Ayoub started his trainee pharmacist foundation year last August on a multi-sector split. He’s completed his rotations in community and GP, and is now in his hospital placement where he’s also doing his independent prescribing component.  

Throughout his foundation training year, Ayoub has been documenting his hopes for the year and his thoughts and experiences of being a trainee. In this update he shares his reflections on the trainee year so far, how it feels to train in independent prescribing and how he’s balancing work, revision and life!

Being halfway through my training year feels a bit surreal and has really made me reflect on how much things have changed since the beginning. 

One of the biggest things I’ve noticed is how different each sector of pharmacy feels. In community, everything is very fast-paced and patient-facing. You’re constantly speaking to people, giving advice and managing a high workload. In GP, things slow down a bit and you get the chance to really look into patients’ histories and optimise their medications properly. Then in hospital, it’s a completely different environment again. It’s more clinical, more team-based and you’re often making decisions in real time with your supervisor and doctors, nurses and the rest of the multidisciplinary team around you. Each placement has its own challenges, but they’ve all helped build different skills. Looking back, I can see how they all link together.  

Aside from the clinical knowledge, the biggest thing I’ve learned is confidence. 

At the start, I would second-guess myself a lot. I’d worry about saying the wrong thing or getting something wrong. But over time, I’ve realised that being a trainee doesn’t mean staying quiet. You’re part of the team, and your input matters. Sharing your thoughts and asking questions has made a huge difference for me. You don’t have to know everything, but being willing to engage and learn is what really counts. 

Being in the first group of trainees qualifying as independent prescribers is exciting, but it definitely comes with pressure.  

That pressure doesn’t just stem from building your portfolio – it also comes from the added responsibility and the feeling that you need to prove yourself as capable and competent … not just to your supervisors, but to yourself as well. I realised I was doing this subconsciously, and it was only after an open and honest conversation with my designated prescribing practitioner that I properly recognised it and acknowledged it. 

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that prescribing isn’t just about knowledge – it’s about understanding your own limits and knowing when something is outside your competence. At the same time, seeing how pharmacists already practise across different settings has really helped as it doesn’t feel completely new or unfamiliar. Because of that, I try not to think of prescribing as something separate, but as something integrated into what we’re already doing – just with more responsibility and accountability. Overall, I think it’s a really positive step. It’s pushing us to grow and become more confident practitioners.