The Co-Op Pharmacy Summer Placement 2011

A fantastic fortnight in a fast-paced healthcentre pharmacy in Cheshire

As a second year student I was keen to gain experience working within community pharmacy and jumped at the chance to work at The Co-Operative Pharmacy on a summer placement during August. Whilst particpating in pharmacy practice sessions at University and attentively listening to what the "real-life" pharmacy experience's we students may encounter mentioned by the lecturer's. I was surprised at just how busy the community sector is and how much a pharmacist has to multi-task!

From checking prescriptions to telephone enquiries to signing for CD's to dispensing the supervised methadone to customer's asking questions to staff asking questions to doctors calling in with queries to community nurses coming in with specialist wound dressing orders to the deliveries of prescriptions to MUR's to fire alarm safety checks to wholesaler deliveries to counselling patients to staff timesheets to vet prescriptions..... I could continue! An immediate observation being the pharmacist needs to be in two places at once, doing three things at a time and having lunch on-the-go.

During my time I gained so much from observing the pharmacist's and all the staff that worked at the pharmacy. I, under the watchful eye of the pharmacist, dispensed prescriptions, labelled items, took repeat prescription orders, observed the methadone script preparations, answered telephone enquiries, gained experience with stock control management, worked front-of-house on the counter, made entries in the private prescription book, reviewed SOP's, developed my understanding of POM to P medicines and even counselled a few patients.

I throughly enjoyed my time at the pharmacy and the experience I gained is invaluable - BIG THANKS TO THE CO-OP!