All careers
🩺
Healthcare

Pharmacist

Pharmacists advise on medicines, support patients and healthcare teams, and manage the safe supply and use of medicines. You need a GPhC-accredited MPharm degree, 52 weeks of foundation training, the registration assessment and GPhC registration. This is a different career from Pharmacy Technician.

See roadmap
Career fit

Sign in to see how your skills and qualifications match this career.

Entry level
£40,000 (starter)
Mid-career (typical)
£40k – £65k
Senior / lead
£65,000 (experienced)
What you'll do

A day in the life

  • Check and supply prescriptions
  • Advise patients on medicines and minor illnesses
  • Review medication for safety
  • Work with GPs and hospital teams
  • Supervise pharmacy staff
The path

Your career roadmap

Every milestone from school to senior. Track progress as you complete each stage.

  1. 1

    GCSEs

    education
    Usually 2 years; resit courses may be shorter

    Study GCSEs, particularly English, maths and sciences, to prepare for the qualifications needed for pharmacy degree entry.

  2. 2

    A Levels or equivalent

    education
    Usually 2 years; Access courses often 1 year

    Complete A levels or accepted equivalent qualifications, usually including chemistry and another science or maths, depending on the university.

  3. 3

    MPharm Pharmacy degree

    qualification
    Usually 4 years full-time; extended routes take longer

    Complete a GPhC-accredited MPharm covering medicines, clinical care, pharmacy law and supervised practical learning.

  4. 4

    Foundation training

    experience
    52 weeks full-time; longer if part-time

    Undertake 52 weeks of paid, supervised foundation pharmacist training, developing competence in medicines supply, patient care and prescribing.

  5. 5

    Foundation training completion

    experience
    At the end of foundation training; not an additional year

    Complete training records, demonstrate required learning outcomes and obtain your supervisor’s final declaration of satisfactory completion.

  6. 6

    Common Registration Assessment

    qualification
    Preparation usually overlaps with foundation training

    Prepare for and pass the common registration assessment, testing pharmaceutical calculations and the application of clinical and professional knowledge.

  7. 7

    GPhC registration

    certification
    Processing times vary

    Apply to join the GPhC register after meeting qualification, training, assessment and other registration requirements.

  8. 8

    Pharmacist

    role
    Ongoing

    Work as a registered pharmacist, advising patients, reviewing medicines and ensuring safe supply and use within your competence.

What you need

Skills you'll build

Qualifications
  • GPhC-accredited MPharm degree
  • Foundation training
  • GPhC registration assessment
Certifications
  • GPhC registration
  • Independent prescribing (later career)