Beth reflects on the journey that shaped her career
Earlier this year, Pharmacy In Focus caught up with Foundation Trainee Beth as she prepared to begin the hospital placement that would make up the final six months of her training. Since then, she’s completed her placement at Antrim Area Hospital, sat the Common Registration Assessment and is preparing to begin life as a registered pharmacist. We caught up with her once again to find out what she learned, what challenged her and what advice she has for this year’s trainees.
Six months can make a remarkable difference.
When Pharmacy In Focus last spoke with Beth, she was standing on the edge of the biggest transition of her Foundation Training Year. Having settled into community pharmacy, she was preparing to move into a hospital environment while balancing revision for the Common Registration Assessment (CRA), knowing both would shape the final stretch of her journey towards registration.
Now, with those experiences behind her, Beth can reflect on a year that not only strengthened her clinical knowledge but also developed her confidence, resilience and understanding of what it truly means to become a pharmacist.
Looking back: How would Beth describe the final six months of her Foundation Training Year?
“The final six months were definitely more intense,” Beth says. “The exam was getting closer and I had to readjust to a completely new working environment at Antrim Area Hospital.” Although the pressure increased significantly, she quickly embraced the opportunities hospital pharmacy offered. Based mainly in the Emergency Department, every shift exposed her to different patients, conditions and medicines. “Using real patient cases to consolidate my clinical knowledge made such a difference because I was seeing everything in context rather than simply reading about it.” Working alongside prescribing pharmacists also strengthened her communication skills and helped her develop a consultation style she felt comfortable with.
How different was hospital pharmacy from community practice?
Moving into secondary care showed Beth a very different side of pharmacy. She found herself considering interactions, renal and hepatic function, adverse drug reactions and opportunities for deprescribing every day. She also developed practical skills including manually measuring blood pressure, pulse and temperature while gaining experience in diabetic foot clinics and frailty services. Seeing multidisciplinary teams work together reinforced the importance of collaboration. Although trainee recommendations still required pharmacist sign off, she says it helped her appreciate the responsibility that comes with qualification.
How did Beth balance hospital placement with preparing for the registration assessment?
Beth completed her revision notes by January before focusing on active recall, calculations and mock papers. She built revision around her normal routine, often studying before work if she planned to exercise later. Patient cases reinforced what she was learning, while Pharmacy Forum Northern Ireland’s calculations workshops provided valuable exam preparation.
What was it like walking out of the registration assessment?
After months of preparation, relief was the overwhelming feeling. Beth deliberately avoided comparing answers afterwards, choosing instead to enjoy finally being finished. Looking back, she says she would start timed mock papers earlier because exam technique is just as important as knowledge. She also encourages trainees not to feel pressured into buying expensive revision courses, believing the right study approach matters far more.
What was the biggest lesson from the Foundation Training Year?
Beth believes the most valuable lessons were personal rather than clinical. Working alongside fellow trainees created a support network that helped everyone through the busiest periods, while recognising the importance of looking after her own wellbeing became equally valuable. “The quality of your work is determined by the attitude you bring to patients, colleagues and the workplace every day,” she says.
Was there one patient who reinforced why Beth chose pharmacy?
One patient receiving antidepressant treatment confided they were still struggling and had not felt listened to elsewhere. Because Beth had taken time to build trust, they felt able to open up. “It reinforced how important it is to let patients lead the conversation,” she says. The experience highlighted the pharmacist’s role in advocacy and ensuring patients’ voices are heard.
What excites Beth most about becoming a registered pharmacist?
Beth is looking forward to locum work across community pharmacy, gaining experience in different settings and continuing to build her confidence. As one of the first Foundation Training cohorts to qualify as independent prescribers, she is particularly excited about using those skills to deliver even more clinical services.
What advice would Beth give this year’s Foundation Trainees?
Beth encourages trainees to observe experienced pharmacists, practise medicines histories and medicines reconciliations, build relationships across the multidisciplinary team and start mock papers earlier than they think they need to. Above all, she says: “Don’t panic. With a year’s work experience behind you and a solid revision structure, you’re much more prepared than you think.”
For Beth, the past six months have been about much more than passing an exam. They’ve been about becoming the pharmacist she hoped she would be when she first began her Foundation Training Year. As she prepares to embark on the next stage of her career, it’s clear the experiences, challenges and patients she encountered along the way will continue to shape the pharmacist she becomes in the years ahead.