PHARMACY OFFICER

The Job

Pharmacists are responsible for the provision of clinical support to medical regiments and field hospitals, including dispensing, technical and management support (to the medical logistic supply chain) and giving professional support to forward medical units. They act as advisors on all pharmaceutical matters including storage, distribution, security and the prescribing and dispensing of drugs within the hospital and pre-hospital environment. Pharmacists will find themselves more intimately involved in the treatment of patients on deployments and will be trained to use their skills in a more austere and demanding environment than they are used to. Wherever you are, it will be up to you get the best from your soldiers and ensure the RAMC has the supplies and expertise it needs.

The Right Job For Me?

Pharmacists apply for the RAMC after either their pre-registration training year or a period of work as a civilian pharmacist. You must be registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and preferably working within the secondary healthcare environment. All officer jobs will call on your ability to lead and motivate the troops under your command, and you will need the maturity and sense of responsibility necessary for a role in which soldiers’ wellbeing can depend on the outcome of your decisions. You do not need to be super-fit to join the Territorials but the training can sometimes be physically challenging so you need a good standard of health and stamina. You must also have a strong sense of commitment to achieve your goals. As part of a larger unit, an ability to take orders is essential, but you must also be able to act on your own initiative if the situation calls for it.

What Skills Will I Learn?

Life in the Territorials is all about learning new skills and having the opportunity to do things you would not have a chance to do otherwise. To start with, officers are expected to master the same basic military skills and tactics as the soldiers they command. This will include drill, basic fieldcraft, map-reading, first aid and how and when to fire your personal weapon (the RAMC is not a fighting arm, and its officers and soldiers may only use their weapons in self-defence). In addition to your soldiering skills you will also learn the skills pertinent to being an officer, and how to command soldiers in the field and in barracks through a series of field exercises. You will also gain military-specific pharmaceutical experience – particularly in medical logistics – that you are unlikely to get from your civilian job.

What Training Will I Do?

Initial trainingAll potential Professionally Qualified Officers (PQO) are enlisted initially as soldiers. After a pre commissioning course held over two weekends, candidates will attend a board to assess their suitability for a commission as a PQO. Should they be successful they will attend the month-long PQO course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. This can be undertaken as a four-week course, or alternatively as two two-week courses spread over two years. During this time you will receive the best training the British Army has to offer on your way to becoming a Territorial officer.Further trainingThe annual training commitment is 19 or 27 days depending on the type of unit you join. This is broken down into 15 days of continuous training with your unit, either on exercises or on a course, and the remainder taken as ‘out of camp’ training, made up of weekend training and other activities. During the first year or so you may be expected to do a little more, as your training at Sandhurst will count as your 15 days' continuous training. You will find that many Territorial officers enjoy the experience so much that they choose to do more than the minimum requirement.

What Qualifications Could I Get?

As a member of a Territorial unit you will have access to a Continuous Professional Development Plan and Personal Development Record. Together these will help you identify and develop your skills and turn them into recognised civilian qualifications that could benefit your career.

Future Prospects

As well as keeping you fit and helping you make friends for life, being in the Army gives you a major advantage in the increasingly competitive job market. Employers recognise Territorial officers as committed individuals who can organise others and work well in a team. They will know you are flexible, self-motivated, dependable, confident and responsible, and that you have an imaginative approach to problem-solving. Above all being an Army officer demonstrates to employers that you have what it takes to lead under pressure, and have professional expertise backed up by solid experience.