A day in the life as a pharmacy student on community placement

Priya Mistry, a 4th Year MPharm Pharmacy student, shares what a typical day in her life looks like while attending a community placement.

Preparing for placement

Before attending my 2-day community pharmacy placement, I prepared by completing the pre-work tasks to help me familiarise myself with the pharmacy setting. I was also given a workbook with several tasks to complete during my placement.

A break-down of my day

On the day of my community placement, I left my flat at 8:15 am and traveled to my allocated pharmacy by bus, arriving there at 9:30 am. I began by introducing myself to the pharmacist and pharmacy technicians who were very friendly and welcoming. My first task was to get to know the pharmacy team and find out more about their job roles and why they enjoyed their roles.

As the pharmacy was quiet during the morning, I helped the pharmacy technicians with dispensing medication. This involved selecting the correct medications and printing labels according to the prescription, then placing them in baskets for the pharmacist to accuracy check. Once the pharmacy started to get busier, I was able to work at the counter answering customer queries, handing out prescriptions and selling over-the-counter medication to customers.

In the afternoon, after my 1-hour lunch break, the stock was delivered, so I helped by shelving the items in the front of the pharmacy and also stocking the medications behind the counter. Since I had an accuracy checking exam the following week, which consisted of checking the product and the label against the prescription, the pharmacist let me practice accuracy checking. I also documented a CD drug on the controlled-drug register and answered customer queries on the telephone.

One of the main things I found interesting about my placement was being able to learn more about the Pharmacy First Service which has been recently introduced. The pharmacist explained to me that patients can now go to the pharmacist for a range of common conditions such as sore throat, infected insect bites or impetigo, and, if appropriate, they can be supplied with prescription-only medicines without having to see a GP. I was able to read the guide that was provided and I saw that patients were already starting to use this service and come in for consultations with the pharmacist.

For the remainder of the day, I continued to help dispense medications and work on the counter, before finishing my placement at 5 pm.

Reflecting on what I learnt

I found the chance to practice carrying out these tasks again on the second day very useful. I also received feedback from the pharmacist on what I did well during the placement and how I could build on my learning next time, which was really helpful. Overall, it was great to speak with patients and practise my consultation skills, as this helps prepare me for future OSCE exams and foundation training year.

You can read more about the different kinds of Pharmacy placements on our MPharm teaching and learning page.