Poor Pharmacist Career Prospects? What do Universities tell you?

Does anyone know if there's any scope for research in pharmacy, I want to do the MPharm then go on to do a doctorate in a related medical field, i.e Neuropharmacology. Does anyone know what the academic job prospects are like for MPharma students?

There is but it’s a very niche market and very competitive to get in. Alternative route would be to do a pharmacology degree then a masters and then if you get an opportunity onto a PHD unless you want to be stuck in a pharmacy working for £19 an hour with an mPharm degree after 5 years of hard work.

Thanks for the reply. I'm a fully qualified software engineer so would probably do that whilst trying to get onto a Phd programme, but will look into the pharmacology degree route.

Surely the area you are in now is better for work ??! Pay rates in pharmacy are going down!!

Yes, the pay rates are good and there's lots of jobs, but I have no passion for it (makes it hard to stay up to date) and its very unfulfilling work, ideally I want to transfer into medicine or study on to Phd in Pharmacology and do academics.

Before anyone shoots me down for bumping an almost two-year old thread, I have to say my opinions lie very close to this.
With the closure of community pharmacies (esp Lloyds) it's almost a dying progression. 10/15 years ago, prospects were good as the market wasn't as saturated. I don't know what has happened to the whole idea of 'pharmacists working in GP surgeries' - it's difficult to get into that without having doing pre-reg in hospital/or having had years of hospital experience.
After spending days meticulously searching the NHS site for jobs, I personally haven't seen any advertised for that. In addition, locum rates have gone down and less than 4% will go into industry (and without a PhD etc. it's hard to apply for decent-paid jobs).

I have a friend who did pre-reg in hospital and is studying for the post-grad clinical diploma alongside, but would you say that's vital for people who end up in community or just hospital? Ive been told that it's very difficult to transfer from community into hospital, if you did not originally complete your pre-reg in hospital. I personally don't feel that community is as clinically based.
Wow, I didn't actually know that you had to be working in hospital at least once/week for the IP course :/ It's so difficult in attaining such experience/volunteering.

Also, I read that approx 2% of students will fail to gain any pre-reg offers, and the only option is to take a gap year after you graduate and then apply again in the next cycle. I'm extremely fearful, that I'll end up with no offers.

I have a friend who did pre-reg in hospital and is now studying for the post-grad clinical diploma, but would you say that's vital for people who end up in community or just hospital? Ive been told that it's very difficult to transfer from community into hospital, if you did not originally complete your pre-reg in hospital. I personally don't feel that community is as clinically based.
Wow, I didn't actually know that you had to be working in hospital at least once/week for the IP course :/ It's so difficult in attaining such experience/volunteering.

Also, I read that approx 2% of students every year will fail to gain any pre-reg offers, and the only option is to take a gap year after you graduate and then apply again in the next cycle. I'm extremely fearful & anxious, that I'll end up with no offers :/

I guess so. I know you can do your pre reg within three years of graduating, but then your competing with people who will be in their current fourth year. I think it’s harder to get a preregistration nowadays, what with more pharmacy schools opening certain community branches ending their preregistration programmes, the whole process just scares me. Although independent pharmacies are an option (as a last resort).

Anyone who missed their grades, e.g. for dentistry/medicine usually and had pharmacy down as a reserve, you must read this thread and the other ones about how it is right now in the real world of pharmacy, after Uni and pre-reg.
No-one wants to be negative, but it's important you understand the problems in pharmacy these days, before you commit 5 yrs of your life and 36 thousand pounds to qualify in summer of 2023 and then decide you didn't really want to do pharmacy after all !! And then decide to go straight into Graduate medicine or whatever!!
So please read this thread and have a think before you start phoning Unis in Clearing. Remember, Unis are a business now, they want your 36k. They don't have your best interests at heart. Only you do!!
Good luck everyone.
P.S. I took a year out after A levels after missing my grades, and initially I felt bad, but I realised later it was a good thing, to wait a year and then do pharmacy, rather than jump into a science degree thru Clearing that I realised I didn't want to do a week after results !! and I did want to do pharmacy after all! Take your time in making decisions !
Happy to answer questions or PMs.

mate. its waaay more than £36k if you include student loan, the real thing is £60k in debt vs spending £36k+ on tuition alone

Anyone who missed their grades, e.g. for dentistry/medicine usually and had pharmacy down as a reserve, you must read this thread and the other ones about how it is right now in the real world of pharmacy, after Uni and pre-reg.
No-one wants to be negative, but it's important you understand the problems in pharmacy these days, before you commit 5 yrs of your life and 36 thousand pounds to qualify in summer of 2023 and then decide you didn't really want to do pharmacy after all !! And then decide to go straight into Graduate medicine or whatever!!
So please read this thread and have a think before you start phoning Unis in Clearing. Remember, Unis are a business now, they want your 36k. They don't have your best interests at heart. Only you do!!
Good luck everyone.
P.S. I took a year out after A levels after missing my grades, and initially I felt bad, but I realised later it was a good thing, to wait a year and then do pharmacy, rather than jump into a science degree thru Clearing that I realised I didn't want to do a week after results !! and I did want to do pharmacy after all! Take your time in making decisions !
Happy to answer questions or PMs.

Hi! Crazy Chemist - I think I am somewhere in this thread. Last year my son got 3 x A* and 1 × A. Medicine was never an option. He was strongly advised to do Biochemistry. However, he has no interest in R & D and he thought Pharmacy would be more commercial. He got into Valencia in the high achievement group, only 30 students and lectures are in English.( At the same time he did a different course in Spanish biology and chemistry as he had to sit exams in those on top of his A levels.) He was also given an award that only 4% of students of Spanish students are awarded. In one of his A levels he was top in Spain!
He sent his CV to one of the top pharmaceutical companies in the world and got a reply by return.
He spent two very positive and comprehensive days there. Superbly organised even to who he would have lunch with. He didn't realise just how many exits there are. As part of his degree he is doing business and economics. He spent a long time with people on the business side. It's a global company and they said his 4 languages were a big benefit. Very interestingly all those in the business/tax departments have a science degree, not a business or finance degree. My son is now interested in becoming a research clinical auditor. At the end of the second day they gave him 2 projects to do. I guess if they weren't interested him they would have said good bye and wished him well for his future. The best thing about his time spent there is that he feels he is doing the right degree. The pharmaceutical company, want him to keep in touch. My son wants to visit another office which they are looking to organise for next summer. The upshot of it is it not all deem and gloom, especially if you can get into one of the top 10 pharma companies. My son, after graduating, is hoping to apply for their 3 year training scheme.

That's really good, but I'm aiming at kids in the UK.