The Student Room Group

Urgent help, pharmacy vs radiography

Ok I want to start off by saying I like both career progressions however I would choose pharmacy over radiography. I personally like chem over bio and I would love to handle medicine, wether it be selling, producing or making new ones. However something that put me off pharmacy is the fact that it’s saturated. I did make a thread earlier in year 12 but soon we will be making our personal statements, I’m not sure if it’s worth the stress in applying for pharmacy. How hard is the degree? Are the career prospects really that bad, around Yorkshire area? Is the pay good? Is it boring or enjoyable? I need honest answers and opinions, especially for actually pharmacists, who have been through pharmacy school. I really want to go for pharmacy but I’m not sure if it will do me any good in the future. Thank you for any advice.
I'm applying for Pharmacy, and I work as a Pharmacy assistant part-time. Honestly, I do think community Pharmacy becomes become incredibly boring over time, and I've never done a whole 9-6 shift. However, I plan to do the degree because I know I will love the content and I don't want to be working in a lab. If I decide I don't want to be a Pharmacist, I still have myself a respectable Masters degree, which is still valuable.

I don't know a thing about Radiography though, sorry.
Original post by randomsheep11
I'm applying for Pharmacy, and I work as a Pharmacy assistant part-time. Honestly, I do think community Pharmacy becomes become incredibly boring over time, and I've never done a whole 9-6 shift. However, I plan to do the degree because I know I will love the content and I don't want to be working in a lab. If I decide I don't want to be a Pharmacist, I still have myself a respectable Masters degree, which is still valuable.

I don't know a thing about Radiography though, sorry.


Thank, it’s all just really confusing and I will love to go for pharmacy.
Original post by Post-16-student
Ok I want to start off by saying I like both career progressions however I would choose pharmacy over radiography. I personally like chem over bio and I would love to handle medicine, wether it be selling, producing or making new ones. However something that put me off pharmacy is the fact that it’s saturated. I did make a thread earlier in year 12 but soon we will be making our personal statements, I’m not sure if it’s worth the stress in applying for pharmacy. How hard is the degree? Are the career prospects really that bad, around Yorkshire area? Is the pay good? Is it boring or enjoyable? I need honest answers and opinions, especially for actually pharmacists, who have been through pharmacy school. I really want to go for pharmacy but I’m not sure if it will do me any good in the future. Thank you for any advice.


Hey, currently a pharmacy student coming to the end of my final year. DO WHAT YOU ENJOY!! is the best advice I can give. I feel like every sector has it's bad points, so you might as well get into something you actually have a passion for, it will make those bad points worth it and stop you from becoming discouraged later in life. Whether you find it enjoyable or boring will depend on your actual passion for the subject and your job role. Is it repetitive? Probably in community, hospital/clinical pharmacist will probably see more of a variety. Do some placements in different sectors (GP's or hospital), see if you enjoy it?

Many people get into pharmacy assuming its a job that pays well or its chilled out as you're just a "glorified shopkeeper". Fact is, pharmacy is changing and is demanding more. With it becoming so saturated and NHS cuts, you will be expected to do more, for less money. Locum pay rates have gone down as well the general pharmacist salary. Hours and shifts are longer, with an increased work load. I've heard hospital pre-reg salary are also being cut down by 25% from 2020! Because of this, many people will tell you don't bother with it, and you're better off doing something like optometry or whatever. If you're in it for the money, then yeah, don't bother. There are far less stressful jobs that will probably earn you a similar or close enough salary.

If you have a general interest in pharmacy (like myself) then screw everyone and pursue it. It's your life, do what makes you happy. You will still have a job that is secure and a decent salary. Also, the field is constantly changing, you are able to do a wider range of things (clinical pharmacist, prescribing pharmacist, industry pharmacist, community pharmacist, auditing, CCG work, academia etc), there is some room to venture out and branch into different fields if you get bored of one place.

As for the course, the content is okay but it's usually content heavy - this means a lot of lectures, tutorials, placements, seminars, reflective pieces, directed reading to do. My university also asks us to do extra curricular activities, we have a certain amount of points we need to earn from extracurricular activities to ensure we pass the year. You probably will find yourself having a lot more timetabled hours than others. This doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself, just means organisation is key!
Original post by anon240896
Hey, currently a pharmacy student coming to the end of my final year. DO WHAT YOU ENJOY!! is the best advice I can give. I feel like every sector has it's bad points, so you might as well get into something you actually have a passion for, it will make those bad points worth it and stop you from becoming discouraged later in life. Whether you find it enjoyable or boring will depend on your actual passion for the subject and your job role. Is it repetitive? Probably in community, hospital/clinical pharmacist will probably see more of a variety. Do some placements in different sectors (GP's or hospital), see if you enjoy it?

Many people get into pharmacy assuming its a job that pays well or its chilled out as you're just a "glorified shopkeeper". Fact is, pharmacy is changing and is demanding more. With it becoming so saturated and NHS cuts, you will be expected to do more, for less money. Locum pay rates have gone down as well the general pharmacist salary. Hours and shifts are longer, with an increased work load. I've heard hospital pre-reg salary are also being cut down by 25% from 2020! Because of this, many people will tell you don't bother with it, and you're better off doing something like optometry or whatever. If you're in it for the money, then yeah, don't bother. There are far less stressful jobs that will probably earn you a similar or close enough salary.

If you have a general interest in pharmacy (like myself) then screw everyone and pursue it. It's your life, do what makes you happy. You will still have a job that is secure and a decent salary. Also, the field is constantly changing, you are able to do a wider range of things (clinical pharmacist, prescribing pharmacist, industry pharmacist, community pharmacist, auditing, CCG work, academia etc), there is some room to venture out and branch into different fields if you get bored of one place.

As for the course, the content is okay but it's usually content heavy - this means a lot of lectures, tutorials, placements, seminars, reflective pieces, directed reading to do. My university also asks us to do extra curricular activities, we have a certain amount of points we need to earn from extracurricular activities to ensure we pass the year. You probably will find yourself having a lot more timetabled hours than others. This doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself, just means organisation is key!


Thank you so much this has helped. I want to do pharmacy but I want to earn well at the same time. I heard the salaries will go up for all NHS sectors but your saying otherwise. It the starting salary not 25k+, I really want to do pharmacy as it is a well respected, clean health care job. It’s just people have been been portraying a lot of negative opinions on it, which kinda put me off it. I really don’t know what to do.
I'm glad I helped! It depends what you class as earning well. Being a pharmacist will get you on a salary around 40k on average, more depending on how much you're willing to take on. For example, community pharmacy will get you on more money quicker but you will eventually get stuck. Hospital pharmacy will pay slower, but there is a lot of room for progression, it will change from job to job. It's just the salary was a lot higher and easier money to earn 10 years back - hence the negativity! Because of the saturation its easy to feel overworked and not being paid enough for the work you're putting in. Pharmacy isn't necessarily well respected... you'll come across a lot of people who think you don't do much at all, rude patients, other pharmacist's telling you made the wrong decision - literally the opposite of respecting you lol!

This is why I stress to anyone who enters pharmacy, that they do it because they value the knowledge they'll learn and the positive impact you can have on people. By the end of pre-reg you will be an expert in medicines, you will know more about medications than GP's! But don't expect a crazy high salary, a stress-free job or even respect for your title :frown: They're trying to fix the perception the public has on pharmacist's but I think there's still a long way to go! Most people don't even realise how much pharmacist's are capable of doing

Also pre-reg is anywhere from 16k - 22k. Once you're qualified that will go up to about 25-30k, After some experience, that will increase again. Yes NHS salaries have gone up because of the banding (as in a qualified pharmacist's salary), but *pre-reg* hospital pharmacy salary has had some cuts. > https://www.the-pda.org/health-education-england-cuts-funding-for-hospital-pre-registration-pharmacists-in-england/
Original post by Post-16-student
Thank you so much this has helped. I want to do pharmacy but I want to earn well at the same time. I heard the salaries will go up for all NHS sectors but your saying otherwise. It the starting salary not 25k+, I really want to do pharmacy as it is a well respected, clean health care job. It’s just people have been been portraying a lot of negative opinions on it, which kinda put me off it. I really don’t know what to do.
Original post by anon240896
I'm glad I helped! It depends what you class as earning well. Being a pharmacist will get you on a salary around 40k on average, more depending on how much you're willing to take on. For example, community pharmacy will get you on more money quicker but you will eventually get stuck. Hospital pharmacy will pay slower, but there is a lot of room for progression, it will change from job to job. It's just the salary was a lot higher and easier money to earn 10 years back - hence the negativity! Because of the saturation its easy to feel overworked and not being paid enough for the work you're putting in. Pharmacy isn't necessarily well respected... you'll come across a lot of people who think you don't do much at all, rude patients, other pharmacist's telling you made the wrong decision - literally the opposite of respecting you lol!

This is why I stress to anyone who enters pharmacy, that they do it because they value the knowledge they'll learn and the positive impact you can have on people. By the end of pre-reg you will be an expert in medicines, you will know more about medications than GP's! But don't expect a crazy high salary, a stress-free job or even respect for your title :frown: They're trying to fix the perception the public has on pharmacist's but I think there's still a long way to go! Most people don't even realise how much pharmacist's are capable of doing

Also pre-reg is anywhere from 16k - 22k. Once you're qualified that will go up to about 25-30k, After some experience, that will increase again. Yes NHS salaries have gone up because of the banding (as in a qualified pharmacist's salary), but *pre-reg* hospital pharmacy salary has had some cuts. > https://www.the-pda.org/health-education-england-cuts-funding-for-hospital-pre-registration-pharmacists-in-england/


Oh it’s good to know about the salary, I always thought pharmacy is quite respected after doctors as they have the understanding of medicine. I mean obviously you will get rude people but which profession dosent, I’m sure doctors get rude patients form time to time but not sure. Obviously I haven’t experienced pharmacy so my conception of it being respected and clean may not be accurate. But from the heath care department Iv always found pharmacy to up there, especially it being a 4-5 year degree. But I don’t really know. And again thank you for the advice, it’s nice to hear feedback from an actually potential pharmacist.
Some people are clued up and will respect the fact you slaved away for 5 years under intense training. I find the majority unfortunately are still stuck thinking all pharmacists work in highs street shops and check boxes all day. lol :smile: . You should see their faces when I tell them pharmacist's do actually work on the wards in hospitals, and we do talk to patients, and yes we can be trained to prescribe and work in GP's with our own offices! I wish it was more respected, you're right in what you say it just unfortunately isn't the reality in most places :frown:
Original post by Post-16-student
Oh it’s good to know about the salary, I always thought pharmacy is quite respected after doctors as they have the understanding of medicine. I mean obviously you will get rude people but which profession dosent, I’m sure doctors get rude patients form time to time but not sure. Obviously I haven’t experienced pharmacy so my conception of it being respected and clean may not be accurate. But from the heath care department Iv always found pharmacy to up there, especially it being a 4-5 year degree. But I don’t really know. And again thank you for the advice, it’s nice to hear feedback from an actually potential pharmacist.
Original post by anon240896
Some people are clued up and will respect the fact you slaved away for 5 years under intense training. I find the majority unfortunately are still stuck thinking all pharmacists work in highs street shops and check boxes all day. lol :smile: . You should see their faces when I tell them pharmacist's do actually work on the wards in hospitals, and we do talk to patients, and yes we can be trained to prescribe and work in GP's with our own offices! I wish it was more respected, you're right in what you say it just unfortunately isn't the reality in most places :frown:


Oh, I mean I always got told that pharmacist is a well respected job and it takes skills to become one. But il take your opinion for it. To tell the truth no matter what healths sector you work in, optom, radiography, nursing or even doctors, you will always have people commenting on what you do and questioning your abilities. I mean obviously you haven’t started working by maybe when you do, you might be well respected, I mean you are a person with medical knowledge on medicine which saves life’s. And I think everyone needs to understand that no matter which health sector you work in they all contribute in saving life’s and maintaining an individuals health.
Completely agree with you! It's nice to know there are aspiring students that are aware of what pharmacy is capable of. I think that's why its important to choose a career you appreciate and can see yourself in. That's why when you have all the stigma to deal with (which you will experience as you progress through pharmacy if you choose to do it), it will feel worth while. Because you believe in it :smile:

I speak from years of working as a dispenser in 3 different pharmacies, completing pharmacy placements across the midlands, progressing through MPharm, working alongside pre-regs, communicating with more pharmacists than I can count and now going into hospital pharmacy :smile: The stigma is still unfortunately there, it's slowly changing but a working progress.
Original post by Post-16-student
Oh, I mean I always got told that pharmacist is a well respected job and it takes skills to become one. But il take your opinion for it. To tell the truth no matter what healths sector you work in, optom, radiography, nursing or even doctors, you will always have people commenting on what you do and questioning your abilities. I mean obviously you haven’t started working by maybe when you do, you might be well respected, I mean you are a person with medical knowledge on medicine which saves life’s. And I think everyone needs to understand that no matter which health sector you work in they all contribute in saving life’s and maintaining an individuals health.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by anon240896
Completely agree with you! It's nice to know there are aspiring students that are aware of what pharmacy is capable of. I think that's why its important to choose a career you appreciate and can see yourself in. That's why when you have all the stigma to deal with (which you will experience as you progress through pharmacy if you choose to do it), it will feel worth while. Because you believe in it :smile:


Yeh, Iv always respected pharmacy and as an average person just growing up it got praised a lot but ever since Iv come into this dilemma of career choices, I’ve read some negative things about it which does it me off from time to time. Obviously if your passionate about something, regardless of what progression it is, you will enjoy it. At the end of the day people will always have things to say. No one should be looked down at but sadly people will always give opinions, which should be ignored if their not necessary. But I don’t know il see what I can do and obviously consider it. I mean all professions have ups and downs, you won’t always be 100% happy with a career but you just gotta do what you gotta do. Thank you for your time and I wish you all the best for your exams.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Post-16-student
Yeh, Iv always respected pharmacy and as an average person just growing up it got praised a lot but ever since Iv come into this dilemma of career choices, I’ve read some negative things about it which does it me off from time to time. Obviously if your passionate about something, regardless of what progression it is, you will enjoy it. At the end of the day people will always have things to say. No one should be looked down at but sadly people will always give opinions, which should be ignored if their not necessary. But I don’t know il see what I can do and obviously consider it. I mean all professions have ups and downs, you won’t always be 100% happy with a career but you just gotta do what you gotta do. Thank you for your time and I wish you all the best for your exams.


Iv had work experience at radiography too, so I was also considering that as it is quite enjoyable

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