Working as a Pharmacist in the UK.

[paul2008]

Is that why its so long and hard to register as a pharmacist here using the overseas route? Pharmatopia... is it worth it. I'm not really sure.

The UK seems to go through phases of pulling in as many foreign professionals as possible then a few years of trying to keep them out. Wasn't it only 10 years ago that Lloyds and co were dragging pharmacists in from virtually every country in the commonwealth with no need for a conversion course or even a second pre-reg... how time flies

I heard that there were 70 places at Sunderland for the conversion course this year bring the total number of places to at least 160. In addition thousands of UK students graduate every year.This is contributing to the shortage of pre-reg places.

Naturally its much cheaper to go to the States and Australia but both are so much further from Africa so chances of going home for Christmas now and then are very slim... practically the UK is ideally located.

I was looking at the highly skilled visa program for a friend and to score full points for earning potential his salary would be be the equivalent of £3,500 pa or more. I guess I can see why the UK looks so attractive but utopia ....I don't think so, just a place to try and earn reasonable salary in real money.

I don't know the answers the world is such an unfair place, almost everything depends on the birth lottery.

Paul

[sherifelrefaey]

hello ,
my name is sherif elrefaey from egypt . fresh graduated pharmacist with grade good. and i want to came to study the pharmacy in england and to be able to work as pharmacist in england and i have the enough money to came and to live and study .
so i want to know every thing to apply and come and beginning the studying at the nearest time possible.
sherif elrefaey

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by sherifelrefaey

hello ,
my name is sherif elrefaey from egypt . fresh graduated pharmacist with grade good. and i want to came to study the pharmacy in england and to be able to work as pharmacist in england and i have the enough money to came and to live and study .
so i want to know every thing to apply and come and beginning the studying at the nearest time possible.
sherif elrefaey

Welcome to the board.
One post is generally sufficient to get a friendly response, and we are a friendly bunch here.

To get you going try the RPSGB website. Have a good look around.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

[giggsy]

Originally Posted by paul2008

Is that why its so long and hard to register as a pharmacist here using the overseas route? Pharmatopia... is it worth it. I'm not really sure.

The UK seems to go through phases of pulling in as many foreign professionals as possible then a few years of trying to keep them out. Wasn't it only 10 years ago that Lloyds and co were dragging pharmacists in from virtually every country in the commonwealth with no need for a conversion course or even a second pre-reg... how time flies

I heard that there were 70 places at Sunderland for the conversion course this year bring the total number of places to at least 160. In addition thousands of UK students graduate every year.This is contributing to the shortage of pre-reg places.

Naturally its much cheaper to go to the States and Australia but both are so much further from Africa so chances of going home for Christmas now and then are very slim... practically the UK is ideally located.

I was looking at the highly skilled visa program for a friend and to score full points for earning potential his salary would be be the equivalent of £3,500 pa or more. I guess I can see why the UK looks so attractive but utopia ....I don't think so, just a place to try and earn reasonable salary in real money.

I don't know the answers the world is such an unfair place, almost everything depends on the birth lottery.

Paul

Spot on man.

[diver pharmacist]

Hello everyone,

As this is my first post let me first very briefly introduce myself. I am a registered pharmacist (in Cyprus) and I am currently working in Cyprus as a part-timer pharmacist, while at the same time I am running a privately owned firm that is involved in SCUBA diving with imports, sales, courses etc.

Recently I came across a recruitment organisation seeking to recruit pharmacists from other EU countries to work for a Major High Street chain of Pharmacies operating across the UK.

I have no clue about the after-tax income of a pharmacist in the UK. They are offering this payment scheme:

Weeks 1 –12 Fitness to practise training £21,500 per annum (On a par with pre registration students)

Weeks 12 –24 JS system training and mentoring by experienced pharmacy manager £25,000 per annum


Week 24 + Final sign off expected to be circa £32,000

Furthermore they require the pharmacists to sign for a minimum period of two years due to the high training costs involved.

Considering that one would have to relocate and pay accomodation, would you consider this income scheme as adequate to live in UK?

Please consider that in my current job as a pharmacist I am getting a daily payment of 120-150 Euros (90 - 110 STG) net. The annual income tax for the first 25000 STG is tax free and then there is a 10% tax. That leaves me with a net income of 22,5K per annum.

Final Question: What should a pharmacist's annual salary be in order to get an annual income of approximately 22,5K STG (after taxes)?

Thanks for your time.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by diver pharmacist

Hello everyone,

Considering that one would have to relocate and pay accomodation, would you consider this income scheme as adequate to live in UK?

No

However if you want to do some wreck dives - it might be worthwhile.

Final Question: What should a pharmacist's annual salary be in order to get an annual income of approximately 22,5K STG (after taxes)?

Hard to answer - I've no idea if or where you would be taxed on your diving income.

and welcome to the board.


Jeff

[Zoggite]

Originally Posted by diver pharmacist

Considering that one would have to relocate and pay accomodation, would you consider this income scheme as adequate to live in UK?

It depends on where you'd be living- housing costs in some parts of the country are a lot higher than in others, and salaries don't always mirror that.
£32k is the absolute minimum I would expect a junior, inexperienced, pharmacist to be offered; but to be tied down to a particular High Street chain of pharmacies for 2 years' time in unacceptable. Ask yourself why these companies are going to such lengths to fill their vacancies: it's because no-one in the UK wants to work there... They are aften the busiest "problem"-shops, with insufficient/underqualified support staff, or a high staff turnover... and if You have signed for 2 years, you cannot vote with your feet!

Salary required to earn £22.5k after tax: if you had no other source of income, you would probably need to earn about £35k per annum as an employee to have £22.5k take-home, I reckon. This is perfectly achievable as a junior pharmacist, even without going through a company-run relocation & mentoring scheme! It is not like in the U.S. or Australia, where you have to be "sponsored" by a local resident/company to obtain a Work Permit: if you have an EU nationality, you have the right to come and live & work here. You could just turn up at Heathrow and walk into a pharmacy saying "hello, my name is XXX, do you have a job for me?". Or send some CVs off to a few pharmacies picked out of the Telephone directory (not just the large companies!) and see what they say? That's what I did when I moved to the UK from Belgium...
Who dares, wins!

[diver pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Jeff

No

However if you want to do some wreck dives - it might be worthwhile.

Thanks Jeff, that helps in clearing the foggy field!

[diver pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Zoggite

It depends on where you'd be living- housing costs in some parts of the country are a lot higher than in others, and salaries don't always mirror that.
£32k is the absolute minimum I would expect a junior, inexperienced, pharmacist to be offered; but to be tied down to a particular High Street chain of pharmacies for 2 years' time in unacceptable. Ask yourself why these companies are going to such lengths to fill their vacancies: it's because no-one in the UK wants to work there... They are aften the busiest "problem"-shops, with insufficient/underqualified support staff, or a high staff turnover... and if You have signed for 2 years, you cannot vote with your feet!

Salary required to earn £22.5k after tax: if you had no other source of income, you would probably need to earn about £35k per annum as an employee to have £22.5k take-home, I reckon. This is perfectly achievable as a junior pharmacist, even without going through a company-run relocation & mentoring scheme! It is not like in the U.S. or Australia, where you have to be "sponsored" by a local resident/company to obtain a Work Permit: if you have an EU nationality, you have the right to come and live & work here. You could just turn up at Heathrow and walk into a pharmacy saying "hello, my name is XXX, do you have a job for me?". Or send some CVs off to a few pharmacies picked out of the Telephone directory (not just the large companies!) and see what they say? That's what I did when I moved to the UK from Belgium...
Who dares, wins!

Nice input about the working conditions. It doesn't take a lot to get the picture. Im glad I joined this forum!

Many thanks!!!

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by diver pharmacist

Nice input about the working conditions. It doesn't take a lot to get the picture. Im glad I joined this forum!

Many thanks!!!

Tell us about pharmacy in Cyprus and how the health system works there?