele. Further information on post-graduate study opportunities at Keele are elsewhere on this site.

As a hospital pharmacist, you will be part of the health care team, working closely with all other health care professionals, providing advice and supporting them in their roles. You will be directly involved with patient care and feel a true sense of contribution as well as realising your full potential with continuing professional and career development.

We are one of the largest health Regions and offer hospital pharmacy experience in cities such as Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Coventry and country towns such as Worcester, Hereford and Shrewsbury.

We are able to offer a thriving and dynamic training environment capable of supporting onward career progression. All our pre-registration graduates take part in regionally organised monthly seminars. Hospitals in the Region have close links with the School of Pharmacy at Aston University and many hospitals also support undergraduate training through clinical placements.

All pharmacists have access to the two-year Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy offered by the Department of Medicines Management at Keele University. There is also a wide choice of educational programmes offered by both Aston and Birmingham Universities.

Pre-registration Audit Project Abstracts - Poster Presentation Day: Wednesday 11th July 2007 Abstracts.doc

Back to the menu

Post-Graduate Training

In addition to the Keele Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy, a new management training course has been developed within the Region. This programme is intended for pharmacists who:

  • Are currently managing a section or small department have operational responsibility.
  • Have completed their technical training.
  • Have the potential to become Head of Department within 5 years of starting the programme
The rationale for the programme is that the NHS continues to change and adapt to meet both political and technical demands, so there is increasing pressure on all professionals working in the environment to produce both a quality and cost effective service. Many professionals may have found themselves in managerial positions without being given adequate training and support to meet the increasingly complex demands of management. They may have a high level of technical expertise but they may have difficulties adapting to the stresses and strains inherent in the post. The climate of change is likely to be constant. To ensure that hospital pharmacy is able to thrive in this environment and deliver a responsive and dynamic service, the chief pharmacists have recognised that there was a responsibility to prepare managers fully and equip them with the skills and knowledge to fulfil their managerial role. To this end, a university accredited management diploma has been developed which will develop all of these areas.

Each student is expected to :

  • Commit the time to attending the off site workshops some of which will be residential (5 days overnight)
  • Commit to completing written assignments in their own time
  • Agree learning objectives with their manager and come to each workshop prepared to discuss these.
  • Agree work based activities with their manager and organise how they will plan this into their day to day routine.

In order to satisfy the University requirements for awarding a post graduate diploma a student will be expected to devote 1200 hours to the subject. Over the two years it is anticipated that this will break down into In order to satisfy the University requirements for awarding a post graduate diploma a student will be expected to devote 1200 hours to the subject. Over the two years it is anticipated that this will break down into 140 hours trainer contact, 100 hours manager as tutor contact, 80 hours written assignment and 880 hours work activity Roles & Expectations.

Chief Pharmacists will be expected to play a key role throughout the learning process. Specifically this will involve identifying and supporting potential candidates for the course, making sure that selection decisions are in line with the overall departmental and individual developmental plans and meet the selection guidelines. It will also involve agreeing and reviewing the student's learning objectives for the overall programme and for each module ensuring that :

  • The pharmacy is organised to allow the student the time to attend the workshops and complete the work base assignments
  • Agreeing the work based activity, objectives and timescales and help the student to plan it into routine work monitor the student's progress in completing the activity and provide coaching and support where necessary
  • Attending as an 'expert' resource at each of the learning workshops on a rotational basis
  • Managing any disputes which may arise between the teaching and practical components of the course
  • Help influence the shape of the pharmacy in the region
  • Create a definitive role for pharmacy management which has a clearly recognisable role in the management of NHS change and development
  • Equip managers with the skills and knowledge to perform more effectively in their current role and prepare them for a more senior and strategic role
  • Be tailored to address the specific needs and situations of pharmacists be relevant to everyday pharmacy practice
  • Focus on the practical application of skills and knowledge in the workplace

To enrol on the course, students must have a first degree in Pharmacy (or equivalent) and be a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

Frequently, formal traditional management training programmes fail to meet expectations because students are not able to apply the learning in a practical, relevant and timely way in the workplace. The learning, if not reinforced, may well be forgotten by the time the opportunity to apply it presents itself. The important process of application and consolidation becomes dependent upon individual circumstance and motivation. Senior West Midlands Hospital Pharmacists in conjunction with Birch Thomas Consulting, Aston University and Astra Pharmaceuticals have developed an accredited diploma for hospital pharmacy managers. Considerable research has taken place to ensure that the course reflects the needs of hospital pharmacy managers.

In order to fulfil the University's requirements there will be a written examination at the end of each year. To address this, we have made the application of learning a fundamental concept of this Diploma programme. We have also deliberately chosen a unidisciplinary course. We believe that sharing the learning experience with pharmacists in a similar situation will aid the development of a network of managerially competent pharmacists which will benefit both pharmacists individually and the NHS as a whole. The programme is structured as follows:

  • Employment legislation and recruitment skills
  • The manager as coach and facilitator
  • Managing performance managing different people
  • Customer service Benchmarking
  • Managing change
  • Business planning
  • Risk management and finance Teamwork skills and leadership styles
  • Meetings Problem solving
  • Strategic reflection developing a business case using communication skills

Location: All external training and the residential component will be located at Aston University Business School, although learning surgeries may be held in selected hospitals.

Costs: It is anticipated that the cost per student per year will be around £2000. Possible sources of these funds to pay these fees should be explored with the applicant's senior manager. Pharmaceutical companies have been a useful source of support.

Contacts: Surinder Bassan, Chief Pharmacist, George Elliot Hospital, Nuneaton 01203 865086

Brian Hynam, Chief Pharmacist, Staffordshire General Hospital, Stafford 01785 230460

Back to the menu

Technicians and Assistants

Courses available to technicians and assistants include NVQs levels 2 and 3 in pharmacy services, BTEC in pharmaceutical sciences and NVQ level 4 for checking technicians. These are available from the Matthew Boulton College of Further and Higher Education on a day release basis.

Back to the menu