Pre-reg training

[pharmatron]

As a (soon-to-be) final year pharmacy undergrad, I was wondering what people thought about pre-reg training in an independent as opposed to a large multiple. Many companies offer 'training days' and I wondered whether a trainee in an independent pharmacy would be disadvantaged compared to their counterparts working for a larger company?

Any opinions or information relating to people's experiences, (particularly from those recently qualified), would be appreciated!

[admin]

As a (soon-to-be) final year pharmacy undergrad, I was wondering what people thought about pre-reg training in an independent as opposed to a large multiple. Many companies offer 'training days' and I wondered whether a trainee in an independent pharmacy would be disadvantaged compared to their counterparts working for a larger company?

Any opinions or information relating to people's experiences, (particularly from those recently qualified), would be appreciated!

Hello and welcome!

I personally did my pre-reg training in a small company. I think you maybe get better training with a big one, but the general opinion on here seems to be that a good small independent is a better place to work once you are qualified.

I occasionally work with a couple of people doing their pre-reg at the moment, and will try to get them to join and the forum and help you.

[Steve G]

I've just finished my pre-reg, so for what it's worth here's my view. The most important thing for your pre-reg to go well is the relationship you have with your tutor. Remember, you will be working with this person pretty much every day and they are the one who has to sign off your competencies, and declare to the Society that you are competent to be a pharmacist. If you have a good relationship with your tutor I don't think it matters hugely whether you do your pre-reg with a large multiple or an independent. Training days can be useful, but if you work for an independent there is an NPA training weekend, which I found enjoyable and useful.

With regards to the registration exam, you can learn pretty much everything yuou need to from your experience during the year and with a bit of revision near the exam - have a look at the sample papers on the Society's website, they're are representative of the actual exam.

For the record, I did my pre-reg in an independent chain (about 80 pharmacies, plus wholesaler), in a pharmacy doing 17,000 items a month. There where two other pre-regs in the group, so we had fairly regular head office days, which were more for networking and sharing experiences than for training. The year is hard work, but I enjoyed it and it's worth it when you get to the end.

Before accepting an offer, make sure you speak to the person who will be your tutor. If possible see if you could spend some time working with them as well. And remember, if you don't like the company you can always move on after you finish your pre-reg.

[admin]

Steve

Thanks - really nice reply. I'm sure it will be very useful info.

I worked with a pre-reg girl today, who has just failed the exam. She told me she would have passed if she had done one more calculation. She said she only had time to answer 16 out of 20 questions. I personally found the calculation paper very easy, and am sure it was what got me through. We never got told our marks though, so I'm guessing really.

I did all the calculation questions, and had enough time to check them all again. So the moral of this story is: -

Practice Calculations a Lot !

[Steve G]

Ah, yes. A tip for the open book exam: do the calculations section first and then move on to the other questions. And if you know an answer, don't waste time looking it up - you can always go back and check it if you've got time.

[Piquetero]

So the moral of this story is: -

Practice Calculations a Lot !

Admin could you post or give me some links with some exercises? I wonder if I'll able to solve them! :P

[pharmatron]

Thanks for your replies Admin and Steve. It's always useful to get other people's perspectives on these things.

Great site by the way!

[Linnear]

Of course the question is:

Now that we're no longer deemed to be capable of making something without killing someone why are there any calculation questions anyway?

[Zoggite]

so that we can still work out how many Full-Time Equivalent dispensing staff we have or need to have, for filling in on the FP34...
Sorry Linnear, I forgot: you locums don't bother with those tedious tasks!

[Linnear]

so that we can still work out how many Full-Time Equivalent dispensing staff we have or need to have, for filling in on the FP34...
Sorry Linnear, I forgot: you locums don't bother with those tedious tasks!

Too right!

After I've written my letter to the PJ and the a chapter of my new novel I don't have time for paperwork!

[alex]

I'm now 3 weeks into my pre-reg in hospital and loving it.

We have a few training days, and i know boots/lloyds/moss/cohens etc run them, but i don't know if they're of any major help. The big fuss always seems to be about the calculations, but advice people are giving me is to just practice them as much as possible and start as early as pos.

In the end, a lot comes down to your tutor. If you like them and get along with them and they are a good techer, then that pretty much overides any environment which you find yourself in (i think)

[admin]

I'm now 3 weeks into my pre-reg in hospital and loving it.

We have a few training days, and I know boots/lloyds/moss/cohens etc run them, but I don't know if they're of any major help. The big fuss always seems to be about the calculations, but advice people are giving me is to just practice them as much as possible and start as early as pos.

In the end, a lot comes down to your tutor. If you like them and get along with them and they are a good techer, then that pretty much overides any environment which you find yourself in (i think)

I'll never forget my pre-reg year, and I hated it. My tutor wouldn't let me ever have 2 days off on the trot, and not a sit down all day, except for a bit at lunch. Having an artificial hip this made me have to take quite a lot of time off sick, so I had to do 2 weeks extra. Meanwhile he sat in a comfy chair all day long, and just signed the scripts. I also spent a lot of time chasing round to people's houses because he made loads of errors.

I was in the first year that did the pre-reg exams. I wanted to go to a training day at Bradford Uni called "How to pass the pre-reg exams". Not only would he not ask the company if I could have the day off on the company, he wouldn't even let me take it as my own day off and pay for it myself. He wouldn't let me go to my own graduation either, but I didn't want to go anyway, which is a good job. Even if I had wanted to go though, he made it quite clear he wouldn't pass me if I took the day off. I even tried to get some help from the Society on possibly moving to another place, but got no help there.

It all came to a head one day, and I told him he was out of order, and the standing was killing me. I also spent all my days out of the pharmacy (I was supposed to go to other places to learn) covering for his wife while she had time off for IVF. When I complained he slammed the door so hard in my face it nearly came off the hinges. The next day I said to him that it would only take arthritis, or an accident, and he might find walking hard too.

The next time I saw him was in a pub about 3 years later. He had been in a car crash and needed 2 sticks to walk. Now there is no way I'd wish anything like that on anyone, but I firmly believe that: -

WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND