Trainee experience

If you need help with your foundation placement and trainee pharmacist experience, please take a look at the abundance of guidance, information and tips especially for trainee pharmacists.

If you need guidance on your experience as a trainee pharmacist, this page will help you.

Pharmacist Support pride ourselves on being able to provide support to trainees when they need it. Pulling together what we know, we have sorted that information into different pages below to help you on your trainee pharmacist journey.

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Try searching our guidance and support by using a keyword or phrase, or selecting one or more topics from the dropdown.

Managing your money throughout your training year

This page gives advice on managing your money during your foundation training year, including tips on how to budget for known and unknown costs.

Applying for foundation trainee placements using Oriel

A brief guide for pharmacy students and trainee pharmacist applicants who would like to apply for a foundation training placement in England, Scotland or Wales using Oriel.

Finding a foundation trainee pharmacist placement

Guidance about where to look for placements and what to look out for. Includes information on the different types of placements available, recruitment timetables and contracts.

Foundation trainee pharmacist: employment contracts

This page contains information about employment contracts for foundation trainee pharmacists. It includes information on what to look for in a contract and where to seek advice.

International students (non-EEA): visa requirements for the foundation year

This page contains information about visa requirements for international students who have finished their MPharm or OSPAP and want to begin their foundation training.

The foundation trainee pharmacist training grant

This page contains information about the foundation training grant, including who can claim it and what happens if a trainee pharmacist switches training provider part way through the year.

Foundation trainee pharmacists: making changes to your foundation placement

Information on what to consider if you need to make changes to your foundation training placement. Includes information on progress reports, banking training, switching placements and the training grant.

Foundation trainee pharmacist overview

This page provides information about finance and budgeting, employment advice, changing supervisor and progress reports. It also includes details of organisations who offer training and support.

Raising a concern: pharmacy education and/or training

This page contains information for people who are unhappy with any aspect of their pharmacy education and/or training and would like to raise a concern.

Disability at work and university

This page looks at how to manage a mental or physical disability as a pharmacy student, trainee or pharmacist.

Bullying at your foundation training placement

If you're experiencing bullying at your foundation placement, take a look at some steps you can take to overcome it and the support available to you.

Sitting the GPhC assessment

This page gives information and advice about everything you need to do to be ready for the registration assessment.

GPhC assessment adjustments

This page contains information about applying for and using reasonable adjustments during the GPhC assessment exam.

Coping with assessment stress

Lots of people can experience stress when preparing for and sitting exams. Here is some information and links to resources to help you before and during the registration assessment.

Support during your registration assessment

We understand that the assessment is the culmination of five years of hard work and study. On this page you’ll find information about how Pharmacist Support can help you before, during and after the assessment. The links at the bottom of the page take you to further guidance and support available to you from us…

Registration assessment: What to do when you receive your results

On this page, you will find everything you need to do when you receive your registration assessment results and details about support available from us and other organisations.

Registration assessment: Guidance and support from other organisations

This page provides useful information and support from other organisations in regards to your assessment results.

Awaiting assessment results

Waiting for results from your assessment can be a stressful time for pharmacy students. On this page, we will go through some strategies that can help you whilst you're waiting on your results.

Using CBT to help you cope with not passing the assessment

Not passing the exam can feel devastating. This page offers information and techniques to help you challenge negative thinking and turn thoughts into more positive and empowering beliefs.

“Make your physical and mental health a priority and it will reap benefits in your practice as a pharmacist.”

Nabila, a trainee pharmacist, shares her experience of life as a trainee pharmacist and tips on how to look after your mental health during your foundation placement.

“Re-sitting the registration assessment for a third time was the most challenging experience of my career.”

In this blog Independent Prescriber, Adam Ali, shares his experience of sitting the registration assessment three times and advice for other trainees.

“The exam anxiety didn’t just disappear, I just had a different mindset”.

Laura Sile shares her experience dealing with assessment "failure" and her journey to fully qualified pharmacist.

“Failing my first attempt wasn’t the end of the world, even if it felt like it at the time”.

Vivien Yu shares how she picked herself up after failing the trainee assessment.

“I learnt that ‘communication’ was the key word for the training year.”

Hevin Younes shares with her experience of moving from university to her foundation placement, and tips on how to prepare for the assessment.

“I completely understand that trainees go through the feeling of ‘imposter syndrome’.”

Abdikarim reflects on his experiences of the trainee foundation placement and, looking back, what tips he would give his trainee-self.

“Just remember you might feel alone, but you are never alone”.

Sean Brannen shares his journey from preparing for the assessment, through to becoming a responsible pharmacist.

“Don’t dwell on mistakes. Learn from them and help others by sharing the outcomes.”

Pharmacist and charity ambassador, Rhys, shares his top tips for preparing for the assessment and looking after your wellbeing as a trainee and newly qualified pharmacist.

“There is a path forward whether you pass or fail.”

Scott reflects on his time as a trainee pharmacist and shares tips on how to look after your wellbeing whilst revising for the assessment and when you're a fully qualified pharmacist.

“Don’t forget that you’re not alone, as much as you might feel alone.”

We asked a newly qualified pharmacist to reflect on her time as a trainee and share how she navigated the transition from trainee pharmacist to responsible pharmacist.

It was good to know someone recognised pre-reg pharmacists been having a stressful year and want to help us.

Trainee ACTNow wellbeing campaign participant