Pharmacist
Also advertised as: Clinical Pharmacist, Community Pharmacist, GP Practice Pharmacist, Hospital Pharmacist, industrial pharmacy consultant, industrial pharmacy specialist
Dispenses medicines safely and advises patients and prescribers on their use.
What the job involves
Pharmacists check and dispense prescriptions, counsel patients on medication use and increasingly run clinics for minor ailments and long-term conditions. Community pharmacists deal directly with the public every day, while hospital pharmacists work closely with medical teams on complex cases. The role now carries independent prescribing responsibilities for many pharmacists.
Typical responsibilities
- Check and dispense prescriptions safely
- Advise patients on medicines and interactions
- Run clinics for minor ailments or conditions
- Support prescribing decisions with clinical teams
- Manage stock and controlled drugs
Common employers
- Community pharmacies
- NHS hospital pharmacy departments
- GP surgeries
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£35,000 – £40,000 a year
With experience
£45,000 – £60,000 a year
Typical hours
37.5 hours, community roles may include evenings and weekends
Working environment
Pharmacy dispensaries and clinical settings
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
high
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Pharmacology knowledge
- Attention to detail
- Clinical judgement
- Communication
- Regulatory compliance
Transferable skills you may already have
- Precise, rules-based work
- Advising the public
- Science background
Requirements employers ask for
- Pharmacology knowledge
- Attention to detail
- Clinical judgement
- Communication
- Regulatory compliance
- MPharm degree
- Foundation training year
- GPhC registration
- GPhC registration
- Enhanced DBS check
- pharmacognosy
- apply context specific clinical competences
- comply with legislation related to health care
- microbiology-bacteriology
- inorganic chemistry
- pharmaceutical chemistry
- pharmacotherapy
- pharmacokinetics
- toxicology
- human anatomy
- apply health sciences
- adhere to organisational guidelines
Useful but not essential
- Precise, rules-based work
- Advising the public
- Science background
- Independent prescribing qualification
- Hospital rotational experience
- botany
- sales strategies
- perform toxicological studies
- analyse experimental laboratory data
- test medicinal products
- safe management of medicines
- apply safety procedures in laboratory
- manage medical supply chains
Helpful qualifications
- Independent prescribing qualification
- Hospital rotational experience
Licences and checks
- GPhC registration
- Enhanced DBS check
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Pharmacist (Integrated Master's Degree Apprenticeship)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Chemistry
- Related subject: Biology
- Related subject: Maths
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Clinical Pharmacist
next
Pharmacy Manager
next
Independent Prescriber
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Expanding clinical responsibilities and prescribing powers
- Strong graduate salary
- Wide range of settings from retail to hospital
What people find hard
- Long training including a foundation year
- High-pressure accuracy requirements
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a pharmacist?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. required
- How much does a pharmacist earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £35,000 to £40,000 a year, rising towards £60,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Precise, rules-based work, Advising the public, Science background.
Related careers
Diagnostic Radiographer
Produces X-rays, CT and MRI images used to diagnose illness and injury.
Physiotherapist
Helps patients recover movement and manage pain after injury, illness or surgery.
Podiatrist
Diagnoses and treats conditions affecting the feet and lower limbs.
Speech and Language Therapist
Assesses and treats difficulties with speech, language, communication and swallowing.
Operating Department Practitioner
Supports patients and surgical teams before, during and after operations.
Ambulance Care Assistant
Transports patients safely to and from appointments, hospitals and care homes.
Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
Read how our career data is built and reviewed, or tell us if something here is wrong.