Academic Pharmacy
Whether it’s teaching, researching, practising or a mix of all three, Academic pharmacists enjoy exciting careers in universities, research institutes and other organisations throughout the world.
Academic pharmacists educate, train, assess and develop pharmacy students, pre-registration trainees, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. You will use and apply your pharmacy knowledge and expertise to teach the next generation of pharmacists through a variety of teaching methods. Working alongside the wider educational team, you will update the degree programme and develop learning material to reflect changes in education and practice. Academics also offer general support to students and are often viewed as role models and mentors.
Teacher practitioners have a split role, spending on average around 60% of their time working in hospital, community or industrial pharmacy and 40% of the time as a lecturer.
Academic pharmacists are also thought of as researchers, as the role usually involves conducting some form of research, e.g. in a science based area of practice, drug design or pharmacy services. You will collect evidence, analyse it and use this data to make improvements to medicines and patient’s health. You will be thought of as an expert.
Clinical Academic Roles
Clinical academic pharmacy combines a clinical role with a research role, bringing together the advantages of both roles.
You will work in a traditional clinical setting, e.g. hospital or community pharmacy, developing your clinical skills, and will be undertaking research at the same time. Your research will usually contribute to your day to day practice and will have an impact on patient care.
There are many paths that can be taken to establishing a clinical academic career, one of which is the HEE/NIHR Clinical Academic Programme for non-medical professionals (ICAP) which has recently become available in England. There is not currently an equivalent scheme in Scotland or Wales.
Funding awards will usually cover your salary, fees and expenses incurred whilst you are training and conducting your research.