Modern medicines are very powerful and have a great potential for relieving suffering and curing disease, but also for misuse and inducing dangerous side effects. The pharmacist is the focus for all strands of knowledge which support the rational and safe use of medicines. This is reflected in the professional aspects of pharmacy which have a commitment to people as patients or as clients and to their well-being. Practising pharmacists are part of the health care team along with doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians and others.

Following graduation, students are eligible to undertake a pre-registration year, which is examined under the auspices of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. If this examination is passed, graduates can register as a pharmacist and practice in any branch of the profession. The majority of pharmacists choose to practise in the community where the traditional role of monitoring and dispensing doctors' prescriptions has changed. Pharmacists now are encouraged to counsel patients in the correct use of medicines and to provide advice on the treatment of minor ailments and to promote good health. The community pharmacist must be trained to respond to symptoms encountered in the pharmacy and to recognise conditions which require referral to a medical practitioner. The pharmacist is the most accessible health care professional and it has been estimated that about six million people visit a community pharmacy each day. The course at King's College London includes instruction in clinical pharmacy, response to symptoms and communication skills to equip pharmacists for this important role.

Another major branch of pharmacy is the hospital service, which provides a wide and varied career. Most hospital pharmacists spend their early years contributing to a wide range of services such as ward or clinical pharmacy, residency, drug information, manufacturing and radio pharmacy, until they learn to manage a section and develop a special interest. Many hospitals provide regular training sessions for staff with opportunities to study for higher degrees or diplomas.

The British pharmaceutical industry is very successful and vital to the economy of the nation as well as its health. It is the second largest export industry (after aerospace) and one of the largest employers of scientists. It has a very high level of investment in research and development with many of the world's most heavily prescribed medicines being British products. The industry offers many opportunities for pharmacists in fields as diverse as pure and applied research, product development, sales and marketing.

The Department of Health employs pharmacists in monitoring, legislative and advisory capacities. Pharmacists are also employed in Universities, training future pharmacists and undertaking research.

There is now reciprocal registration within the European Community so that British registered pharmacists may practice in any European country. The same is true for many Commonwealth countries and parts of North America.

Thus pharmacy provides a rewarding, well paid secure career with opportunities to contribute to the health and well-being of the nation. Employment prospects are excellent and there is currently little unemployment among pharmacists. Career opportunities

Once qualified a pharmacist has a wide choice of career options:

Hospital pharmacy
Hospital pharmacists work directly with doctors, nurses and other health professionals to ensure that both in- and out-patients receive the most appropriate medicines and that those medicines are used in the most effective way. Additionally, the purchase, storage, manufacture, quality testing and distribution of medicines in NHS hospitals are primarily the responsibility of the pharmacy department.

Industrial pharmacy
The pharmacist plays a vital role in all of the activities of the pharmaceutical industry, from research to technical and medical information, from product development to production.

PPharmacy is a self-regulating profession governed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. This body has statutory responsibility for registering all pharmacists practising in Great Britain. It monitors the ethics and standards of practice of pharmacists and approves their education and training. The education of a pharmacist follows a broad integrated scientific course with co-ordination of teaching across four major streams of study: chemistry, pharmaceutics, pharmacology/therapeutics and pharmacy practice. There is a strong emphasis on the application of pharmaceutical sciences to professional practice through seminars, tutorials and topic teaching weeks. In this way the student is provided with a sound scientific knowledge base to evaluate the design, formulation and use of effective medicines and to recognise the legal, social and ethical constraints on their use. Successful completion of the four year degree course is followed by a year of training in practice under the direct supervision of a pharmacist in hospital or community pharmacy or one of these combined with a period of relevant industrial training. This pre-registration year enables graduates to apply their undergraduate training to pharmacy practice in a working environment, after which they are required to pass a professional competency assessment. Top universities prepare students for, and help them obtain, suitable pre-registration posts.

This is a four-year programme.

The MPharm course has three main aims:

• to educate students to become competent pharmaceutical scientists of high professional standing

• to provide a breadth of education in pharmaceutical discovery, development and usage; and

• to provide graduates with the scientific, clinical and professional knowledge and skills appropriate to practice as a pharmacist

Part of the course is integrated with other healthcare professionals, including medical and nursing students. It is taught by staff who undertake nationally and internationally recognised research, and who can reflect this scientific approach in their teaching.

Pharmacy graduates need to complete satisfactorily a one-year period of pre-registration training in a pharmacy. This training involves achieving and demonstrating a variety of competencies which are essential to the practice of pharmacy, e.g. dispensing medicines ordered on prescription or advising patients. At the end of the pre-registration year, students have to pass a multiple-choice question registration examination, to ensure they have sufficient relevant knowledge underpinning and complementing their practical competencies. Only then can they register and practice as a pharmacist.