MPharm and Pharm Sci placements

Hands-on experience is invaluable - not only does it allow you to put theory into practice and bring practical insights into your coursework, but it also strengthens the skills you’ll need once you start working in pharmacy.

I felt that my time on placement actually assisted the care of patients that we talked to and improved patient’s understanding of their medicines.

Absolutely loved the placement and the opportunity for us to do medication reviews - would happily have done more days!

I felt really involved and was able to see first-hand patient consultations within a GP surgery

Pharmaceutical Sciences MSci placements

For students on the MSci programme, the Placements Team will provide support and guidance with finding a suitable placement for your year in industry. Many employers actively target our students; previous destinations for the year in industry have included AstraZeneca, GSK and Pfizer, as well as smaller regional businesses.

MPharm placements

Placements occur throughout the MPharm course and are a fundamental element of your training as a pharmacist. They provide experience of community and hospital pharmacy and also include ‘insight’ visits that provide a variety of inter-professional education (IPE) opportunities.

Short placements in Year 1 of the MPharm will build into extended placements in the later years of the course across a variety of healthcare settings. Simulated sessions with pharmacy professionals will help to prepare you for your extended placements, ensuring that you have the practical skills and training you need to be able to play an active role.

Students on the five-year MPharm course will also complete the foundation year placement (formally known as the pre-registration year) during years four and five of the course.

Further placements

We work with a large number of providers who regularly advertise additional placement opportunities for our students. We can support you with:

vacation and summer work placements
placements abroad
foundation year training
specialist work experience

Community pharmacy

We work with over 90 different community pharmacies who range from independent business owners to small chains to large multinational companies.

You will have the opportunity to experience the different roles associated with community pharmacy and interact with patients, carers and customers.

Hospital pharmacy

Hospital placements are delivered at several different hospital locations and will give you an opportunity to experience hands-on pharmacy in a variety of different clinical environments.

Placements build throughout the course, beginning with an introduction to the NHS and fundamental policies, such as infection control, to taking drug histories and developing patient care plans.

Insight placements/Interprofessional Education Placements (IPE)

Insight placements provide students with a broad appreciation of other healthcare professions and roles within the NHS. Placements may be in an unusual pharmacy role or a healthcare setting which is not directly linked to pharmacy.

IPE placements are based with students from other disciplines, for example nursing or medicine, and allow students to learn together in a clinical environment.

Simulated placements

In addition to your placements with our providers, you will also undertake simulated sessions delivered by pharmacy professionals in our Clinical Skills Suite at the Queen’s Medical Centre Hospital and in the School of Pharmacy.

These will allow you to practice your communication skills with simulated patients and will also focus on training you in basic clinical skills (known as Entrustable Professional Activities).

Julia Thompson
Placements Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 115 846 6949
Email: pharmacy.placements@nottingham.ac.uk

Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university's control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.