Switching from community-how do you find a job?

[pharmacist_interrupted]

I've been doing relief work for almost four years and I'm feeling more and more that community pharmacy isn't for me. I'm interested in changing to hospital pharmacy as I would really like to develop more clinical knowledge but the only experience I have is the few days I did as a student and it also seems that although I keep hearing that there is a shortage of hospital pharmacists there doesn't seem to be any jobs advertised either on PJ Careers or the NHS website (I live in Scotland). Is it worth sending my CV in speculatively to the Heads of Pharmacy at different hospitals or do I have to wait til a job is advertised? Also wondering if my complete lack of hospital experience will count heavily against me. I also realise I would have to take quite a drastic pay cut and go in as a Band 6 pharmacist but I'm OK with that at the moment.

[bleepholder]

i'd stick with PJ and nhs website...although the window for band 6 applications is normally around feb/march time....maybe worth ringing around, but i guess either most spaces have been filled or nhs trusts have job freezes in place!!

i doubt the lack of experience will count against you, as you would most likely be up against current pre reg's going forband 6 places, if you tick the right boxes, then can't see why they wouldn't employ you...it ispossible. have seen community people cross over wiith no problems

i have known some band 6 places come up at other time of the year, so keep your eyes out for those!

[culchie82]

It's possible, but it's tough. If you have no experience in Hospital (like me) the interviewing panel are automatically going to favour candidates with prior hospital experience. This is especially true if these candidates (many of them pre regs presumably) have worked at the same hospital as the members of the interviewing panel and have somewhat of a rapore built up with them.

[Itchy Feet]

Have you considered registering with a few agencies to see if they can get you locum work as a dispensary based pharmacist? This will give you an opportunity to see what Hospital Pharmacy is like. I know quite a few locums who actually did this. That way you have the experience bit covered as well if you opt to apply for a band 6 post. Good luck.

[Part Timer]

Have you considered registering with a few agencies to see if they can get you locum work as a dispensary based pharmacist? This will give you an opportunity to see what Hospital Pharmacy is like. I know quite a few locums who actually did this. That way you have the experience bit covered as well if you opt to apply for a band 6 post. Good luck.

Are you even allowed to do this? I'm sure I've read Disciplinary Comittee reports in the PJ which have slated naughty pharmacists for taking on hospital locum jobs when they have no hospital experience.

pharmacist_interrupted, whatever you decide to do, do it sooner rather than later... the longer you leave a change like this the more difficult it'll be, and you can always go back to community, that's the easy change if it doesn't work out.

[Itchy Feet]

Are you even allowed to do this? I'm sure I've read Disciplinary Comittee reports in the PJ which have slated naughty pharmacists for taking on hospital locum jobs when they have no hospital experience.

What I advised pharmacist_interrupted was to work as a dispensary-based pharmacist in hospitals, you do not need any special qualifications or training to do this (other than what you would need to work in community pharmacy) and you will also have the support of more senior/experienced pharmacists at hand. If it was so wrong why would there be adverts on Locum Agency websites advising pharmacists on these opportunities? I can understand if someone was trying to provide a clinical pharmacy service to the wards without any experience but dispenary based roles do not really require that much experience.

[drpepper3k]

i applied for a job for a band 6 role and i work in community. got an interview and it came down to me and one other person. they got the job as they had three years hospital experience and i had none im also in scotland and have been looking pretty regularly and nothing seems to be coming up on nhs/pj!

[pharmacist_interrupted]

Yeah, I've been talking to some pre-reg's in my company and they're saying that the hospital pre-reg's up here can't even get a job so doesn't look like there's much at the moment Looks like we're sticking it out in community for a while yet!

[pharmer7]

i applied for a job for a band 6 role and i work in community. got an interview and it came down to me and one other person. they got the job as they had three years hospital experience and i had none im also in scotland and have been looking pretty regularly and nothing seems to be coming up on nhs/pj!

Exact same problem here. One of the interviewees phoned me afterwards and said the reason I maybe didn't get the job was because I didn't "sell myself" on the experience I have in hospital. Which funnily enough, is practically nothing - just some placements in 4th year, and to be honest, they were rubbish, we were just thrown to one side and given some PMRs to look through. The impression I get is, there is a lot of clinical knowledge required in hospital, but the main difference is much less stress and generally, better job satisfaction. All in all, I want out of community.

[drpepper3k]

Exact same problem here. One of the interviewees phoned me afterwards and said the reason I maybe didn't get the job was because I didn't "sell myself" on the experience I have in hospital. Which funnily enough, is practically nothing - just some placements in 4th year, and to be honest, they were rubbish, we were just thrown to one side and given some PMRs to look through. The impression I get is, there is a lot of clinical knowledge required in hospital, but the main difference is much less stress and generally, better job satisfaction. All in all, I want out of community.

thats just what ive heard as well - yeah a pay cut and a lot of hard work to get up to scratch, but at the end of the day better job satisfaction and a lot less stressful - which lets face it is what you want in a job! there are parts of community i really like, but the whole retailing thing just isnt for me