6 months pharmacy placement for 3rd attempt

[evisu]

Hi

Im in a very bad situation I was unsuccessful in passing my prereg exam twice and now i need to undertake 6 months work in a pharmacy. Ive been trying to find a placement since august and no one is willing to offer me a 6 month placement Its been 6 months now and i could have finished my placement by now. I cant sit the june exam because the deadline has past and if i dont sit the september exam, i wont be allowed to sit the exam ever again Honestly i feel so depressed and honestly ive had enough of pharmacy now! Im even prepared to work for free, but still no one is willing to take me on. One pharmacy said even if i work for free, they want some money in return. Other pharmacy agreed to offer me a placement, but then stopped replying to my emails and also slammed the phone down on me. I honestly dont know what to do. Other companies have a policy not to take people on voluntary placements and one pharmacy said their is no point taking me on for 6 months if im going to fail the exam . Basically 10 years of my life gone down the drain

[sparkybw]

Do you just have to work in a pharmacy or do you have to work as a trainee pharmacist because if you just have to work then why not try for a dispenser job. Once you have your feet under the table you could ask to formalise the job as a placement. I'm sure that you would be more likely to get help if someone knew you as a worker rather than as a failed student.

[evisu]

Thank you for the quick reply. I just need to work 6 months in a pharmacy. I can work in any pharmacy, as long as the place doesnt have a prereg trainee. If the place does have a prereg trainee, i can only work at that pharmacy if their is another pharmacist who isnt assigned to that prereg. This is the reason why i cant do my 6 month placement at the same place where i did my prereg, which is absoultely ridiculous. Because working 6 months in a pharmacy isnt going to help me pass the exam, because i got 79% in the exam and failed on the calculation section. Also ive applied to over 20 dispenser and assistant jobs, but so far everyone is looking for someone permanant to work in the pharmacy. Its impossibe to get a job for 6 months. I dont need to get any appraisals done or have any competencies signed off. The society are absolutely no help either. If it was a prereg placement, then i would have easily got a placement by now because its funded by the pct, whereas the 6 month placement is not funded by the pct, so thats the problem. It all comes down to money in the end.

[johnep]

We are going to hear this sad story more frequently as government legislation makes more and more difficult to employ people without taking on onerous responsibilities. I have had experience of a twice failed student who was the hope of her family and no one seems to care.
I was 'only the locum' but coached her as best I could and she passed. peraps a return to the apprenticeship before college would help.
johnep

[Nik]

Perhaps this 6 month rule should be abandoned considering how many stories have been told on this site, in favour of something a bit more proactive to encourage individuals like the OP to begin a pharmacy career, which they are obviously passionate about.

[MD178]

This must be very stressful but dnt give up and try small independent ? do you have to work full time? also can u do it at any pharmacy or only pharmacy registred to do pre reg training?

[johnep]

If you failed on calcs, as most do, pm me and I can email you a set of Naplex (USA equivalent) worked examples for you to work through.
Could not post on forum as 27 pages.
johnep

[Merlyn]

Colleagues, while one can't help but be sympathetic to our young friend's plight, before we go overboard to help, WHY did they fail twice? Is it safe to have someone on the register whose calcs are that dodgy that they have to spend hours running over them again? They've got a good degree; are there no other jobs around pharmacy, as opposed to jobs which require registration, for which they might be better suited? Do you need to be registered to work in product registration for example?

Might some career counselling be a worthwhile course of action?

[evisu]

thank you for the kind reply. i'll send you a pm now. thanks

[evisu]

i have tired small independents, but they keep changing their minds. one minute im told that i can do my 6 months at the pharmacy and next minute they try to make excuses and ask me to try another pharmacy. basically if the society pulled their finger out and provided funding to the pharmacy taking on the student for 6 months, then i wouldnt be in this situation. All major companies such as boots, lloyds etc dont allow voluntary work. The independent pharmacies always want something in return which can benefit them, to take the student on for 6 months, even if its voluntary work. It all comes down to money in the end. i need to work 35 hours a week (4 days a week). i can do it at any pharmacy, doesnt have to be prereg approved. ive seen so many pharmacy apprentice placements, where the pharmacy is looking for a person with no qualification to work one year in the pharmacy. unfortunately when i approach these pharmacies, they are not willing to provide 6 months of employment, even if i wanted to work for free. i have 3 pharmacies who initially offered me placement, but then started making excuses. im not going to give up!!