CV example Pharmacist

You could also work in a range of different environments including, but not limited to, retail pharmacies, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, veterinary pharmacies, prisons and universities.

Helping people live longer and healthier lives is not a role that can be fulfilled by everyone. Needless to say, entry into the pharmaceutical profession is tough. That’s why we’re here to help with our writing guide and our example CV for pharmacists.

Personal details

In the ‘Personal Details’ section, you’ll need to include your full name, address, phone number and email address. The latter should be professional and only contain your name or your initial and surname.

It’s also a good idea to include your registration number from the General Pharmaceutical Council so that employers can quickly verify your registration.

This consists of a 7-digit number, e.g. 2056789. Further information can be found on the council’s website.

Personal statement or profile

Pharmacy is a profession that requires a lot of responsibility, often with long hours. It can also pay very well. Are you more interested in earning a good salary or do you truly enjoy looking after the health of other people?

Your personal statement should demonstrate your commitment to the profession by detailing your knowledge and experience as well as what you enjoy about the role.

Profile

I am a qualified pharmacist, adept at administering medication and monitoring supplies. With a Master's degree in pharmacy (MPharm), I have a strong pharmacological and medical background, as well as in-depth knowledge of GPhC standards. I also speak fluent German, which I enjoy using to communicate and work with global pharmaceutical companies.

Work experience

As a pharmacist, you can work in a broad range of settings from retail environments to hospital dispensaries. Therefore, it’s important to specify where you gained your experience, so that recruiters can understand whether, for example, as a retail pharmacist, you have the experience to work in a hospital, where conditions are more serious.

When listing tasks, be as specific as possible, so that recruiters can gauge the level of responsibility you had. For instance, as a student pharmacist, were you only allowed to work under supervision or were you allowed to handle prescriptions by yourself?

Employment

Sep 2019 - present Pharmacist, Taylor’s Pharmacy, Leeds

• Managing the entire inventory of medicines, ensuring the correct preparation of prescriptions.
• Administering flu vaccinations to retail customers.
• Liaising with pharmaceutical companies to upsell non-medical and supplementary products to customers: generating £100 in additional revenue.
• Creating and updating standard operating procedures (SOPs) and conducting regular audits.

Sep 2018 - Aug 2019 Student Pharmacist, Boots Pharmacy, Leeds

• Handled 50 prescriptions daily and dispensed advice on the safe and correct use of medicines.
• Supported 6 pharmacy staff as a locus pharmacist.
• Provided excellent customer service in a busy high-street pharmacy that served 200+ customers a day.
• Managed dispensary stock and maintained audit records, reducing wastage.
• Implanted a filing system that cut customer waiting times by 50%.

Education

Pharmacy is a highly regulated profession, which means you’ll need to demonstrate that you have completed the required education.

To qualify as a pharmacist in the UK, you’ll need to complete an MPharm (Master of Sciences of Pharmacy) degree, which takes four years to complete or have an OSPAP (Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme) qualification, if you’re from outside the EEA.

You’ll also need to complete 52 weeks of pre-registration training.

To list your education, start with your most recent qualification first and include a brief summary of modules of interest:

Education

Sep 2014 - July 2018 MPharm in Pharmacy: Distinction, University of Manchester

• 4-year course combining academic studies and practical experience.
• Final- year modules focused on preparing for professional practice.

Sep 2008 - July 2011 BSc Hons in Clinical Pharmacology: 1st class, St. George’s University of London

• Modules included: pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drugs in health care and data analysis.

Sep 2006 - July 2008 A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physics: AAA, Wetherby High, Leeds

Skills

Although the skills required can spend on whether you work in a retail pharmacy, hospital dispensary, academia, mental health services or in pharmaceutical companies, you will need to demonstrate medical knowledge as well as a desire to improve people’s lives.

Here are some of the skills you could include in your CV:

• Communication: Conveying sensitive information to customers
• Accuracy: Measuring ingredients correctly and deciphering complex instructions
• Scientific knowledge: the ability to prepare medications and to know which formulas can be combined and which to be avoided

• Regulatory expertise: In-depth knowledge of GPhC standards
• Sales: Upsold non-medical and supplementary products, generating £100 in additional revenue
• Organisational: Implemented filing system that cut customer waiting times by 50%
• Management skills: Supervising technicians and dispensers, managing budgets and monitoring inventories.

Professional Affiliations

If you’re a member of any professional organisations such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Company, this can add credibility to your CV. As ATS are often searching for candidates associated with reputable organisations, your professional affiliations may well give you an edge over other candidates.

Professional Affiliations

2018 - present Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Languages

If you want to practise as a pharmacist in the UK, but qualified in the EEA or Switzerland, you will need to demonstrate competency in the English language before you can register with the relevant professional regulator.

Language requirements can be found on the website of the General Pharmaceutical Council, which can include:

• A pass of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test
• A pharmacy qualification taken in English
• A detailed reference from your employer from a country where English is predominantly spoken

If you’re a native English speaker and / or are from UK, it can still be useful to include any language skills on your CV, especially if the role entails liaising with pharmaceutical companies, the biggest of which are based in Germany.

Languages

English – mother tongue

German – bilingual

References

Generally, you don’t need to provide references on your CV as most employers will request these after they make you an offer.

However, as pharmacy recruitment is driven by references, be prepared to have these at hand as you may be asked for these at any time during the recruitment process.

Format and layout

Format

As you need to follow specific courses and in a particular order to become a pharmacist (i.e. you can’t complete pre-registration training before completing an MPharm degree), it also makes sense for your CV to follow a chronological order.

Recruiters can then quickly see whether you have the required qualifications.

Layout

Pharmacy is a highly technical profession and requires a high degree of accuracy. To convey this, it’s best to adopt a simple layout with clear headings, bullet points and plenty of white space, which allows recruiters to scan through your CV quickly and locate the necessary information - your qualifications, your work experience and skills.

By all means, use neutral colours such as dark blue, grey or dark green to give your CV a bit of colour, but be careful to overboard as this can convey the wrong impression. Use one of our resume templates to ensure a professional presentation of your skills and work experience.

Hopefully, you now have everything you need to create your own pharmacist CV.

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