CAMHS clinical pharmacist — Rhianna Parmar

Rhianna studied a Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) at the University of Lincoln before becoming a clinical pharmacist working through a series of rotations

How did you get your job as a clinical pharmacist?

Throughout university, I worked as a part-time dispenser at a local community pharmacy. This allowed me to gain experience and confidence in both pharmacy practice and communication skills.

During my pre-registration year I applied for my role as a rotational pharmacist at the North East London Foundation Trust. I had to write a personal statement explaining why I would suit this role and what expertise I had. I also detailed the experience I had gained through my training year and how these could be applied to the hospital trust's values.

I began my career as a pharmacist working in acute stroke and have now rotated into my current role as a child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) pharmacist working within inpatient and community sectors.

What are your main pharmacy work activities at the hospital?

A typical working day on an acute ward (such as a stroke ward) starts by reviewing all medication order requests from the previous night. As the ward pharmacist, I'm also responsible for assessing any new patients and completing a drug history for each of them.

A key role of the ward pharmacist is to ensure all medications prescribed are safe to take and are suitable for the patient at the time.

I also ensure safe and effective discharges. I screen the discharge letters of each patient and review the medications prescribed to ensure they are safe for the patient to be discharged with. I also order any medications needed for the patient.

How has your role developed and what are your career ambitions?

With additional qualifications such as the prescribing qualification and clinical diploma, pharmacists continue to learn and to increase their responsibility of care to the public.

As I gain my clinical diploma qualification, I hope to specialise within an area of pharmacy and eventually become a more senior member of the pharmacy team.

What do you enjoy most about clinical pharmacy work?

The most enjoyable part of being a pharmacist, is meeting such a variety of people - both the patients and members of the healthcare team.

I like that my knowledge is continuously tested and advancing. My favourite part about working within a hospital setting is that I am part of a bigger team and get the opportunity to understand and be part of a patients journey from the beginning to the end. This creates a huge sense of achievement.

What advice can you give to other aspiring pharmacists?

• Don't worry about deciding what you’d like to specialise in straight away, there is time to try them all and gain a wider understanding of each area before focusing on one.
• Mistakes happen, and failing an exam or making a mistake is not the end of the world. You can grow from this and try again. Use it as a learning opportunity to allow for personal growth.
• Draw from the knowledge of those around you - your peers, friends, or seniors, use their knowledge to advance yours. Shadow as many people as you can and get involved in lots of activities and opportunities to ensure you become the best version of yourself.

Find out more

• Read about life as a hospital pharmacist.
• Take a look at the healthcare sector.