"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" or does it?

Summer Pharmacy Placements

As the new semester is upon us, only 6 study weeks left for me -eek, some organised students have already sorted out a summer placement for the imminent arrival of summer break. Most placements are in a commercial or hospital pharmacy with fewer being in the industrial sector.

I can definitely see the benefits of gaining “real life” experience of what our future careers have in store. For many of us, the decision remains as to which path to choose for our pre-reg; community, hospital or industrial. It is a difficult decision for me as I can see the benefits of both. In a community pharmacy working 9-6pm every day, no on-call hours, minimal weekend work and treating mostly medical conditions that require treatment prescribed from a GP, unless of course, a person has been discharged from hospital with repeat prescriptions. Also it is nice to think that you are able to build relationships with your customers and undertake Medicine Use Reviews, ensuring that the patient is managing their condition well and understanding the importance of taking their medication or even discovering if a particular drug is not working well for the patient and together with the persons GP suggesting an alternative more suitable treatment.

Whereas my impression of working in a hospital pharmacy department is quite different to community. I envisage working with a much wider range of patient conditions and medications. As there are various departments within a hospital, I imagine the role to have a wider scope. Involving working in aseptic units and formulating chemotoxics or Total Parenteral Nutrition bags, participating in ward rounds and discussing with the doctors the most appropriate treatment for the patients. Having more involvement in medicines management and having a  professional input when it comes to writing the patient care pathways describing the particular drugs to prescribe within specific disease areas. Working to an on-call rota and dedicating more of your time towards work and gaining exposure to more niche areas of medicine that perhaps in community.

Whilst I am hopeful this summer of a holiday jetting to sunnier climes, relaxing on the beach drinking a pina colada, I have never worked in a pharmacy before so I am keen to get out there and gain experience of day to day life working as a pharmacist.

I am consciously aware of the importance of gaining valuable experience within in a pharmacy. We all need to be forward thinking and starting to plan for our careers, gaining as much exposure and work experience as possible. As for me, I have a couple of irons in the fire, with a potential voluntary placement in a local general hospital and as for the couple of community placements I applied for, I have had no luck just yet but we will see.

For those of you that have not yet had a chance to apply for summer 2010, there is always next year and get in early with your application and Good Luck.